Good intentions backfire

The Corrections chief in Colorado, Tom Clements, was recently killed by a former inmate, Evan Ebel. Now we learn that

Evan Ebel, the man suspected of killing Colorado prisons chief Tom Clements, probably would still be behind bars were it not for a law approved by legislators and Gov. John Hickenlooper in 2011.

The law, which had the approval of Clements himself, allowed inmates such as Ebel to earn time off their sentences for the months and years they had spent in administrative segregation, commonly known as solitary confinement.

That changed the previous rules that provided inmates time off for good behavior, but that time could be earned only outside administrative segregation.

Ebel had spent most of his adult life in so-called ad-seg, and Department of Corrections documents released Thursday indicate he was far from a model prisoner.

From the time he entered prison until just days before his release on mandatory parole, Ebel was a menace to himself and others. The documents outline his attacks on guards and fellow inmates, death threats against guards and a total of 28 disciplinary write-ups.

Ebel walked out of Sterling Correctional Facility on Jan. 28, about 115 days early thanks to his earned time, much of it stemming from his time in administrative segregation.

Since Clements came to Colorado in 2011, the number of inmates in solitary confinement has nearly been halved.

"The irony is incredible," Hickenlooper said. "One of the things Tom fought for, we have too many people in solitary confinement with mental disorders, like Evan Ebel."

Read more: From a young age, no one could tame Evan Ebel - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_22888998/from-young-age-no-one-could-tame-evan?source=pkg#ixzz2OxUZUUcO

Read more: Evan Ebel out of prison early thanks to 2011 Colorado law - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_22896714/evan-ebel-out-prison-early-thanks-2011-colorado#ixzz2OxT1ow8V

Hat tip Complete Colorado

Update: It turns out that Ebel's father is a lawyer in Boulder, and is a friend of Governor Hickenlooper. He had talked with Hickenlooper about his son spending so much time in solitary confinement. Hickenlooper, a bleeding heart liberal if there ever was one, worried about how "traumatic" it would be for someone who had spent so much time in solitary confinement when they are released back into communities. He backed and signed the legislation giving people credit for time spent in solitary confinement. (It's the solitary confinement that is bad, not the evil deeds done by people who are sent to solitary confinement!) Another example of the utter stupidity of liberalism!

After Clements was murdered by Evan Ebel, but before anyone knew Ebel was the killer, Hickenlooper, shaken by the murder, told the media about his conversation with his friend whose son had been spending so much time in solitary confinement, not realizing that his friend's son was actually the murderer of Clements! Hickenlooper was relating that conversation in praise of the work done by Clements to alleviate the number of people spending time in solitary confinement!