By Jamey Dunn
Gov. Pat Quinn appointed Michael McCotter, a veteran of the Chicago Police Department, to investigate two prisoner early release programs initiated by his administration.
Quinn made the announcement a day after he suspended a plan to let nearly 1,000 nonviolent offenders out of Illinois prisons early to save the state money. Quinn also ended an early release program last week known as “Meritorious Good Time Push,” which he characterized as “a big mistake.” Both programs started in September.
The Associated Press reported in December the Illinois Department of Corrections was awarding prisoners months of early release time for good behavior in the first few days of their sentences under the “MGT Push” program, thus returning some violent offenders to the streets after they spent just a few weeks behind bars.
Quinn said the Department of Corrections has gone back to using a policy that requires inmates to serve at least 61 days before becoming eligible for good behavior credit.
McCotter will be evaluating both the nonviolent offender early release plan and the state’s meritorious credit program.
Quinn spokesmen Bob Reed said the decision whether to reinstate the early release program will be based on McCotter’s recommendations.
The announcements come after a prisoner who was released early allegedly murdered a teenager in Chicago. The Chicago Tribune reported that Randall White, who served 2 1/2 years of a six-year sentence, is accused of killing Fred Couch Jr. in December.
According to the Department of Corrections, White was not released through either program.
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3 comments:
I was recently reading about the meritorious good behavior program for prisoners and it completely disgusts me! As citizens who obey laws, WE are the ones with meritorious good behavior. Now a man who is a previously convicted MURDERER who is out on his "wonderful behavior" has now murdered a woman and her family must suffer. This is just absolutely SICKENING and UNACCEPTABLE. I know so many people who do not believe in the death penalty, but how would you feel if the life of someone you love was taken by someone who has carelessly taken a life and then pretends he/she is rehabilitated only to get out and do it again! EYE FOR AN EYE NEEDS TO COME BACK TO THIS WORLD AND STRAIGHTEN SOME PEOPLE OUT! The laws need changed, manipulated in a GOOD way, and these people need removed from society as they do not have any respect for human life so why spare theirs only for us to lose our loved ones. Anyone agree?
I RECENTLY HAVE LOVE ONES IN PRISON RIGHT NOW THEY DO NOT HAVE SUCH DANGEROUS OFFENSES AS OTHERS. I THINK THEY SHOULD CONSIDER THOSE HAVE A LESS OFFENSE CHARGES BE ELIGBLE FOR THE MGB BUT THOSE WHO WANT TO KILL PPLE AND FAMILY SHOULD GO STRAIGHT THE THE CHAIR THEY DONT DESERVE TO SEE ANOTHER DAY BECAUSE THEY WANT TO TAKE SOMEONE LIFE AWAY
This is sooo true, inmates without violence in there backround should still be able to get mgt goodtime and or house arrest.If there's no good time to be got,there will be no reason for inmates to be good,and they wont be.
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