LINCOLN- Auditors recently discovered that Nebraska parole officers were using state cars for inappropriate personal use. This exposed about 300 unapproved trips and more than 9,000 miles over a year. State Auditor Mike Foley was dismayed by the findings because the department's purpose is to work with former inmates to prepare them for reentry into society.

Chair of the Nebraska Parole Board, Rosalyn Cotton, said that they need to do more investigating to determine any disciplinary actions. While the Division of Parole and Supervision is shifting back under the Nebraska Department of Corrections, they are still committed to ensuring that misuse of their vehicles does not happen again. Auditors pointed out that a policy on vehicle use was not provided as a guideline for parole officers.

Foley added that the main issue was with management not reviewing GPS data to see whether vehicles were being used properly. “The agency never even asked for the data to check where those people were going, where those cars went. We could see them going back and forth to their homes,” said Foley. There were countless occasions discovered of state vehicle use for strictly personal activities, which is a misdemeanor in the state.

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