Posted on July 25, 2020 by Paul Mirengoff in Crime, Lenient sentencing
The real world consequences of releasing felons early
During the debate over the First Step Act, conservatives favoring lenient treatment for felons liked to point to Texas where, supposedly, enlightened programs were rehabilitating criminals with remarkable success. These “evidence-based†programs were cited to justify shorter sentences for, and the early release of, federal felons who took various courses while incarcerated. The usually sensible Sen. John Cornyn helped lead this charge, as did Heritage Foundation.
No disrespect to Texas, but in fact it has not succeeded where reformers dating back to the time of Jeremy Bentham failed. Properly analyzed, the statistics don’t demonstrate substantial success for its “evidence-based†rehabilitation programs.
Nor will the friends and family of Jenny and Bao Lam be impressed by Texas’ ability to rehabilitate felons. Bill Otis directs our attention to this report:
Jenny and Bao Lam, both 61, were living the American dream. They immigrated to the United States with nothing, worked hard, sacrificed, and ended up becoming a Subway franchisee with six restaurants in the Houston area. They had two children, a son and a daughter, and both eventually went on to attend affluent colleges. The son became a captain in the United States Air Force.
On January 11, 2018, Thursday night, Jenny and Bao Lam returned to their Northgate Country Club gated community home and were ambushed as they parked their car into the garage by Erick Alfredo Peralta, 20, half-brothers Aakeil Ricardo Kendrick, 21, and Khari Ty Kendrick, 23.
Houston police believed and later proven right—the couple was targeted because they were Asian. African-American youths have been targeting the Asian community for several years from Los Angeles, Houston to New York and across the Atlantic to London and Paris. . .
Jenny and Bao were tied up and beaten for information. Once the murderers obtained the safe combination from the couple; they were both shot in the head, execution-style.
more
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/07/the-real-world-consequences-of-releasing-felons-early.php
