Ugh (sort of S/O of Bec's Paul thread)

beatlesgirl25

Just saw this article about Mark David Chapman being eligible for parole again this year. For those who don't know, he is the man who shot and killed John Lennon in 1980.

This part pissed me off the most:

For the past 20 years he has been allowed conjugal visits with his wife, Gloria. The visits are part of a state program called "family reunion" that allows inmates to spend up to 44 hours at a time with family members in a special setting. Inmates must meet certain criteria to receive the privilege.

I'm really wondering what criteria these could be.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/07/27/new.york.chapman.parole.hearing/index.html?hpt=T2

npasquale16

UGH.  That kind of thing really pisses me off.

jennylove810

That's absurd.  He's a MURDERER.

AllAboutTheBenjamin

Mark David Chapman is about as special and great as pondscum, and deserves nothing like conjugal visits and family reunions.

MarriedInAFever

That is some crap. I'm sure he'll be denied again.

beatlesgirl25

Seriously. 44 hours at a time with your family is basically a weekend away from prison. WTF?

And Married, I'm pretty sure he'll be denied again. Not so much because of his harmfulness to others, but for his own safety, since he committed such a high-profile crime. It's been the reasoning behind his other denials for parole anyway. Whatever, if it keeps him locked up for life, I'm fine with it.

goheels05

Eww.

vegasgroom

I think it all comes down to cost/benefit analysis.  Some statistician likely looked at numbers from prisons where these visits were allowed, dependent on behavior, and prisons of similar population, etc. and found that conjugal visits are a reward that prisiners are statistically more likely to care enough to the point that they are not willing to do other potentially costly things and risk losing that benefit.  So, I'm probably in the minority, but if it's saving me tax money by murderers getting laid once a year insetad of maiming or killing cell mates that require state-funded medical attention, well, I'm for it.  Yes it sucks that they get something they want, no they don't deserve it, but the facts that are facing us is they country is broke and if it saves us money versus early release, then it has to be done.

beatlesgirl25

Vegasgroom, your logic and statistics are not appreciated while I'm trying to hate on Mr. Chapman. But I do understand your points, and I'm sure that the prison system has determined a benefit to the conjugal rights, otherwise they wouldn't have implemented something so potentially controversial. Hell, there are probably psychological benefits all around as well, but I'm too stubborn to see it that way in this case.

vegasgroom

If the death penalty didn't cost so much to enforce I'd be all for it for the same reasons, I think these sleaze balls that have no problem killing someone else need to be put down, but, it costs several times as much to carry out an execution with all the appeals, etc. versus keeping them in a box until they die, so I'm rolling with the latter since my taxes are high enough already lol.

SarahPLiz

In most prisons, all sexual contact and acts are prohibited, per the Lockup specials that TiVO suggests I watch. It happens, but its not technically allowed.

 I imagine that conjugal visits are a good way to relieve some of the tension in the prison. Being locked up for life is one thing, but never having any sort of sexual contact is another, to me anyway. 

vegasgroom

That's why prisoners get all butthurt in the showers LOL.

beatlesgirl25

*snort*

Yeah, I was thinking that "no sexual contact" is not really a problem in prisons. All joking aside though, the long-term effects of not having contact with loved ones in general for decades is what drives people to kill themselves, or others. Not to mention anxiety, depression, etc. It's one of those issues where my brain says, "these visits are part of humane treatment for convicts, just as feeding and clothing them is." But then my heart says, "these are the consequences of taking a human life; to be deprived of the freedom to engage with human life for the length of your sentence." It's a toughie, and I can see why it's such a divisive topic among people who are passionate about it.