Emergency hearing on parole ban and unconstitutionality of overcrowding
The Judiciary Committee will hold an emergency hearing on Gov. Rell’s parole ban on Monday. Since she refused to testify, they’ve asked DOC commissioner Theresa Lantz to testify instead. Here [pdf] is the letter inviting her. The crux:
In particular, the committee would like to know whether you anticipate there will be a surge in inmate population. We also want to know what the contingency plans the Governor has to protect corrections staff and host communities in the event there is a population surge beyond what can be safely accommodated in Connecticut’s correctional institutions.
The Governor has implied that her ban on parole of violent offenders is temporary. On Friday, she stated: “This policy, which follows the arrest Friday of a Connecticut parolee accused in Hartford carjacking, will remain in place until reforms of the parole process are complete.”
We also need to know what reforms of the parole process the Governor believes must be enacted by legislation and which reforms can be done by the administration through regulations. Once we have the administration’s definitive enumeration of legislative proposals, we can include them on the agenda for the Committee’s upcoming hearing on criminal justice reforms.
A bit too nice for my liking, but this is politics.
I’d like to point to yesterday’s decision by a Federal Judge in California, holding that jail officials violated the prisoners’ constitutional rights when they had them sleep on concrete floors because of chronic overcrowding. The LATimes piece is here. Connecticut’s prisons are already overflowing and if you don’t think that inmates here are sleeping on floors then you’re lying to yourself.
Another thing that irks me is the continued misreporting of the Cheshire accused. During Colin McEnroe’s afternoon show on WTIC, the news included this statement: “Both accused had extensive criminal records”. No, they did not. Hayes did, Komisarjevsky did not. I guess I’ll keep repeating it till people get it right.
| Print article | This entry was posted by Gideon on September 25, 2007 at 9:29 pm, and is filed under cheshire, ct legal news, prison overcrowding. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. |
about 4 years ago
Gideon, when they say “extensive record”, they mean the dozen or so home invasions that Komisarjevsky pled guilty to. Reporters are not required to use your jargon when informing the public. The bottom line is that Komisarjevsky should have gotten 30 years for all those home invasions. A system that let him out after his short time in jail did wrong, and three people paid for it with their lives.
You may want to take a look at the record of Michael Richard, Texas’ latest executed prisoner. He was a burglar–got some light sentences, and, quelle surprise, graduated to murder. The list, I am sure, goes on and on.
And the judge that called it a constitutional violation to force inmates to sleep on the floor is a criminal-loving hack.
about 4 years ago
[quote comment="6004"]And the judge that called it a constitutional violation to force inmates to sleep on the floor is a criminal-loving hack.[/quote]
Oh well, in that case!
about 4 years ago
But here in the U.S. we’re supposed to punish the criminal for the instant offense, not the possibility that they may commit another crime in the future, or hold them beyond their sentence because we believe them to be dangerous. We must be wary of the burglar, for he will always graduate to murder, as SPO believes so.
Oh wait, we already react this way to sex offenders, so why not expand this to all violent offenders as well. Might as well punish them for their “thought crime” before they commit the actual offense…
about 4 years ago
Gideon – you seem to know a lot about what is going on regarding this topic. Do you know of any advocacy groups taking on this issue in CT?
about 4 years ago
[quote comment="6011"]Gideon – you seem to know a lot about what is going on regarding this topic. Do you know of any advocacy groups taking on this issue in CT?[/quote]
Ember, I do not. I don’t think there are any, or perhaps it is too early. However, these statements by Lisa Holden (one of the co-chairs of Gov. Rell’s sentencing committee) are encouraging.
about 4 years ago
I would like to get involved in this matter and I am willing to get the ball rolling. I live in Connecticut also!!!!!!!!!! Where do i start?
about 4 years ago
All i can say is that the parole ban will effect families who are waiting on there love one to return home. Laws are made to be broken. Banning parole is unconstitutional. The people that committed the cheshire killings are behind bars and will not see the streets again. We as tax payers are paying for there incarceration for the rest of our lives. Banning parole is a generation effect on our families. This law may effect our children in years and they may not be able to return home. How will you feel if your love one was effected by this law?
about 4 years ago
I don’t at all agree that laws are made to be broken. However, I do agree that there are hundreds of families being affected by having their hope taken away through the current parole ban in Connecticut. It would seem that it would be possible to tap into this somehow and mobilize the many, many people affected by this. I have looked but not yet found any group actively addressing it. It has been suggested to me to look at the following groups: Making the Walls Transparent; A Better Way Foundation; Human Rights Watch; and the Sentencing Project. Please post if you know of any advocacy happening around this issue!
