San Fernando Parks Halt Convict Community Service Program

In the second such incident this year, parks workers and officials have been accused of allowing convicts to avoid performing their full community service sentences, this time in the city of San Fernando.

According to confidential memos obtained by The Times, “abuses have continued” since first reported internally in April, with “workers receiving credit for hours not worked.”

One city official confirmed that the alleged abuses are now under investigation by the district attorney’s office. A spokesperson for that office declined comment.

“I’m aware of it,” San Fernando City Councilman Doude Wysbeek said Friday. “These things are under investigation. I have to wait until the investigation is finished.”

Wysbeek said he did not know how many employees were involved, nor how the matter came to the attention of city officials, who referred allegations to prosecutors.

San Fernando City Administrator Mary Strenn confirmed Friday that defendants referred from courts are no longer being used to perform work for the city’s Recreation and Community Services Department.

“I have no problem in confirming the fact that for the time being, court referral people are not going to parks. We’re still using court referral people in public works,” Strenn said. She declined to comment on why the parks program was suspended.

The workers, provided by the Volunteer Center of San Fernando Valley, have traditionally performed such tasks as picking up litter and removing graffiti.

In a June 8 letter to Strenn from the center, coordinator Magdaleno Cristo stated that the organization discontinued services of the court referral volunteer program to the San Fernando department as of May 1. A copy of the letter was obtained by The Times.

“We like for you(r) department to resolve all outstanding issues, implement a new administrative structure that will ensure proper check and balances, whereby, staff is aware and accountable for their conduct,” Cristo wrote.

Cristo confirmed that the center’s connection with the city has been cut back, but she declined to comment on the allegations of wrongdoing.

“We did stop because we want to make the relationship more efficient,” said Cristo, who coordinates court referral programs for the Panorama City-based organization.

Cristo and Strenn said the city and the center hope to re-establish the program.

Neither would predict when that could happen.

In the first case earlier this year, two workers employed by the city of Los Angeles were convicted of soliciting bribes in return for promises to falsely certify completion of sentences.

William M. Stone and Manuel G. Perez were placed on three years probation and were ordered to perform 400 hours of community service after they had been convicted.

The men, who worked for the city Department of Recreation and Parks, were terminated after being found guilty of accepting $125 from a convicted man who wanted to avoid serving a portion of his community service.