State parole officials have reversed their position on parole visits to the Soboba Indian Reservation and will now allow five parolees to continue living there.

Last week, parole agents ordered the parolees to leave the reservation and find other housing, citing concerns for agents' safety and access to the reservation to make parole visits.

After meeting with the Soboba Tribal Council on Tuesday, parole officials said they had reached an agreement with the tribe that would allow parole agents to make unannounced visits to parolees and not require them to have an escort.

Agents must still identify themselves before entering the reservation.

The about-face comes as the tribe and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department argue over access to the reservation.

The disagreement was triggered by the deaths of three tribal members during gunbattles with deputies in May.

Parole officials said the initial move came after reports of escalating violence toward law enforcement but have since said they have no concerns about agents' safety or accessing the reservation.

"Some of this has kind of risen behind all the hyperbole and attention on this issue with the Sheriff's Department and the tribe," said Jerome Marsh, deputy regional administrator of parole for the state Division of Adult Parole Operations region that includes the reservation.

"Our concerns were access to parolees on the reservation," he said. "Once the Sheriff's Department was having restrictions, we were concerned our staff would not be able to get in there and do our job."

Both sheriff's officials and Soboba Tribal Chairman Robert Salgado Sr. declined to comment Wednesday.

Riverside County Sheriff Stanley Sniff called earlier this month for the Soboba Casino to be shut down and threatened to bring criminal charges against anyone at the reservation who impeded deputies from entering or conducting business.

The sheriff is pressing for unfettered access to the reservation.

Both parole agents and sheriff's deputies are required to check in at a guard shack at the front of the reservation.

Authorities are asked to identify themselves and their reason for entering, unless they are responding to a 911 call or in hot pursuit.

Parole officials had objected to having a required escort to visit parolees unannounced. Officials also worried that parolees would be tipped off during searches or visits.