Alabama Legislature must reject efforts to release violent felons from state prisons
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Eye on Politics
Paul DeMarco
Unfortunately, a tragic murder in Chicago this past week should raise red flags right here in Alabama.
One day after being released on parole from an Illinois prison, a violent felon has been accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend and murdering her 11-year-old son.
Soon thereafter two members of the Illinois Parole Board, one of whom was the chair, resigned after the governor said there was a lack of careful consideration of the evidence related to the domestic violence threats of the felon.
Clearly the Illinois Parole Board failed the victims. The Alabama Legislature had to reform our state’s own parole laws after the Board at the time released a felon who then murdered three victims in 2018. The changes to the parole board were to ensure that justice is served in the sentences of those who were sent to prison because of their crimes and to protect the public.
With the leadership of the Chair of the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles Leigh Gwathney, the board has looked at inmates up for parole on a case by case basis and puts public safety first. After her appointment by Gov. Kay Ivey in 2019, the board has finally returned the board to the professional responsibilities to the public it had lost under prior boards.
Yet, right here in Alabama far left advocacy groups and some lawmakers want to gut the changes previously made to prevent more violent felons from being released. Of course, they hide behind the fact that 80 percent of those incarcerated in Alabama are there for violent crimes. The reason for that number is that the Alabama Legislature has reduced penalties for violation of some state law, thus, meaning there have been less individuals sent to prison or if those there are for violent crimes.
There are several bills this current legislative session that have been filed to attempt to force the parole board to release more prisoners regardless if this meant these individuals could be a danger to Alabama citizens. These bills follow the national model that is being pushed across the nation by progressives that puts criminals above the concerns of crime victims. Yet, even here in conservative Alabama, some Republicans are being lobbied hard to vote for these bills.
Alabama leaders need to fight any efforts to weaken the parole board to set free inmates that would endanger the public.
Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on X, formerly Twitter, at @Paul DeMarco.