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The California Collection
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DUKE.TXT
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1991-06-30
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GOV:Justice on Furlough? Why I didn't vote for Dukakis by Bill Bennett
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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