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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Thousands of people who were jailed in Missouri for violating their parole may be eligible for relief from a lawsuit alleging their re-incarcerations were illegal.

KCUR reports U.S. District Judge Stephen Bough certified as a class action a lawsuit filed in 2017 that argues the inmates were re-incarcerated for parole violation without hearings or legal representation.

The MacArthur Justice Center in St. Louis filed the lawsuit. The center contends the Missouri Corrections Department and its Division of Probation and Parole ignored U.S. Supreme Court decisions establishing procedures for protecting parolees’ due process rights.

The class certified by Bough could cover as many as 15,000 paroled inmates.

The center’s director, Amy Breihan, says many parolees have been sent back to prison for technical violations, rather than for committing more crimes.

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Information from: KCUR-FM