Pubdate: Wed, 17 Mar 2010 Source: Florida Today (Melbourne, FL) Copyright: 2010 Florida Today Contact: http://www.floridatoday.com/content/forms/services/letters.shtml Website: http://www.floridatoday.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/532 Author: Jack Parker Note: Parker is Brevard County's sheriff. STOP EARLY PRISON RELEASE Violent Criminals Must Be Kept Behind Bars In the early 1980s, Florida was experiencing economic challenges similar to what we are facing today. Unfortunately, one way state government addressed its lack of funding then was to enact laws designed to save money by releasing dangerous, violent criminals from state prisons early. This release of violent offenders had devastating consequences. Many of them committed new violent crimes, resulting in new victims, many of them children. By the mid-1980s, crime was out of control. How did it affect us locally? In 1986, Brevard County's murder rate was 300 percent higher than what it was in 2008. I don't think a day went by when we weren't hearing of a terrible crime somewhere in Florida committed by an early released violent criminal. Too often, it was in Brevard. In 1995, legislators, including then state senator and now Gov. Charlie Crist, pushed through a law that required criminals to serve at least 85 percent of their prison sentence. Florida's violent crime rate has been decreasing ever since. Sheriffs across Florida are concerned history may repeat itself as some legislators are again proposing the early release of violent inmates. These bills often come cloaked in good intentions, but their real purpose is to save money. One example is House Bill 1515 and its companion bill, Senate Bill 484. The proposed law is marketed as an act of kindness to release elderly inmates from prison, including those sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murder, allegedly because they are too old to hurt anyone anymore. So what is the problem? The proposal defines elderly as age 50. That fact alone illustrates the deceptive nature of this legislation. Two other bills of concern are Senate Bill 184, and its companion, House Bill 23. Known as The Second Chance for Children in Prison Act, it also sounds like an act of kindness. However, this law will allow persons who were as old as 15 when they murdered someone, even those sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, to be released after serving only eight years in prison. You may have heard recent news coverage about this initiative and how it would assist two Brevard youth who were convicted for murder. But this legislation, if passed, would hurt many more people than it would help. What the news coverage did not mention is this legislation also makes those convicted of the most heinous murders and gang rapes, even those sentenced to life without parole, eligible for release after only eight years. Many of these offenders will rape and kill again. I understand the need to reduce state spending. But protecting our citizens is the most important responsibility we have in government. The budget for the state Department of Corrections, including running all of the state's prisons, is only 3.8 percent of the total state budget. Releasing dangerous, violent convicted criminals early from prison is not the answer. Unfortunately, there is momentum in the state Capitol to condone this practice. Please contact your state legislators and ask them to oppose these dangerous bills and bills like them. Parker is Brevard County's sheriff. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D