A simple question, really. When someone is sentenced to a jail term, especially something with an indeterminate sentence, like 25-to-life, is paroling the offender a requirement, provided they meet the requirements to be eligible for parole?
The impetus for this is the news that Leslie Van Houten, the Manson Family member, is up for parole again.
I really don't have strong feelings, one way or the other, about Leslie Van Houten's parole hearing. If the parole board does decide the noteriety of her crime is sufficient reason to keep her in prison, I won't feel that an injustice has been done; but by the same token, if she is released, I won't feel a grave injustice has been done.
What I do feel strongly about is the recognition that parole is not an absolute right - it is a privilege, and something that the state can use as a carrot to encourage good behavior in jail, without entering into a contract to guarantee it for any specific convict. However, while that's my gut feeling, I'll admit it's also a position that's prone to potential abuse.
I'd love to hear other people's opinions on this topic.