Kansas Using Facebook To Nab Parole Skippers

Kansas prison officials are turning to Facebook to help find people who skip out on court mandated parole.

Each Monday, the Department of Corrections will post information about an offender who has failed to maintain contact with his or her parole officer. Such individuals are known as absconders and have warrants issued for their arrests.

Corrections spokesman Jeremy Barclay says Kansas currently has about 170 absconders, down from more than 400 three years ago. He calls Facebook another tool for locating people and getting them back into custody.

The first person featured on the agency’s Facebook page is Harlan Hurst, a convicted burglar from Kansas City, Kan., who absconded in May 2012.