He's 94, still in prison, and freedom is unlikely

[Joanne98]

LOS ANGELES — At 94, John Rodriguez has the dubious distinction of being the oldest inmate in the California prison system. He looks the part, with his snow-white hair and unsteady gait. But given the crime that put him in prison, he's hardly a sympathetic character.

Rodriguez murdered his wife during a drunken rage on a December day in 1981. He was 68 at the time.

He claimed she'd been cheating on him. For that, he stabbed her 26 times with a paring knife. His punishment was a 16-years-to-life sentence, and he's spent most of it at the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo, about 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

He's been recommended for parole six times, all of which have been rejected by the last three governors, who characterized him as a threat to society.

Rodriguez uses a walker and is hard of hearing. He has arthritis and is often forgetful. He's taken some hard falls over the years, breaking his arms and severely bruising himself. He's lived in the prison hospital for two years, sleeping in a dormitory setting rather than a cell.

He's become a fixture around the low-security hospital, where his daytime attire is pajama bottoms and a blue prison shirt. Part of his routine is a Sunday visit to the Indian sweat lodge on the prison grounds. And he's a regular at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, an important facet of his life if he ever wants to be released.

For the moment, though, his chances don't look good.

His latest parole hearing is set for June, a few weeks after he turns 95.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/4714357.html

Now this guy is a major threat to society!

[gaspee]

1. hate to say this

But he might be better off there. Where's he going to go if they let him out? A nursing home? Can he support himself? Is anyone going to look after him? Will he fall through the cracks of social services?

I can't imagine the type of nursing home that he could afford to be all that much better than where he is. Has anyone even asked him if he wants parole?

ETA: I wish I could say that he should be let out and left to die on the street after murdering his wife, but even though I think violence toward women is a major scourge in our society, I just can't bring myself to wish this man to die in the gutter. I'd never make a good republican, would I?

[silverlib]

2. These thougths say a lot about our society...

"better off there" - he'll get better health care and support inside than out.

What a shame.

[gaspee]

3. it is a shame

I wish we could afford free housing for elderly people. And national health care. And free childcare for working parents.

Too bad we spend all of our money on the military.

[Joanne98]

4. Would you want to die in prison?

Read the whole article. He does want out. As far as where he would live. He probably has some family. If he doesn't I think a nursing home would be better. If the justice system keeps insisting on doing ridiculous shit like this, I think they should just give prisoners the option of being put to sleep. Of course the prison industry would suffer.... But if would be more humane.

[babylonsister]

7. Sorry, but he did 'ridiculous shit' by stabbing his wife 26 times.

I'm sure there was such a thing as divorce then.

[Joanne98]

9. Aren't we suppose to take "threat to society" into consideration when

evaluating parole? That's what we used to do. When did the rules change?

[Sadie4629]

18. Threat to society is only one aspect of imprisonment

Rehabilitation is another, and punishment is a third. Even if he is no longer a threat to society, even if rehabilitation isn't an issue, he should still be punished for his crime. For murder, I don't think 20 years is enough.

[gaspee]

8. The prison industry

is an incredibly corrupt drain on our society, as is the war on drugs and the two work together. However, nursing homes aren't exactly wonderful either. If it were me, I'd probably prefer to stay where I was, but that's completely hypothetical.

And If I were his family, children, grandchildren, etc. I wouldn't take him in after he murdered my mother/grandmother.

Not wishing him to die in the streets is one thing, taking him into my home would be another.

[Joanne98]

10. It would be interesting to ask his children. Maybe they've forgiven him!

[gaspee]

12. I have no

way of asking his children, if they are still alive. I was talking about myself since that's the only person I could speak for. I don't think I'd ever forgive him and I know I wouldn't take him into my home. And considering *he's* 94, his children are probably elderly, if still alive.

[hlthe2b]

5. Yes.. he's better off there...

Unless he's rolling in dough, he'll end up in some shit hole nursing home, receiving third tier medications (or none) for his chronic conditions-- or on the street to starve, freeze to death, or be prey to whatever sick person he comes across. In this case, releasing him, would be the eternal punishment, I think, but not one I would advocate.

[TwilightGardener]

6. He murdered his wife with a paring knife. If he dies an old man in prison,

then justice is served. And if he burns in hell, so much the better.

[Joanne98]

11. That's not the point. The parole boards are not supposed

to keep people who not NOT a threat to society in prison just because the public wants him to rot in Hell. We can't afford to run the prisons on emotion. At least give prisoners the option of doctor assisted suicide. Which I don't think will happen because it's ALL ABOUT MONEY anyway!

[TwilightGardener]

13. Why give murderers the choice of suicide? They should have no

such control over their fate, because they took that away from the victims they murdered. Why give them the option to escape their own punishment? Apparently the parole board in this case feels the way I do. Good for them.

[Joanne98]

14. Then the parole board should be fired.

Keeping in prison just because you want to is a violation a their parole board duties.

[youngdem]

15. Maybe we should ask his wife if she wants to take care of him?

Oh....right. He STABBED her 26 times in a jealous rage.

Can't do the crime? Don't do the time.

I don't want this murderer checking in to my grandmother's nursing home because people feel sorry for a murderer. He can stay right where he is.

Punishment AND public protection are what prison is for.

[BayCityProgressive]

16. why are we advocating the release of a murderer?

You take someone elses life yet expect to have one of your own? I don't think so. I hope they threw away the key and he rots there.

[youngdem]

17. It's the fuzzy puppy syndrome. Some liberals have too soft a spot for crooks

This guy is old and moves slow, so some DU'ers will find sympathy in their hearts for him, and see their own elderly relatives in the guy.

I doubt these same people would be advocating his release if the victim were a relative. Distance provides some with false perspective about what a certain situation needs.

This guy stabbed a woman over two dozen times without a decent reason. Let him rot in prison.

I am also for judicial reform and I believe many prison sentences are too lengthy for the crime. However, murder involving two dozen plus stab wounds when the perp was almost 70 then letting him out isn't one of them. He should die in jail.

[varkam]

19. According to the article

He was inebriated when he murdered his wife. Being under the influence impairs judgment in a big way. AFAIK, according to the FBI uniform crime statistics, approximately half of all violent crime involves either the perpetrator or the victim being under the influence of alcohol.

Bear in mind that I am not trying to defend his actions. He committed a vicious crime, and punishment for such things is just - but there is a major difference between someone who commits a crime in the heat of the moment and under the influence of alcohol and someone who coolly calculates how to murder a loved one.