Breaking News: Gov. Rell bans parole for all violent offenders
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Wow. Well, so much for an event free weekend. Governor Rell announced a ban on parole for all violent offenders late Friday. How long will this ban remain in effect? Until lawmakers fix the state’s sentencing laws. Note that this will cover not only those that are convicted of violent offenses, but those that the parole board deems violent, despite not having a violent conviction in the last ten years.
So, basically, the Governor has superceded statute by this announcement. Might this not be a separation of powers problem?
The governor has also directed the Board of Pardons and Paroles to conduct an immediate review of all current parolees who were sentenced for a violent offense.
It may just be me, but the bit about the ban remaining in effect until lawmakers fix the state’s sentencing laws seems like a bit of a threat.
Judiciary Committee co-chair Mike Lawlor responded to this announcement via a press release in which he says:
“I understand why the Governor did what she did today and I support her decision. In light of today’s revelations, it’s clear that the parole system has become overwhelmed by new obligations in the last few months and cases started falling through the cracks, including this one.
Sorry, Meriden. That new prison is coming up in your town.
More as it is available.
Note: Given the sensitive nature of this topic, I want to reiterate (for those who might not have read the disclaimer), that whatever I write is my opinion only and is not a reflection of the views of my employer. For all I know, the public defender’s office might officially be okay with this. Please do not misunderstand this to be an endorsement of my views. I am a public defender who happens to practice in CT. I am not writing on behalf of the CT Public Defender’s Office, nor have I ever, nor will I.
This should also not be construed as any lobbying effort or any attempt to influence the legislators. It is merely my opinion on topical issues.
Just wanted to make that clear. Thanks for reading.
Holy heartbreak, batman. That is pretty nuts.
So, your gov. wants violent offenders to kill their numbers and be released to the streets with no supervision? That’s gonna work out great.
Well, no, duh! The next step is life without parole for all violent offenders. Just keep building more prisons and sending more people to jail!
Then we all know that drug users and dealers use guns, so they’re violent too, so they get locked up for life.
The Governor is making a decision about public safety. All of your snarking is just that, snark. The vast majority of people understand that criminals, as a class, are dangerous, and that having them on the streets threatens us. Rell is simply using a heinous crime to highlight these threats in order to make a positive change for public safety. Good for her. She may be saving your life.
Gid,
I’m not clear why Rell has done this, or under what authority the Gov can simply suspend the law and ban parole. Can you tell a dumb old New Yorker why this is happening?
I can tell you why this is happening, not under what authority.
Back in June (July?), two parolees went into an affluent white neighborhood and killed a mother and two daughters. There was uproar in the State. Excuses were made, scapegoats were found. Politicians have been bellowing since then and the state’s criminal system needs a fix.
Since then, every time a parolee has committed a crime, the press has made it front page news and tied it in with Cheshire.
I guess yesterday, when a parolee stole a car and then got shot in NY, was the last straw.
So now, no parole for you!
I don’t know if it is legal or how long it will last.
To get the full sense of the timeline of events, click on the Cheshire category.
Got it. So this is the post-Chesire political pandering to show that the problem is parole and they’re going to fix it by eliminating parole. The silver bullet fix to end all crime and make everyone safe.
Is it just me, or does anyone else here the name “Willie Horton” ringing in their ears?
[quote post="788"]“The vast majority of people understand that criminals, as a class, are dangerous, and that having them on the streets threatens us.”[/quote]
And the vast majority of people are woefully under-educated on the matter.
The vast majority of people who ARE educated on the matter can demonstrate with solid data that those who are released with supervision and re-entry options are less likely to create a new victim than those who are released without supervision and re-entry options.
What you are advocating, and what the Gov has decided to do, undermines public safety and will increase the number of future victims of crime. Perhaps you didn’t know that, but I’m certain at least one person in the Governor’s circle of association might have mentioned it at some point.
What really gets me is that Gov. Rell will not let any parolees with violent histories into the school system. How are the prisoners supposed to assimilate back into society and become productive citizens if she takes away any chance of education from them? If she’s concerned about letting criminals loose into the public, shouldn’t she be pushing to educate them?
I am very upset by this recent ban of parole by Connecticut’s governor. Instead of having the Department of Corrections and the Board of Pardons and Parole be more accountable for the problems in the system, it seems they are instead holding all inmates accountable. The system is flawed, no doubt, but punishing the masses for the crimes of a few is no solution. Perhaps if more resources and services were available to inmates upon release, truly successful reintegration could occur. To take away the possibility of parole from the many men and women in Connecticut’s prisons who have been working towards changing things for themselves is to take away their hope.
Does anyone know of any advocacy groups taking on this issue?