California Settles With Jaycee Dugard for $20M

California lawmakers approved a $20 million settlement today with the family of Jaycee Dugard, who was kidnapped as a girl and held captive in a secret back yard for 18 years by a paroled sex offender. Dugard, 30, resurfaced last August with two daughters she bore with Phillip Garrido, a convicted rapist. Dugard and her daughters, ages 15 and 12, filed claims in February, saying state parole officials failed to do their jobs.

"I can't emphasize enough that we've got to be much more prudent in terms of how we provide oversight for released prisoners in the state of California," said one state assemblyman. The money will be used to buy the family a home, ensure privacy, pay for education, replace lost income, and cover what will likely be years of therapy, said the retired judge who acted as a mediator in the case.
(More Jaycee Dugard stories.)