RichardWanke.Com

Infamous early-release felon is free once again

Here is what the public does not like but has to come to learn is the truth: that most of the people imprisoned in IL will lawfully be released from prison, because we cannot legally or morally justify giving everyone a life sentence.

Governor Quinn caught a lot of flack because Derrick King was released as part of Quinn’s Early Release program in October 2009, after seriously beating up Jennifer Hall in August 2008. Although the 2008 charges were serious, he was allowed to plead a deal for a three year sentence before being released on October 20, 2009. The next day, he threatened another woman and bragged about the first assault. King was one of 56 inmates released early upon the MGT Push program who were subsequently sent back to IDOC for infractions. Now, he is legally back out on the streets after having served his full sentence.

Will King offend again? Probably, but because IDOC is filled to capacity with many non-violent lesser offenders, the State lacks the physical capacity to hold all the more problematic, violent offenders; and it lacks the money and programs in place to follow King through the community and intervene before he commits another serious offense.  Quinn cannot be blamed for inventing this problem.

This problem has been created by the mindset of prosecutors that every criminal deserves prison and the public’s willingness to ascribe to that philosophy and allow every problem individual to be put away temporarily without first addressing how to rehabilitate those who can be rehabilitated.

Quinn was set on doing a good thing; releasing low-class offenders to make run for serious, habitual offenders. Too bad that he was stopped for doing this.