Skip to main content

Parole Oversight: California State Board Lacks Resources

By Kamika Dunlap on March 31, 2010 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

A California state board picked to review how parole supervision of convicted sex offenders like John Albert Gardner fell through the cracks is lacking resources to properly conduct oversight.

The Associated Press reports that with minimal staff and no formal budget, the Sex Offender Management Board lacks resources it needs to complete its review involving Gardner's parole violations. He is accused of raping and killing 17-year-old Chelsea King after she went for a run at Rancho Bernardo Community Park.

As previously discussed, Gardner has pleaded not guilty to murdering Chelsea King. He also spent time in prison for molesting a 13-year-old girl Amber Dubois and committed violations of his California parole in 2007 and 2008.

The parents of Chelsea King are among those currently fighting for changes in sex offender laws.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered the 17-seat California state board to review Gardner's case but it has struggled with financial and logistical problems.

Many of the board members are experts, including psychologists, judges and probation officers who volunteer outside of their full-time jobs.

Although corrections officials have agreed to pay board members' travel costs they have been unable to get a quorum for a meeting.

The California state board was formed to work on a comprehensive state plan to manage sex offenders and was supposed to disband earlier this year, but the state Legislature instead made it permanent.

Now, the board is trying to figure out how it will meet its review which is supposed to be completed for the governor by May 1.

The board has not had a formal budget since July and only has one staffer, who works part-time.

Copied to clipboard