| Whatever happened to "You do the crime you do the time?" In America it doesn't work that way anymore. We, as a society, are soft toward criminals and it often comes back to haunt us.
Just ask former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. He commuted the sentence of Maurice Clemmons in 2000. Clemmons had 95 years left on a 108-year sentence when Huckabee commuted his remaining prison time. Six days before Clemmons killed four police officers in Washington, he made bail for the rape of a child. Pierce County Washington police spokesperson Ed Troyer said, "The only motive that we have is he decided he was going to kill police officers." Fortunately, two days after Clemmons killed the four officers, a Seattle police officer was able to shoot and kill Clemmons before the killer was able to shoot him.
In these bad economic times, many state legislatures, including California's, have or are considering the release of prisoners from their sentences before their adjudicated time is up. They are doing this, they say, as a way to cut millions of state expenses. Here in California, the Sacramento Bee reported that the state can save as much as $1.2 billion by releasing 27,300 inmates before original release date. The California Department of Corrections says that it spends $49,000 per year to take care of one prisoner. The federal government has told California to reduce its prison population by 40,000 over the next two years.
Personally, I do not believe in presidential pardons, governor commutations or early release programs. I do believe in the concept of parole when the terms of the program are dictated at the time of the sentencing, as long as the earliest date for parole comes after the prisoner has spent enough time behind bars for the crime committed.
I don't believe in pardons, commutations and early releases for three basic reasons. They are too subjective, they make a mockery of the judicial system and they are unfair. What I mean by subjective is that a president or governor will release someone because they know them or know of their situation, while there are thousands of others who might actually offer more to society after a pardon.
What message is sent, concerning our system of laws and the penalties for violation of those laws, when inmates are allowed to go free before paying their full debt to society for their transgression(s)?
And, lastly, it is unfair to the victim(s) of the prisoner's crimes and to all of the other prisoners who wind up having to serve their total sentence. It might seem odd to discuss the feelings of the other prisoners, but I have to say that if I were in prison and a cellmate got an early out and I didn't, I would be one angry convict.
The case from the state of Washington will definitely open the eyes of politicians who are considering pardons or debating early releases. Mike Huckabee, if he still has aspirations to be president, will certainly be lambasted the next time he runs, because of what happened after commuting the sentence of Maurice Clemmons.
In California the possibility that a parolee will go back to prison is 51 percent. That isn't good. So, releasing prisoners before their time is completely served results in more victims of crime. No, thank you!
Gary Dickson is the publisher and editor of the Record-Bee. Contact him at gdickson@record-bee.com or 263-5636, ext. 24. |
