Criminal outrage: Shortchanging sentences

The people of New Hampshire should know what is being done to skirt the laws that keep serious criminals behind bars, and they should be outraged.

As far as we can tell, only the New Hampshire Sunday News and reporter Nancy West have been keeping an eye on a newly reconstituted "sentence-modification review board" that is trying to quietly free convicted murderers and others years in advance of their parole eligibility.

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The public outrage should be directed not just at the state corrections authorities who constitute this board, but with a new liberal Legislature and Gov. John Lynch who are jeopardizing our criminal sentence laws by allowing this board to override them.

With its latest action, the board may have gone too far for even Gov. Lynch's comfort. As reported in last Sunday's article, the board is recommending early release for two men convicted of the brutal murders of their wives. Both were sentenced to 27 years to life. One isn't eligible for parole consideration until 2017. But if the sentencing judge agrees, Eric Grant could be on the street having served just 20 years for the savage beating that killed his wife.

Ah, but Grant has been active in the New Hampshire Furniture Masters Association while in prison, according to Corrections Commissioner William Wrenn. Grant mentors other inmates in woodworking. He and fellow murderer Steven Volkmann "not only fit the criteria" for early release, "but they have set the bar very high for anybody looking to get recommendations in the future," Wrenn says.

This reminds us of what an earlier warden claimed of the notorious child killer and rapist, Edward Coolidge. Coolidge, the warden and others said in repeatedly arguing for his parole, had been "a model prisoner."

Cases like Coolidge's led to New Hampshire's truth-in-sentencing laws so that the public could be assured that criminals would serve their minimum sentence and could not play the system with untold time off for "good behavior" and other such reductions. What are victim families and the general public to think when specific sentences agreed to by all parties are later cast aside because the criminal obeyed the rules behind bars?

As for these two murderers having set "the bar very high," the Attorney General's Office apparently doesn't agree.

It said last week that it will likely object to the early release of Grant and Volkmann.

State corrections officials claim that this get-out-of-jail program is not really new and is not being done to reduce the prison population and save money, but only to encourage inmates to turn their lives around. Nonsense.

We have a parole system for the latter. Despite their claims, we think the state is looking to save money. It is looking in the wrong place. The people have made it clear time and again that public safety and criminal punishment are areas in which they are willing to pay.

Gov. Lynch and the Legislature ignore that public sentiment at their political peril.

YOUR COMMENTS

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The State Legislature should be able to veto decisions made by parole boards and others involved with reducing sentences when the Governor is NOT making the decision. The Governor needs to be able to pardon people and reduce sentences.

The Governor should have the power to veto decisions made by parole boards and others involved with reducing sentences. The State Legislature should be able to overturn a veto decision with a majority vote.

- Ken Stremsky, Manchester, NH

I applied for a Correction's position and was honest throughout the entire process. I admitted to using drugs and had made it clear that I had not used any illegal substances in over eight years. However I was denied the opportunity to move on with the hiring process. I went as far as writing a letter to Commissioner Wren indicating that we all make mistakes in life that we regret. Now I read an article in which he wants to release murderers. What is our criminal justice system coming to?

- Sue M, Manchester

Our prisons are overcrowded itâ??s very simple math people. If you want to keep everybody in prison then pony up some tax dollars. You canâ??t have it both ways keeping people in prison actually costs something called money. If we kept or put everyone you wanted too in prison you should expect and welcome a 40% tax increase. Put up or shut up theyâ??re doing the best they can with a broken system during very poor economic times.

- Jim, Raymond NH

Chris in Merrimack says "Releasing violent criminals early is what Dukakis was famous for."

No kidding! For those who don't know, Ed Brown the tax terrorist was convicted of armed robbery in MA, and was only able to own weapons because Dukakis pardoned him. Otherwise, he'd have been a felon, and the whole standoff and the risk to law enforcement would not have happened.

- David Goss, Manchester

Society today in the Northeast - If you kill we will take care of you with a bed, meals, TV, schooling to sue the system with, medical and dental, sex change operations, and social hour so you can teach your philosophy to other inmates and very likely get an early release.

