A class-action lawsuit seeking major reforms of Missouri’s parole system just got the go-ahead from a federal judge in St. Louis. The case, Gasca versus Precythe (PRIH-sythe), alleges that the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole violates people’s due-process rights by not sufficiently educating them about their right to a hearing, and not screening them quickly or thoroughly to determine if they qualify for a court-appointed attorney. Amy Breihan with the MacArthur Justice Center, which brought the case, says about six-thousand people in Missouri are accused of violating parole each year, and 90 percent are sent back to prison – many for things like losing a job or missing a meeting with their parole officer
The state has argued that people on parole are informed of their rights, but that most simply waive them. The lawsuit seeks no monetary damages – rather, it asks that the Missouri Department of Corrections make major changes to its practices.