Failed state parole early-release program nearly costs LAPD officers their lives
Contact: Eric Rose (805) 624-0572 or
Paul Haney (626) 755-4759
LOS ANGELES, July 14, 2010 -- The ill-conceived parole policies of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) nearly claimed the lives of two Los Angeles Police officers this week when a hard-core gang member, classified as a “low-level, non-violent” parolee, opened fire on two officers who were attempting to stop him for a DUI offense.
The known gang member, Javier Joseph Rueda, 28 of Panorama City, was on the CDCR’s newly invented “non-revocable parole” list, when he attempted to murder the LAPD officers. Rueda, aka “Jayboy” or “Lilskinny,” was killed in the exchange of gunfire on Friday after a brief car chase that ended near the intersection of Penrose Street and Glenoaks Boulevard.
“One LAPD officer was shot in the wrist and the other was injured in the incident when Rueda shot at them ten times, clearly trying to kill them. We have repeatedly warned for months that it’s only a matter of time before the Department of Corrections’ ‘non-revocable’ parole policy—which pushes prisoners back onto the streets and prevents their return to prison —enables a parolee to kill a police officer or an innocent member of our community. It was only by the sheer grace of God that these officers were not killed by this parolee, who still should have been in prison,” said Paul M. Weber, President of the LAPPL.
Weber further admonished the CDCR of the dangers of the early-release program. “We are putting the CDCR on notice now—don’t you dare come to an officer’s funeral and tell us how sorry you are that one of your parolees, who should have been in prison, killed a police officer. Your chance to make amends is now. Correct the problem before someone else is hurt or killed and revoke a policy that puts officers and the public in danger,” said Weber.
Programs to put felons back on the street have already proven to be significantly flawed. In April, an embarrassed CDCR and its Secretary Matthew Cate, who spearheads the early-release program for inmates—as determined by CDCR’s Parole Violation Decision-Making Instrument (PVDMI) system —admitted that they had misclassified hundreds of felons. It was also later acknowledged that those 656 released inmates posed a danger to public safety and needed to be put back behind bars. The LAPPL has warned state leaders and residents for nearly a year that the CDCR’s various early-release programs present a grave danger to the public.
“In addition to highlighting early-release parolees like Rueda, last May, we cautioned the Governor and public that the Department of Corrections' PVDMI system was a deeply flawed way to determine which inmates should be returned to, or released from, state prisons,” concluded Weber.
Related releases:
Los Angeles Police Officers call on Governor to Stop Dangerous New Parole Program (5/5/09)
LAPPL Statement on Proposed Massive Prisoner Release (5/23/09)
Los Angeles police officers denounce inmate early releases as dangerous and counterproductive (7/9/09)
State to release thousands of felons; Prison gates open January 25 (1/15/10)
Governor "commutes" sentences of 6,000 inmates (1/21/10)
About the LAPPL:Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents the more than 9,900 dedicated and professional sworn members of the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPPL serves to advance the interests of LAPD officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education. The LAPPL can be found on the Web at www.LAPD.com.
