I think there are several types of crimes that pardons are fully appropriate. Actually I think they are waaaay toooooooo many laws that turn good folks into criminals...but that is a different post entirely. What is pardonable in my view? Possession of Mary Jane in the old days when they frowned upon it in a serious fashion, folks who committed a crime that is no longer a crime. Non-violent Break and Enter, robbed a Mac's ten years ago, turned your life around and haven't re-offended? Prostitution? I am sure there are many that I haven't even a clue about. Having said that, you knew there is going to be a but and here the big but be..
I find this hard to understand, actually this kinda burns my britches:
"" A former junior hockey coach imprisoned for sexually abusing his players in a case that shocked the hockey world has been quietly pardoned by the National Parole Board, according to a report Sunday by The Canadian Press.
Graham James, sentenced to 3.5 years in prison in 1997, was pardoned three years ago by Pierre Dion, a clinical psychologist in Ottawa and full-time member of the Appeal Division of the National Parole Board, the wire service reported. "'
I don't really want to get bogged down in this particular case, but this guy threatened/raped a 14 year old Sheldon Kennedy at the point of a shotgun for crying out loud. Sexual molesters have a very notoriously high recidivism rate. To add insult to injury this criminal is even currently under investigation for two new charges that have come forward apparently since his pardon.
This man molested at least four young boys, two of which became high profile players and the evidence, consequences of his deeds have been in "our faces" as a result. How the parole board can miss the life long implications of such a crime on the victim is beyond me. I had thought that in this case, because some of the faces and fall out were so familiar, that the victims and their lives would become real and tangible for the public and for the officials in charge......and even clear enough to the parole board.
Interestingly:
In 2006-07, the parole board issued 7,672 pardons to people convicted of lesser offenses, 7,076 pardons to people with more serious convictions, and denied just 103 applications.Almost 15 THOUSAND applications were received for a pardon, only about 1 HUNDRED were denied, some cases "worse" and some not as bad as this. OM-Goodness! Think their might be a problem with this pardon system? Are we to think only less then 1% of applications were unworthy? Are we to believe that only good criminals apply and that is why the denial rate is so low?
Something stinks in the state of
3 comments:
I was totally floored when I heard about it yesterday. In fact, I only just finally got to see the whole movie about it a year ago, meanwhile having no idea he was pardoned 2 years prior! I read about Fleury's account late last year, again having no clue (along with most other people) about the pardon. It must feel like a slap in the face to those who were directly violated by nature's most hideous creature(s).
Children have no real way to defend themselves and for that reason, I find crimes against our youth to be the most hideous of all, and feel that the punishment should be beyond almost anything else. Yet the perpetrators so often get off with barely a slap on the wrist. I will never understand that. Child abusers themselves, especially sexually charged violence, will most often admit that they cannot be rehabilitated. Their mind is so deep set in their vulgar attractions, it's not something a few drugs and counseling can 'fix'. Yet they get to walk free, before someone who stole a car may walk free in so many cases. WHAT? I don't get it and it is repulsive and saddening.
(kez)
Kez I used to work in the "protection" industry, I had to get out. This sort of thing was one of the many, many, many reasons that I did. I've had frustrated police officers state that Judges secretly refuse to look at videos or images because they find it too difficult to cope with. Perps get house arrest for having porn on their computers, judges need to stop and view every picture and look at those faces, see they eyes of the victims while the act was happening. There would be no house arrest. The system is appalling from start to finish. children, the victims are almost always at the bottom of the list of priorities. The machinery, the judges, the Lawyers, the process of our "justice" system is the only winner. It plods on and the children are almost mere roadkill.
Another issue is that there appears to be a clear disconnect when the victim comes forward years later ,when they are more grown-up. I appears to be difficult for folks to make the leap to think of that victim/that person as the vulnerable, defenseless child that they were at the time of the crime.
I had an incident happen when I was 4 years old, courtesy of a 17 yr old babysitter, and to this day it affects me in various ways so I really feel for other victims. If I tell my story to people now, it's like they are picturing me NOW, as a 36 yr old, and then trying to imagine me being a kid. So I've been very blunt and pointed to another child around the age of 4 and said 'Well, can you imagine 'this' and 'that' happening to that kid over there?' and then the horror registers on their face, finally.
I would find it very difficult to look atphotos or videos of such incidents - of course it's difficult! Who the heck would want to see that??? BUT if it's your job (judges, law enforcement, etc), them's the breaks. How can it go through court properly if some key players have not even seen the EVIDENCE? I don't get it. It's like some people don't want to deal with the cold reality and get it out of the way ASAP.
What I really really don't understand is how there is SO much science (physical, mental, etc) that shows people who prey on children are rarely rehabilitated ('cured'), yet the sentences can be so small. I work with children and over the years have had several parents come in freaking out because a court just granted overnight visits to the other parent, who had just got out of prison for molestating those same children! I can't stand it to the point I wish I could run away and hide with those children myself, let alone how their mothers must feel. (I realize it's not just men but in my personal experience, it's been male perpetrators).
I know a man in the US who got 10 years for 'grand theft auto' and served 8. during that time he was housed with men who had raped children under the age of 12, and they got out before he did! I'm not saying his crime was 'minor', but for heck sake, raping a child and getting out in a couple/few years, but serving 8 for stealing a car (not even damaging it). A piece of metal property got more justice than a human child. It is truly bizarre and I don't understand why we haven't stengthened the laws.
My friend lives in South Carolina and I went to a website down there that lists where registered sex offenders live now. The area surrounding her housing estate had a dozen red dots. Not all of those would be against children but you can be assured some of them are! It is disgusting.
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