About ninety-seven percent of inmates eventually get out of prison.

That presents a dilemma for the criminal justice system: how should convicts be reintroduced into society?

Work-release programs are one approach used in Wyoming. They allow inmates to hold jobs and earn money outside of prison.

The walk-away escape of Shannon Parazoo pushed one such program into the spotlight.

Parazoo, a convicted killer, disappeared from the Casper Re-Entry Center's work-release program on Feb. 9, along with his stepson, who also has a violent criminal history. After a nearly two-week search, the fugitives were captured Friday in Canada.

Work-release programs provide an alternative to merely releasing inmates when their sentences end. That, supporters say, leads to less repeat criminals.

"The vast majority of participants successfully complete the program and go on to lead productive lives," said Bill Palatucci, a senior vice president for Community Education Centers, Inc., the New Jersey company that operates the re-entry center through a contract with the Wyoming Department of Corrections.

However, the fact that a person with Parazoo's record could participate in such a program has raised concerns.

"There is no way that someone convicted of murder should be doing time in a work-release setting," said Fremont County Attorney Ed Newell.

Parazoo's path

Parazoo, 43, transferred to the work-release program in August 2006. But his journey through Wyoming's criminal justice system began more than two decades earlier.

In April 1985, Parazoo was convicted of killing a Gillette man and sentenced to 20- to-30-years in prison. That December, he unsuccessfully attempted to escape.

He served time at the Wyoming State Penitentiary in Rawlins, then transferred to the re-entry center's long-term substance abuse program in November 2005, said corrections department spokeswoman Melinda Brazzale.

The re-entry center is actually home to three programs: drug court, substance abuse treatment and work release.

Brazzale didn't have specific information on why Parazoo went into treatment. To be eligible, a participant must be drug or alcohol dependent, said Sam Borbely, program manager for treatment and intervention.

Parazoo successfully completed the treatment and applied for entrance into work release. He met the Department of Corrections' 14 criteria for eligibility, which includes being escape-free for three years and within two years of parole eligibility. Inmates convicted of first-degree murder or attempted murder are ineligible for work-release.

Parazoo was convicted of second-degree murder.

The corrections department adheres to National Institute of Corrections standards, Brazzale said.

"We base our placement on a classification system that has been created with the assistance of a nationally known and respected corrections professional," she said.

Newell doesn't believe anyone with a murder conviction should be in work-release. When an offender is sentenced to prison, most people expect they will serve their time there, he said.

"Folks think of prison as an appropriate punishment for murder," he said.

Tough choice

Parazoo's application was sent to the Natrona County Community Corrections Board, which decides whether inmates can participate in work release. The nine-person board includes representatives from law enforcement, the Probation and Parole Department, the community and the legal system.

When reviewing an application, the board considers several criteria: the nature of the offense, the inmate's institutional history and any escape attempts, said 7th District Attorney Michael Blonigen, who services as board chairman.

Blonigen said he wasn't at the board meeting when Parazoo's case was reviewed.

Board members face a tough choice: Should they reject an inmate's application, knowing that in a few years, that person will be released anyway, but without the supervision of the work-release program?

"There is your choice, keep them under some closely-monitored supervision or let them out on the street," he said.

Work-release

Parazoo transferred to the Casper Re-Entry Center's work-release program in August of last year. More than 160 inmates, parolees and people on probation participate in the work-release program at any one time, said re-entry center Director Lisa Graham.

Their crimes range from drug offenses and forgery to sexual assault and robbery, according to a list provided by the Department of Corrections.

Participants usually spend nine months to a year in the program and hold various jobs in the community. With the money they earn, they pay for treatment and restitution for their crimes, Graham said.

For the first week or two, participants in the program can't go anywhere, she said. They are assigned a case manager and meet with an employment coordinator. They are also given a risk assessment test.

Participants in the program are matched up with more than 40 local employers ranging from restaurants to energy companies.

"It's proven in the field that the way to reduce recidivism rates … is to makes sure people are gainfully employed," Palatucci said.

Graham declined to name businesses that participate in work-release.

Newell, the Fremont County attorney, said there should be a greater interest in the community's safety than in easing inmates back into society.

"These guys are in prison for a reason," he said. "It's because they are dangerous and society needs to be protected from them."

Although he didn't offer specific numbers, Palatucci said the vast majority of the people who are assigned to the work-release program complete it.

Palatucci declined to discuss any details related to Parazoo or his walk-away escape.

"Our internal review showed our staff followed all procedures," he said.

In the work-release program, Parazoo worked as a welder at Toromont in Casper. His co-worker Neal Hibschweiler knew of Parazoo's reputation as a lousy welder, but didn't know about Parazoo's background until after the escape.

"I was kind of bothered by it," he said.

The two worked on different shifts, and Hibschweiler couldn't say how many other co-workers were unaware of Parazoo's past. An official with Toromont's offices in Casper declined to comment through an assistant.

Hibschweiler said work-release inmates are generally good people who work hard and show up every day, he explained.

"Some of these guys are really great guys," he said. "I wouldn't think twice about inviting them over for dinner."

Reach Joshua Wolfson at (307) 266-0582 or at josh.wolfson@casperstartribune.net.