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In the wake of recent walk-aways from halfway houses by parolees, two top officials of the division of Adult Probation and Parole resigned Thursday.
Utah Department of Corrections Executive Director Rollin Cook accepted the resignations of Geri Miller Fox, division director, and Wendy Horlacher, regional administrator for AP&P Region 3, which encompasses Salt Lake, Tooele and Summit counties.
Cook has assigned James Hudspeth to serve as interim director of AP&P. Hudspeth is currently director of the department's Law Enforcement Bureau.
Deputy Director London Stromberg will assume management of the Law Enforcement Bureau until a new director is selected for that post.
In addition, Cook has assigned Dan Blanchard, deputy director for AP&P, as interim administrator for the division's Region 3.
Also on Thursday, Gov. Gary Herbert said he has launched a comprehensive review of the state's probation and parole system and promised to terminate employees at fault after a parolee who absconded from a halfway house shot and killed a police officer in January.
On Tuesday, another parolee who disappeared from the same halfway house allegedly stole a car and rammed a police cruiser before escaping on foot. And in a separate January incident, a parolee released after a misstep by parole officials was shot in a confrontation with police.
According to the Department of Corrections website, Miller-Fox began her career with the agency as a correctional officer and has served in a variety of positions, including training manager, organizational development specialist, AP&P staff supervisor and community correctional center director.
In 2007, Miller-Fox accepted the position of deputy director of AP&P, where she implemented evidence-based practices for the organization. She became division director in 2013.
Miller-Fox was listed in Utah Business magazine's annual 30 Women to Watch feature in 2014.
Horlacher has been with the Corrections Department since September 1992, according to her LinkedIn profile.
In a news release, the Corrections Department cited the following actions it has taken to enhance its management and supervision of offenders in the community:
• Twenty-nine people residing at community correctional centers were or are in the process of being returned to jail or the Utah State Prison after testing positive for drug use or engaging in non-compliant behavior. One individual's status is under review.
• Four people were arrested on fugitive warrants and booked into jail or returned to the Utah State Prison.
• A 10-member Fugitive Response Team continues to work intensively, in partnership with local law enforcement agencies, on apprehending high priority walkaways and fugitives.
• A hold has been placed on all new probation or parole violator placements at community correctional centers.
• The appropriateness of placements are being reviewed for all residents currently in community correctional centers.
• Employment and work hours are being verified for all residents of community correctional centers.
• Offsite work searches by residents of community correctional centers who are not currently employed have been suspended through the holiday weekend. Beginning on Tuesday, only residents who have verified job appointments will be allowed to leave centers and they will be allowed offsite for a maximum of four hours.
• Any resident of a community correctional center who needs medical treatment is being escorted to, during and from those appointments.
• The availability of substance abuse treatment and other programming services is being increased at community correctional centers for residents to minimize offsite travel.
• Residents of community correctional centers who are in full compliance and have an approved, appropriate address to intensive supervision in the community are being transitioned to intensive supervision in the community.
Twitter: PamelaMansonSLC