Parole panel declines to revoke parole for inmate removed from treatment after fight

Pete Freeman, acting chair of the Committee on Parole, and two panel members reviewed disciplinary and program records for an inmate identified in the hearing as Mr. Vasco and voted not to revoke his parole.

The panel examined a disciplinary report showing Vasco had been involved in a single physical altercation that led to his removal from a treatment program. Pete Freeman, the acting chair, said, “My vote today is to not revoke and recycling through the program.” Freeman then called for the panel to vote. A second panelist said, “I'll vote also to do not revoke. We'll give you another shot.” A third member concurred.

Panel members and facility staff told the board Vasco had participated in the program for about four months before the incident and was approaching enrollment in a domestic-violence class. Warden Jason Burns told the panel that Vasco had been “participating in the program” prior to the disciplinary incident. Burns also said Vasco had not yet started the domestic-violence class that staff considered necessary to complete treatment.

During the hearing Vasco addressed the board and said the fight arose after he was provoked; he described choosing “the wrong friend” and said the other person “spit my face, and we started fighting.” The panel asked about the program timeline and whether four months of treatment was sufficient; staff recommended six months to complete required classes.

After discussion the panel voted unanimously to keep Vasco in the program rather than revoke his parole. The panel cautioned Vasco that further write-ups or problems with staff could result in revocation. The board directed staff to follow up on where Vasco stood in the treatment sequence and to restart him at the appropriate point in the program if the facility allowed it.

The panel recorded its decision in open session and signed off at the close of the hearing.