Parolees Placed in “Questionable” Jobs

A newspaper investigation found that scores of parolees throughout the state were placed in questionable jobs with help from the Department of Corrections. They include drug offenders working close to prescription medication and sex offenders who got jobs near children. The Department of Corrections pays vocational programs to find work for an estimated 120,000 ex-convicts who leave jail each year. The Orange County Register reports that about 200 parolees were placed in questionable jobs in 2001, the most recent year for which the data was available.