HOW WE SEE IT

Parole Violators In Violent Cases Need Long Stays

It seems so simple: An individual with a history of violent crime who gets released early from prison on parole should have to serve the full sentence if he or she commits another violent off ense. But that’s not the way it works in Arkansas, and some prosecutors around the state want that fi xed. Those prosecutors are calling for more changes in the state’s parole system to lengthen the time reoff ending violent parolees have to spend back in prison. The push comes in the wake of murder charges against Johnny Lee Davis, 56, who stands accused in the December murder of his girlfriend, Jada Young of North Little Rock.

Davis, who has had multiple felony convictions including one for battery, was released on parole from prison back in 2012, serving only seven months of a three-year sentence for breaking or entering. In March 2012, he was accused of stabbing Young. She survived, but Davis’ parole was revoked. Instead of serving the rest of that three-year sentence, he was released again in January.

Eleven months later, Young was dead and Davis was accused killing her.

Ken Casady, prosecutor for Saline County, and Marc McCune, prosecutor in Crawford County, told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette the state Parole Board should find ways to keep the likes of Johnny Lee Davis behind bars.

It’s long been state policy to keep convicts whose parole is revoked in prison for only six to 12 months instead of their full remaining term from the original conviction. The idea is that some parolees simply slip up as they get use to life outside, and don’t need to go back to prison for a long time to get the message. Fair enough. But McCune and Casady think exceptions should be made for parolees with a history of violent behavior. They ought to have to serve out the remainder of their terms instead, keeping them behind bars longer and keeping their potential victims safer.

The state has already tightened up its rules due to another high-profile crime involving a released offender. Earlier this year, Darrell Dennis, a career criminal, was accused of murdering a Little Rock man just hours after Dennis was released from jail. Dennis has a long history of skipping bail, missing hearings and failing to report to probation oft cers.

Those changes, which now keep absconders such as Dennis in custody rather than releasing them with another order to report somewhere in the future, have further crowded Arkansas’ overfl owing jails and prisons.

Pulaski County prosecutor Larry Jegley said tightening more rules sounds like a good idea, but would complicate matters within the judicial system.

”You’ve got to have beds to do that stuff ,” Jegley told the Democrat-Gazette. “Beds are real expensive.”

He went on to say that the state Legislature has shown little interest in paying for more prison space.

The families of the two victims mentioned above would likely argue that no price would be too high.

What does seem practical is for the parole system to look at the histories of convicts whose parole has been revoked to determine if they’ve committed violent crimes. It also seems practical to keep those people locked up longer, especially if additional violence is the reason for the revocation of their parole.

We think Casady and McCune are on the right track. The Legislature need to get on board with them.

Opinion, Pages 5 on 12/30/2013

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