John Lennon Killer Denied Parole

[theblether]

Well sorry to rain on the parade.......I'm friendly with a guy who saw his brother being chopped up by three guys on one horrible rainy night in Glasgow...........his brother was taken away to be stitched back together and my pal went home highly upset and covered in blood......as you can imagine.

A couple of days later my pal was standing at the kitchen sink and saw one of the assailants walking down the street.......he grabbed a knife and ran him dwon, and stabbed him to death. My pal was 16 when that happened.

He received a life sentence, mainly because he chased the guy down before stabbing him. Any chance of mitigation was nullified by that.........I say fair enough. After a few years in the Youth Offender prisons and eventual transfer to the adult prisons, my pal was released on probation. Probation is a horrible experience for people who are trying to go straight......every day is fraught with danger as the list of circumstances that can result in you being called back to serve your sentence is long and malleable.

After a while he met a girl, fell in love, and married her. They had three kids and my pal worked every minute of the day to provide for his family. Every week in life though he had to report to his Probation officer......I say fair enough. After 18 years of reporting on a weekly basis he was released from having to report.......with the words ringing in his ears that he was still a lifer and still liable for recall at any given time if he stepped out of line........I say fair enough.

The young man he stabbed didn't have a chance to get married and have kids.......he is still as dead now as he was on that fateful day in 1981.

One life lost by a violent knife wielding thug........one life ruined as a 16 year old disappeared into the prison system and probation service for 30 years. What say you?......that the 16 year old should have been locked up for the rest of his life? I say that society should give people a second chance.......as in many cases they take it.

As for Mark Chapman......I read in the past that he didn't take responsibility for the killing and refused to participate in rehabilitative programmes......if he's doing it now then it could just be a callous attempt to get out at any cost. Trust the Parole Board.......these people deal with these people every single day.....and if Mark Chapman ever gets out it will be because professionals judge him fit to be released.

At the root of it......we have to trust the professionals, as if we allowed society to run the justice system we would end up with a reactive and brutal system in too many cases. Unfortunately the US seems to be going that way already as 1% of the population is currently in jail. That's a disgraceful figure......and it leads to two profound and related questions......if 1% of the US population is in jail what has happened to the US society to cause that figure to be so high?.......and secondly, what has happened to the US justice system as ultimately they are failing as a deterrent?

If you ever want to see a justice system eating itself to death.......look at the US, they have proven that the Death Penalty and ridiculous sentencing don't work........and here on this topic we have people calling for more of it.

I prefer the story of my pal who made a mistake......paid a 30 year price for it, and is now rehabilitated......however I fear I am in the minority.

[Ulysses G.]

I'm sorry about what happened to your friend. It is hard to blame him for attacking someone who tried to kill his brother.

On the other hand, Mark David Chapman purposely targeted and murdered an innocent man because he wanted to be famous. Chapman got to live and Lennon died. I do not think that these crimes are equivalent in any way. Your friend deserved a second chance. Chapman has already gotten one by not being sentenced to death for what he did.

[londoedan]

Kids today

He he he - kids today huh !

Nope, I think this guy has served his time - more than his time, and should be let out to enjoy whats left of his, oh so short, time on earth.

I think life meaning life should be reserved for those most deserving of that tariff.

[GiHadOrange]

I'm sorry about what happened to your friend. It is hard to blame him for attacking someone who tried to kill his brother.

On the other hand, Mark David Chapman purposely targeted and murdered an innocent man because he wanted to be famous. Chapman got to live and Lennon died. I do not think that these crimes are equivalent in any way. Your friend deserved a second chance. Chapman has already gotten one by not being sentenced to death for what he did.

All murder is wrong.

And of course the dude from that story is to blame for it. But the society and the penal system gave him a second chance and he used it as described by theblether.

If that guy would still come up with words like " i am hardly to blame, i only attacked someone who tried to kill my brother" in front of the parole board - he would be still in prison.

[theblether]

I'm sorry about what happened to your friend. It is hard to blame him for attacking someone who tried to kill his brother.

On the other hand, Mark David Chapman purposely targeted and murdered an innocent man because he wanted to be famous. Chapman got to live and Lennon died. I do not think that these crimes are equivalent in any way. Your friend deserved a second chance. Chapman has already gotten one by not being sentenced to death for what he did.

I agree with that UG......the attack by Chapman was unprovoked and quite simply malicious, disgusting and self serving. I remember how devastating an effect it had on the UK at the time.....what a loss.

I think I was reacting to the concept of jailing all murderers for life.........some deserve it, some don't.

[theblether]

I'm sorry about what happened to your friend. It is hard to blame him for attacking someone who tried to kill his brother.

On the other hand, Mark David Chapman purposely targeted and murdered an innocent man because he wanted to be famous. Chapman got to live and Lennon died. I do not think that these crimes are equivalent in any way. Your friend deserved a second chance. Chapman has already gotten one by not being sentenced to death for what he did.

All murder is wrong.

And of course the dude from that story is to blame for it. But the society and the penal system gave him a second chance and he used it as described by theblether.

If that guy would still come up with words like " i am hardly to blame, i only attacked someone who tried to kill my brother" in front of the parole board - he would be still in prison.

Correct and highly prescient..........my pal knew from early on that he had made a serious mistake, and he was devastated by his actions.

[Ulysses G.]

I think I was reacting to the concept of jailing all murderers for life.........some deserve it, some don't.

Agreed.

[Murgatroyd]

He did it because he wanted to be famous. An appropriate response is to forget him. Hereinafter referred to as nameless.