Our Justice System is RetardedFollow

Because it's actually cheaper to automatically queue everyone up for parole than to process requests individually. And probably more fair, too. There's less shuffling to the bottom or top of the stack this way. It's not a bad assumption that people in jail would like to be out of jail. It's just not universally applicable. There should be a way for a prisoner to opt out.

Too bad we can do this for the prison system and not for the welfare system. It costs more to hand the money out than the recipients get.

[quote]Why did we even bother to have a trial for him? Why not just take him out and shoot him? Because this country is ruled by law and not by hot-headed, ranting *****************


Having a trial and capital punishment are seperate issues. Here you have a convicted killer serving 6 consecutive 25-life sentences. What is the point in a parole hearing?

I didn't think about automatic queue for a parole hearing. I would think that common sense would say "this guy admittedly killed people, and is serving 6 sentences, he isn't going to get parole" Even further aren't the 6 sentences more symbolic, meaning "he's never going to get out" since you obviously cannot serve 6 25 year sentences, or 6 life sentences as a single person.

Thank god for that, too. Just about everyone would be in jail if we enforced every law on the books. Jail is like the ultimate time-out. Only you get to share it with lots of other people, some of which wouldn't mind sampling your wares. And I have to chip in for your room and board while it goes on.

No, I was simply stating how it goes along with the ideals and practices of the US justice system. I actually wasn't referring to parole specifically at all, other than it is yet another example of the protections built into the system.


Obviously, in this case, if a convict says "I shouldn't be paroled" it won't be granted to him.

That would seem to be reasonable. However, the purpose of the parole hearings is to get a second (and ongoing) opinion of the prisoners on the off chance the the information in the official records is not correct.

While not common, it does happen that people end up in prison with official confessions on their records that were either incorrectly entered or were under duress. A parole hearing is the opportunity for the prisoner to say directly to the hearing members what he believes about his guilt or innocence. If we didn't just automatically have these hearings for every prisoner, it would be possible for one (or many) to slip through the cracks and have no method to profess their innocence. Or, heaven forbid that they change their minds and their lives while in prison and the cocky 20 year old who commited the crimes is now a much more mature 40 year old and would like a second chance at life outside of prison.


It's a good idea and well worth the cost IMO.

No they aren't. Automatic appeals are what it sounds like you're thinking of. The question of a persons guilt can't even be discussed in a Parole hearing, only the question of if they accept responsibility.

It'd be nice if Parole hearings were a check on bad convictions but they're not.