| | Justice on Furlough?
Massachusetts is the only state where life without parole killers were
allowed to participate in Governor Dukakis' furlough program.
This means the worse criminals who were not suppose to ever be released
from jail were being let out on 'weekend passes'.
Willie Horton was a 1st degree murderer sentenced to life without parole.
Willie got this sentence for the brutal murder of a gas station attendant
1974, a 17 year old kid. Willie stabbed this poor kid 19 times and then
stuffed his body in a trash barrel. Willie was sentenced to life
imprisonment with no possibility of parole.
In Governor Dukakis' furlough program, Willie was let out the front door,
unescorted by any guards, so escape is simply refusing to come back to
prison. Willie escaped in June of '86, or walked away, and decided not to
come back. In April of 87, Willie invaded the home of Cliff and Angie
Barnes. Willie slashed Cliff Barnes 22 times with a knife, tortured him
over a 12 hour ordeal, when Angie came home, she was raped twice.
Cliff Barnes escaped, Willie Horton was captured only after being wounded
in a shootout with the police.
A Maryland judge then sentenced Willie to a double-life term plus 85 years,
and refused to return Willie to Massachusetts for fear that he might be let
out of prison again.
Willie Horton was only one in ELEVEN First-degree murders sentenced to life
with no possibility of parole who had escaped on furlough in Massachusetts.
428 prisoners escaped from the Massachusetts furlough program.
After a string of escapes from the furlough program in 1976 the
Democratically controlled legislature in Massachusetts put a Bill on Mike
Dukakis' desk that would have ended the ability of 1st degree murders (like
Willie Horton) to participate in the furlough program.
Was Mike Dukakis ever against releasing hardened criminals from prison?
Upon receiving the Legislatures Bill, Dukakis REFUSED to sign the 1976
Bill, saying, "This Bill would have cut the heart out of efforts of inmate
rehabilitation." Governor Dukakis had the opportunity way back in 1976 to
end the participation of 1st degree murders in the furlough program.
These 1st degree murders, sentenced to life imprisonment WITHOUT PAROLE
were suppose to remain in prison, but Dukakis 'needed' this program to
reintegrate these killers back into society....except these are killers
whom society, the legislature, the courts had NEVER INTENDED to be released
into society again.
Mike Dukakis was using this furlough program as sort of a trial and error
method to determine how well these hardened criminals would behave on their
own out in society. From there, Dukakis would decide whether or not to
commute their sentences (that means to reduce the sentences) to life WITH
the possibility of parole sentence. Thus making them eligible parole and
eventual release back into society. This is exactly what Dukakis had been
doing. In the 9 years Mike Dukakis commuted the life sentences of 53
killers and 28 of those had the life sentence of life with no possibility
of parole.
There is little question, Mike Dukakis was thoroughly committed to this
program. As late as 1987 Dukakis was still committed to the program "The
furlough program over the last 10 years has been quite successful and it's
something I rely on very heavily when it comes to making decisions about
commutations." On a campaign stop in Salem NH, June 1987, "I am a
supporter of the furlough program, because I think it is an important part
of any modern and effective correctional system. There is always a risk
and our job is to make that furlough program as strong and as well
administered as reasonably as possible, even though Horton was sentenced to
life without parole, there's always a possibility of commutation. And
those applications for commutation come to me all the time, and I've got to
make a decision about whether or not to commute life sentences. I have
done so in some cases, but in order to make a judgement whether or not to
commute somebody, I need evidence as to what that person's done or not
done, and one of the things I look for is the successful completion of a
furlough program."
It was AFTER the Willie Horton controversy started and the citizens of
Massachusetts found out what Dukakis was doing with the furlough program in
1987, Again a bill was put into the democratically controlled legislature to
end the participation of the 'life without parole killers' in the furlough
program. At the same time the sister of the young gas station attendant
that Willie murdered back in '74, began a collecting signatures to put a
referendum on the ballot which would also ban the inclusion of these life
without parole killers from the furlough program. The citizens group
needed 52,000 signatures - they collected over 70,000 certified signatures.
The Bill in the legislature to end the 'killers' participation in the
program was being lead by 2 democrats, however the Bill did not succeed in
1987, but had to be reintroduced in 1988. The Bill was given to Dukakis
in April, 1988 with a veto-proof margin. The Bill was supported by such an
overwhelming margin, in both houses of the legislature -however- this time
Mike Dukakis -COULD- -NOT- -VETO- the Bill.
Dukakis' claims that he was the first governor in three to end this program
really means he didn't have a choice, it would have passed with or without
his support. Since 1976, Mike Dukakis has not only endorsed the inclusion
of hardened criminals in the furlough program, but actually gone against
his own democratic controlled legislature to do so.
It should be noted that Willie Horton was not the first inmate to be
released to commit crimes while on furlough. Dukakis has refused to meet
with the crime victims of his furlough program as well. "I do not see any
particular value in meeting with people, I'm satisfied we have the kind of
furlough policy we should have." - in response to a Boston Herald question
in July of 1987, regarding the Barnes. This came only 3 months after
Willie Horton raped a woman twice, and slashed and tortured her husband,
innocent victims of Mike Dukakis' furlough program. Mercy to the criminals,
nothing to the victims.
As late as October 1988, Mike Dukakis when asked if the furlough program
was a failure, responded "NO" according to a Readers Digest interview.
While Mike Dukakis did not actually unlock Willie Horton, he did in fact
wholeheartedly endorse the furlough program and STILL DOES.
Unlike other States, Governor Dukakis' Executive branch does not interpret
the phrase "life without parole" the same. In other states, this means the
criminal is locked up and will not be released or paroled, however, the
'progressive liberal', Mike Dukakis, believes the best way to rehabilitate
harden criminals is to get them away from the prison environment and back
into a more "wholesome" environment - like back in the public sector.
In Dukakis' own state, The Boston Police Union unanimously endorsed GEORGE
BUSH for President with a vote of 51-0, representing all 1,500 members of
the Boston Police Force. In October 1988, the Police Associations of New
York State, including the New York Police Union - representing 100,000
Policemen also endorsed GEORGE BUSH for President. GEORGE BUSH during his
visit to Milwaukee was endorsed by the Milwaukee Police Association.
"The Milwaukee Police Association representing 1650 rank and file Police
Officers is proud to announce it's endorsement of vice President GEORGE
BUSH for President of United States. As Police Officers we are on the
front line of the war against crime. To win this battle we need the
unqualified support of our elected leaders. Vice President BUSH and
Senator QUAYLE's stand on law and order offers that support. As Police
Officers, we can continue to serve, protect and create a safer America."
Mike Dukakis has his supporters.
"Obviously, I am for Dukakis" - Willie Horton (USA Today interview)
Many other prison inmates also support Dukakis...
Massachusetts. allows criminals to vote, unlike the majority of the rest of
the States in the USA.
Would you want a man soft on criminals and cold toward crime's victims
running your country? The Police in his own state don't want him, why
should we take him to the highest office of the land to watch over our
National Defense??
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