about 4 years ago
My husband was due to be released on parole on Oct. 15th after being put in jail for a questionable violation offense (Parole violated him due to him drinking and showing up at a meeting smelling like he had been drinking, which was not in his parole papers as something he could not do). His original sentence was served for the crime which he comitted when he was a very young teenager and he has been out of jail for over 20 years,he is currently 52 years old and has never comitted any crimes since his release. It proves that jail does work for some people and they do come out a better person. Why should he have to suffer along with his family just because of the recent events causing the ban. Govenor Rell apparently doesn’t care if people lose their houses or lose their jobs and medical benefits due to the fact that the people effected can not return to work to support their families. When will the ban be lifted and are they reviewing the files of the people that already had a parole date first? Who can give me the answers that I need since the parole officer doesn’t seem to return calls?
about 4 years ago
Carol – I sympathize with the position you and your husband now find yourselves in. I imagine there are many, many families in similar situations at the moment… and that a huge advocacy effort could happen if coordinated! As far as answers, there don’t seem to be a lot right now and as far as I can tell the parole ban is indefinite. I am seeing in the news, however, that December is the timeline anticipated for recommendations from the task force convened to address issues around parole. Hopefully more information will become available at that point.
about 4 years ago
My husband had a parole vote date in early September we were waiting on a nys parole transfer(paperwork the parole officer never sent) he was in a halfway house was picked up by the parole officer by the way who never even stopped by his job in 4 months or returned any of my calls and put him in a level 4 prison for a made up techical violation. (He would be upset if he knew i was writing this because he has fear of being further punished in the prison) His sentence is up in 2/08 the real victim here is our 7 year old son who was told his daddy would be home for his birthday thanksgiving and christmas. I think its terrible what happened in Cheshire words cannot describe such a tradgedy. Its wrong to hold accountable all incarcerated and those on parole or granted parole and waiting to be released and their families and children who are being unjustly punished for the crimes of those two parolees. (there are individual circumstances relating to each classified violent offender that isnt being taken into consideration) Blaming my husband and others who had been benefiting from the programs provided just causes a loss of faith in the system and further drives them back away from the progress made and what about Ct taxpayers who have invested in them through those very expensive programs.The Governor is shooting from the hip and parole is following suit. The constitution isn’t worth the paper its written on when this type of justice is allowed to continue.My husband hasnt even been given the decency of a due process notification or anything just locked up without a toothbrush and had to wait several days to see a dr and there are men sleeping elbow to elbow and many others are being rounded up like cattle. No one returns my calls I made 5-6 calls to the Parole Officer who never called me back isnt the reentry process back to society supposed to involve the families to keep the support system strong to make an inmates transition successful I once called the families in cisis program and they never called me back.The only saving grace was last week I received a call from a probation officer finally someone wants to help me help my husband get back home and establish the necessary tools to succeed. Hats off to Danbury Probation they are doing their job thank you, you put hope back in our family.Maybe parole should take a look see find out what rehabilitation is all about and seek help from others who do.In my, our case none of the stated reentry process is being done as so elegantly stated on the very detailed internet site.My husband should be in a step down reentry program closer to Danbury hello he has 4 months left on his total sentence.Instead you gave him a cell in a level four facility(just moved to a level 3) go figure.You are sending the message that these people are losers and will reoffend is this the message to be giving?by such actions. There is more than one or two sides to this story at least let it be told.
about 4 years ago
Ember: I am one of those being horribly effected by this parole ban. Do the citizens that pay their taxes but happen to have a loved one in prison not have the same rights as others? I am willing to help with advocacy (I am a paralegal by trade and training), just point and I will get on it right now. Can’t we all ban together and get something done. So many being punished for the stupidity of others is insane. Please advise.
about 4 years ago
Also, could we perhaps start a on line petiton that demands that any new legislation passed on parole state that each parole hearing be judged on its individual merits and previous recidivism and not just a generic guideline for everybody? If a man has never been on parole and never violated parole then on what grounds is he being denied parole or a hearing? Give me your thoughts.
about 4 years ago
I know folks here were looking for just this sort of information… I hope you all will consider taking time out of your busy lives to get there.
Monday, Dec. 17, 11:30 am – Parole Ban Protest outside main office of CT Board of Pardons & Parole – Waterbury – 55 West Main St (organized by NH Coalition to End the Parole Ban).