Early release of prisoner sparks Mississippi outrage

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Reuters

Early release of prisoner sparks Mississippi outrage
By Leigh Coleman
BILOXI, Miss | Fri Mar 25, 2011 5:04pm EDT

(Reuters) - The early prison release on Friday of a man who fatally shot a high school valedictorian has prompted a public outcry and plans for protests against Mississippi's sentencing laws.

Joseph Burton Goff served just eight years of a 20-year sentence for manslaughter, shaving off some of his prison time by working on clean-up crews after Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.

~snip~
Goff, now 28, was released from a prison in Columbia, Mississippi early on Friday and will remain on supervised release until January 2014.

In December 2001, he fired into the home of 18-year-old Kyle Todd, who was home from college on Christmas break. Hit in the heart, Todd ran to his mother's bedroom and died in her arms.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/25/us-mississippi-release-idUSTRE72O6LN20110325?rpc=401&feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews&rpc=401

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http://media.gulflive.com.nyud.net:8090/mississippi-press-news/photo/9406899-large.jpg

Joseph Burton Goff

[CanonRay]

1. I'm sure this would still have happened if he'd been black

:sarcasm:

[Travelman]

3. Well, judging from the article at least, it would have, at least in theory

Some leaders on Friday questioned the wisdom of an executive order signed by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour that allowed Goff to join clean-up crews after hurricanes hit the state. That work cut four months off Goff's prison term.

But the governor's office said sentencing guidelines established by the state legislature were responsible for reducing Goff's sentence by nearly 12 years.

"The governor did not pardon or release him from prison," said Barbour spokeswoman Laura Hipp.

Sentencing guidelines allowed Goff to cut seven years off his prison time by tutoring inmates and working as a library and canteen assistant. He also earned more than a year of merit time for getting a high school equivalency degree and completing special tasks.

"There are some glaring deficiencies in the law we need to correct, like who is eligible for earned time," said Watson, the state senator. "I know our community is outraged, and rightfully so."

Of course, that assumes that a Black guy would have the same educational opportunities and whatnot, so take that for what it's worth.

[greiner3]

5. Seeing the OP's title;

I had a scientist's good guess-better than 95%-that you were correct.

[Faygo Kid]

2. Eight years for a cold-blooded murder. Outrageous.

He will likely do it again knowing that's the punishment.

[greiner3]

6. You forgot the sarcasm icon.

[Kennah]

4. Barbour sure is trying to get in front of this saying, "It wasn't me!"

Guess he's really trying to say, "I ain't no Huckabee!"

[Politicalboi]

7. Maybe this killer can do some

Clean up at Boss Hoggs compound.