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Originally Posted by TxLerman  To me, the issue of what is practical is inmate/situation dependent. In the case of Ms. Atkins, her husband/lawyer wanted to bring her home to die surrounded by her family and friends. He pleaded multiple times. Having watched several of my ederly relatives pass away, I can understand that desire to pass surrounded by friends and family, not prison guards.
The second point you made about what she should expect. Well, her sentence included the possibility of parole. If you don't plan on releasing a
prisoner, don't include the possibility of parole. It creates a false expectation for the prisoner.
In addition to these two points, there is the larger question. When a prison becomes a nursing home, is it still a prison? If it really is a nursing home, should the inmate residents be released to their families if they have family members willing to take them? If they need to be in a nursing home, it is highly unlikely they have the capacity to commit a crime. It is easy to say to a convict at trial, you will die in prison. It is another thing 40 years later when they spend the last few years as a geriatric patient that requires alot of expensive medical assistance and do not have the physical capability to harm anyone rather than a prisoner. Showing a little compassion is a good thing in a world that currently seem bent on revenge for everything. |
Frankly, I can't believe you're using talking about compassion while discussing Susan Atkins! Surely you haven't forgotten why she was convicted, or the statements she made in court. Particularly those remarks she admitted making to Sharon Tate when Mrs. Tate begged for her life. Recall also that Mrs Tate was 8 months pregnant at the time of her murder.
Ms. Atkins was originally sentenced to death. Her sentence was commuted to life in prison in exchange for testifying for the prosecutors before the grand jury. She subsequently repudiated her grand jury testimony. I don't think she had ANY reasonable expectation of parole at all!
Like it or not, people make choices that effect the rest of their lives. There is no going back. When someone makes a choice that gets them incarcerated for life, they are stuck with it. it's not up to society to say "Yes, this was a bad person, but they are old now, and I'll bet they are sorry. Let's just go ahead and let them go. Oh, and let's pay for their support at a facility that's a little better and nicer than what they would get in prison."
We all have to live with our choices in life, convicted felons shouldn't be any different.
BTW, I DO understand the desire of these prisoners to die in a more pleasant environment. Yet I identify MUCH more strongly with Sharon Tate's desire to live to see her child grow up to be an adult!
Finally, if the test of when a prisoner is to be released is "Are they able to do no further harm?", then perhaps our federal sentencing polices need to change to reflect that. Violent criminals could then be sentenced to prison until such time that they no longer represent a threat to the public. Of course, I get the feeling that would actually increase the length of prison stay for the average inmate…
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