Inmate Given Early Release Arrested for Murder

A habitual criminal released from prison four months early due to the Coronavirus was arrested for murdering a 21-year-old woman in Denver last weekend. Spencer Neale of the Washington Examiner reports that the Colorado Department of Corrections released  Cornelius Haney on May 9 to lower the prison population to protect inmates and correctional staff from the Covid-19 virus. Haney was serving a seven-year-sentence for armed robbery and was due for release on August 22. Louis Casiano of Fox News reports that Colorado Governor Jared Polis had issued an executive order giving state corrections officials the authority to release parole-eligible inmates early during the pandemic.  After Haney’s arrest, the Governor told reporters “nobody on that parole board thought that this person was going to do what they allegedly did.”  Bummer for his 21-year-old victim.

Inmates released early in other states are also committing serious crimes. Fox News reports that a Texas career criminal recently recently released from jail, despite being arrested nearly 70 times, was arrested again last Saturday for stabbing an 80-year-old woman to death while she was out shopping.  The suspect, 38-year-old Randy Roszell Lewis, was shot and killed by a responding officer who was flagged down by witnesses at the scene. Police said the man was armed with a 6-inch blade.   Releasing habitual criminals early for any reason puts innocent lives at risk. Elected officials who consider that risk acceptable should be held to account.