STATE ENLISTS FAMILIES TO KEEP PAROLEES STRAIGHT

Officials at Adult Probation and Parole have devised a new orientation
program to help parolees stay free.

When people are paroled or put on probation, APP now gives a presentation
to make sure the parolees and their families know what is expected of them.

At a recent presentation, Agent Dan Love told a group of 20 parolees and
their families that officers will visit their homes and that they are
allowed to search homes at any time of the day or night.

Parolees are required to report once a month to APP headquarters. A parolee
who commits a new offense is required to contact his or her parole agent
within 48 hours.

People on parole cannot possess weapons or associate with known felons.
They will also undergo regular drug tests and are required to work at least
32 hours a week.

The idea of bringing family members to the orientation, said Love, is to
let them know what's expected of their loved ones and to explain how they
can help keep them out of jail.

Love said no matter how well an agent gets to know a parolee, he'll never
know as much as a family member.

"I'm not the one who's had you for 20-plus years," he said.

Kevin Holmes, 19, who was recently convicted of possessing a stolen
vehicle, was among those in the group.

He listened to the orientation with his wife, Christine, and afterward said
he was thankful for APP's efforts.

Holmes said his friends had told him that parole officers hunt people down
and send them back to jail within 30 days. But agent Bradley Bassi said
that's a common misconception.

He acknowledged the recidivism rate is between 70 to 75 percent, but said
APP's goal is not to take someone back to jail.

Holmes said the toughest part will be to cut ties with all his
acquaintances and to stop using meth and heroin. Holmes was raised around
drugs and called the lifestyle an "addiction."

His brother recently committed suicide following years of drug abuse.
Holmes said his brother's death has prompted him to clean up his act.

"I'm trying to get my life back in shape," he said. "I know a lot of people
who haven't made it through [parole]."

DeNeal Malkogiannis, 37, who was convicted of forgery and has been paroled
seven times, said the key to staying out of jail is to be honest with your
parole officer.

Love couldn't agree more.

"There is not a thing you can do that we can't work through, unless you
lie," he told the group. "If you are honest, I can vouch for you."

There are currently 5,000 people on parole just along the Wasatch Front,
said Bassi. APP has 87 agents to monitor all of them, which means an agent
can be responsible for up to 130 parolees.