Are Paroles From Prisons Compassionate or Punishment ?

The holidays of the last three months of the year - Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years - are supposed to be days of jubilee, celebration, gratitude and family. The following month is usually about planning how to implement New Years' Resolutions as we can witness our new Governor and our relatively newly elected Representatives to our State Legislature making promises to us.

For the most part, the promises sound terrific. One of my favorites is tackling the crime, especially murder, problem. My second favorite is Judicial Reform. This disappointed me when I did not hear what I wanted to hear about Parole. Not Parole for every crime, just Parole for certain murders, such as child murders.

Please know that I am an opponent of the Death Penalty and inhumane treatment that causes physical pain or mental pain [solitary confinement]. I am a proponent for Life without Parole for heinous murders, as if each is not heinous, but some are.

Why ? I offer one example.

Two adult men spend their afternoon/evening getting drunk in a local Bar. They spot a very young lady, who was 0nly 16 years old, walking in the evening to her home from her job at the local Library. The neighborhood is safe and well lit. They stalk her until she is on a quiet side street, drag her into a dark spot and attempt to rape her. She fights for her life so they crush her skull with a rock, still unable to rape her, they stab her numerously in the back then run away to let her die.

Immediately they are caught and tried and sentenced to 25 years to life.

Despite an intense effort by the community's begging the Parole Board to deny Parole every time after the minimum sentence and they are both free to enjoy life. They never express regret.

On Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years' Eve, I was blessed to share the jubilee, celebration, gratitude and family, which included my 57 year old daughter, who was the victim's classmate, a happy mother other of 3 wonderful children. This life of more than 40 years was denied by the 2 killers who are free to enjoy their freedom. Another crushing emotion was knowing how the murder victim's mother lost the her only daughter to their attempts to rape and merciless heinous murder and would not know what I enjoyed. Where are the dreams she had for her 16 year beautiful daughter.

This is injustice. This is cruelty. This is inhumane.

The victim was Paula Bohovesky of Pearl River.

Notes: Paula's Mom lives alone in the house where Paula lived and suffers more pain of loss than the killers who never apologized or expressed remorse, shame or sorrow. Where is the justice ? Where is the compassion for the loved ones of the murdered ?

If you agree with me, please let our State Government Elected officials wonder how they might feel if the murderer of one of the beloved ones was walking around free.

I want to use this Article to publicly thank Bill Schule and Bob Baird who never stopped fighting to keep the killers in prison and all the many who supported Bill & Bob.