An audit by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury’s office released Monday found that the state’s Board of Parole conducted arrest checks on more than 80 parolees who were deceased.
In addition, the audit states that Board of Parole officers indicated that they had made contact with the dead individuals.
According to the study, checks were done on parolees who had been dead for less than two months and up to 19 years. Comptroller employees were able to do a simple Google search to crosscheck Social Security numbers to obtain confirmation of the deaths.
“While 82 is a small number compared to the over 60,000 offenders monitored each year, the board (and now the Department of Correction) should consider regularly comparing offender information to either state or social security administration death records,” the audit states.
The audit also found inadequacies in parole officer supervision, the lack of a department disaster recovery plan and noncompliance with open meetings laws.
The Board of Parole was made part of the Tennessee Department of Corrections in July.