Lawmakers should not give inmates time off for good behavior in an effort to keep the prison population down, Senate Judiciary Chairman Denton Darrington told the House-Senate budget committee Monday.

Darrington said judges and the public need to know how long a person is to be behind bars. He pointed to the recently released killer Claude Dallas' shortened prison time as an example of how the system failed to work before lawmakers removed the so-called good time provisions from state law.

But Darrington said the state already has the ability to evaluate and reward inmates who have undergone treatment and have stayed out of trouble while in prison. "That's what the Parole Commission uses whether to grant parole," Darrington said.

But Democratic Rep. Margaret Henbest said the state should do something to stop the explosion in the prison population, which is causing money to be diverted from education.

House Judiciary Chairman Debbie Field said she's working on a proposal to use beer and wine tax increases to pay for more drug and mental health courts, which could relieve the prison system.

Every year new bills are presented for prison reform and every year Darrington blocks them. I have been in contact with several politicians lately and in every conversation I hear the same things. They all agree with prison reform, but say Darringtong blocks the bills.

Darrington has been in for a long time and wont likely be going anywhere anytime soon. I was recently told more then once the only way to see changes is to change his mind.

Every case is different. I don't agree with short sentences for VIOLENT offenders involved in SERIOUS crimes, but some men do deserve their early release...I think prison does change people and the way they will act in the future. So this Darrington would rather see prisons so full the inmates would start "falling off the windows"??? :confused: :cool:

Every case is different. I don't agree with short sentences for VIOLENT offenders involved in SERIOUS crimes, but some men do deserve their early release...I think prison does change people and the way they will act in the future. So this Darrington would rather see prisons so full the inmates would start "falling off the windows"??? :confused: :cool:
I have mixed statments about this.....
I know two inmates that are in for very violent crimes. I went to school with both of them, but only knew one real well. The one killed his step dad after the man continued to beat his mother. Not saying what he did was right, but at the same time I can understand why he did it. Watching someone you love get hurt over and over isnt easy. He isnt up for parole at yet, but knowing the system the way I do I would bet he wont get it when he comes up. I also know that this person is the same pretty boy in prison that he was in school. I've seen him in the visiting room enough times to know he is the same person I knew.

The other one I know is a little differant. He came from a good family and one night while only 17 he killed someone in a convient store. At one time he was Chirs cellmate. Chris has said before that this kid is the most rehabilitated inmate hes ever seen. He said hes a model inmate. He also probably wont make parole when it comes up in a few years.

Did both of these guys commit violent crimes? YES
Would I feel safe with them on the streets? YES

I'm not saying this because I know them, but because I believe even the worst crimes doesnt make someone a violent person. Its clear why the first one did what he did, but the second one just made a very bad choice. Probably out of fear. He robbed the store and he was probably spooked and it happend before he knew what happend. He is truely sorry for that fatel mistake

Both of these guys will at the very least be on parole for life.

I know someone else on the other hand that used hang out at the reastraunt where I worked. He was another who started out a good kid who got involved with the wrong people. Him and three others shot someone then burned him in a small town not far from here. Chances are he went along with this out of fear that if he didnt then he would be next. Either way he got 10 years flat. He will be released this year and have no parole. The biggest differance is he turned into a state witness to help convict the other guys. Even at that I believe only one of them got life.

Does the fact that the last one got a lesser sentance mean he is any more or less violent then the other two? I dont think it does. I also dont think the fact that the other two got life makes then any more violent.

Its things like this that make me think something has to be done with our parole system. We are letting ones out who are likely going to re-offend. Then there are others who have a better chance at parole and they are being left in there.

All three of these are first time offenders. They come from average or better homes. I think that more has to be looked at when it comes to who people have become rather then who they were. IMO thats not something that a file can evaluate. I think that they all deserve to have regular hearings to determine who they have become.......

In short I dont believe a violent crime makes a person a violent person. At the same time I dont believe a non violent crime means a person isnt violent.