Flash back a hundred years - The death penalty was handed out today for the person who raped and killed the Smith familyâ??s child free of twenty year lawsuits by liberal groups and little Johnny had something to think about on his way to school the next day. The smith family felt justice had been served knowing no other family will suffer at the hands of this person again.

The problem we face with new ideas seems to be acknowledging when they are not working in the best interest of society and forgetting what did work before they became law. Public executions sent a message to remember and gave some something to consider before they did the deed. Today we have prisons that are more like country clubs where it is even cruel to make prisoners work all day so they are too tired to burn down the prison in a riot. Then the tax payer picks up that tab also.

- Deb, Derry

It's hard enough to get judges to max out sentence's, now because of lunch and his special board, killer's are getting out 7 to 10 years early. It's just a matter of time before one of these killer's kill again. I hope the victims bring the biggest civil suit against lunch, the parole board and the special review board members in history. If these people can let killer's out of prison, they should be held responsible for the outcome. Craig McIntosh

- Craig McIntosh, Allenstown

Thank the voters of NH.

Nice work everyone. I "hope" this is the "change" you expected.

- Craig, Manchester

For all of you who are "embarrassed " to be Republicans and left the party in 2006, the "Sentencing Modification Board" is the gift you helped bring to the State of NH. This is the Massachusetts justice System under Dukakis here. Releasing violent criminals early is what Dukakis was famous for.

Gov John Sununu "Merry Christmas from Gov Lynch".

- Chris, Merrimack

The majority of citizens support the death penalty, however, this is an example of government resisting the will of the people. Instead, we have the dysfunctional legal system babying violent criminals and letting them loose again to harm others. Those that point to the cost involved in execution never address the fact that it is the government that increases the cost through multiple appeals inadequate handling of cases, etc. When will this country and its states be an advocate for the victims?

- LynnG, Dover

I have to say, after doing time in NHSP the prison is full of alot of lifers that do nothing to rehabilitate themselves...Steve V. has paid for his crimes and I had him for a mentor in victim impact and anger management....If alot of these lifers got released and alot already has....they DONT come back for minor things, because they know that they could spend the rest of their lives there...the story doesnt tell you alot about their crimes...in the heat of the moment crimes of passion,,,this guy has his Phd, and a clean record inside and outside of prison except for his one and only conviction, that removed him from society for 25+ years. I hope he gets parole he did ALOT for the prison, and other inmates....He made me look at life differently, and how precious it is...

- AC, Manchester,nh

'Truth-in-sentencing' is a farce and has been for decades and for the reasons mentioned above.

That anyone convicted of 1st or 2nd degree murder is ever paroled boggles my mind.

Murder is murder, regardless of who killed whom: spousal, acquaintance; familial, stranger etc...Life is apparently cheap in American society. Look at the abortion industry, violence on TV; movies, video games etc...ad nauseum...

Those convicted of murder write their own sentences: Life in prison without parole and no chance for it whatsoever. In especially heinous case, the death penalty is warranted and especially in cases where the evidence is irrefutable.

We'd all sleep better.

- Rick, ManchTown

20 years for savagely beating anyone to death, let alone your wife, is not nearly enough time to sit behind bars and enjoy hobbies like "woodworking". If the state needs to save money then they should meet with all the judges and explain to cut down on sentencing, that way when victim's families are in the courtroom for sentencing and they can hear for themselves the judge giving a cold-blooded murderer

only 20 years.

This will continue until one of these early release men kills someone, and then the sentences will start to be served longer again. Unfortunately it's the ugly reality. I wish it could be different.

- tom, manchester

This kind of outrage will not end until Americans understand that modern liberalism is anti-life. It's irrational, and in the end it seeks to destroy all order & morality. It's not some kind of political movement......it is a profound sickness, a disorder of the mind.

If you look over the past 40 years, and the rise of leftist thought in the USA you can't help but see a movement bent on the utter destruction of the social order.

- Jay Collins, Laconia

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