Suspended Sentence : Home for Parolees Faces Closure, but Operator Disagrees

The 30 ex-convicts trying to straighten out their lives at the Ryan Center residential home suddenly find themselves in a trap of a different sort.

Most have been ordered by their parole officers to move out of the 25-room, privately operated housing facility by today because of a dispute between the property owner and the operator of the 18-month-old center.

But Claudia Ryan--who operates the home--says she has not been served with eviction papers and denies charges that she is being evicted over building and safety code violations.

So far, she said, only the local parole office is saying that the nonprofit center is a hazard.

Officials of the parole office serving the San Fernando Valley say they have told Ryan Center residents to move so that the state agency can avoid any potential liability. But they concede that they have no authority to tell parolees where they can live and have not personally inspected the facility.

Meanwhile, the residents say they are reluctant to leave the center, where they get a bed and hot food, as well as counseling. But they are afraid to be cited for violating parole and sent back to prison if they stay.

“This is adding pressure for me,” said John Coombe, 34, who moved in last month. “If this place closes, I’m not real sure where I would go. It’s kind of scary.”

Ryan, a former prison job placement counselor and the granddaughter of a prison warden, says that she and the landlord, Eric Struhoff, are in a squabble over rent payments. Ryan said she has withheld payment to Struhoff since November because he has failed to pay utility bills.

Struhoff--who could not be reached for comment--told the parole department of his intention to close the center, parole officials said.

As a result, Frank Marino, field parole administrator for the area that includes the Valley, has notified the parolees that they must move out of Ryan Center.

“The owner called to tell me that he’s closing down the place because it’s a hazard,” Marino said. “I can’t allow them--even though she is not under the auspices of the Department of Corrections and we don’t have a contract with her--to live in a place that has building and safety violations.”

Marino sent a memo last week to the area’s parole officers telling them they had one week to get their parolees out of the Ryan Center.

Parolees may face prison if they ignore the order, Marino said. “A general condition is that they follow their parole agent’s instructions,” he said.

Ryan admits there have been building code violations in the past but says she has fixed the problems.

Even more important, she said, is her responsibility helping the men at her center.

“My guys are not bad guys,” Ryan said. “I’m really reaching out to the community for support.”

Ironically, some of her biggest support comes from local police, who applaud her efforts.

“It is still pretty ragged, and she has limited resources, but the place is a big improvement from what it was before she took it over,” said Police Capt. Richard Wahler of the North Hollywood Division. “It was a constant source of complaints before she got there.”

Wahler said neighbors have expressed concern over living near a housing facility for parolees, but “it’s a pretty good example of a center offering parolees support and hope. I would rather have them under someone like Claudia than have the parolees on their own without the support and increase the potential for them to commit crimes.”

Tom Henry, a deputy for Councilman Joel Wachs, whose district includes the center, said the facility is not violating any zoning laws.

The men at the center have cleaned up graffiti in the area and have spoken to local Neighborhood Watch and youth groups, Wahler said. He worries about the fate of the parolees if they are forced to leave.

So are the parolees themselves, who say their progress toward living a normal life could be jeopardized with such a sudden change.

“This place has saved my life,” said John Visciglia, 33, who moved into the center last month after being kicked out of his father’s house following his October release from prison. “I get a bed and hot meals and they helped me get a job. It would be a tragedy if they closed this place.”

Tony Negrete, 29, has been at the center for four months since his release from prison last year. This month he will be able to apply to a less restrictive parole category, having stayed trouble-free for 13 months, he said.

“This place is partially responsible for that,” Negrete said. “It’s a family atmosphere here. This is providing me with the transition I need between an institution and the free world.”