tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post3263793618551606882..comments2024-03-15T05:45:01.402-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Bizarre commentary from parole board chief on medical paroleGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-64552589896303355982011-10-07T01:09:58.852-05:002011-10-07T01:09:58.852-05:00Send your readers Ms Owens' email so she can b...Send your readers Ms Owens' email so she can be taken to task for such silly lies and gibberish.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-42846886762975110652011-10-06T22:28:42.676-05:002011-10-06T22:28:42.676-05:00Happy Birthday, Grits, and thank you so much for t...Happy Birthday, Grits, and thank you so much for the work you to do. And Rissie Owens is clearly ignorant of one of the most basic facts of offender demographics - that crime is very much a young man's game - as the studies (for example the work of Dr. mark Cunningham)demonstrate, age and gender are the best predictors of future offending behavior, and "ageing out" of violent behavior is almost universal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-63601876363949932392011-10-06T11:19:03.095-05:002011-10-06T11:19:03.095-05:00Happy Birthday Grits!!!! How did Owens get this j...Happy Birthday Grits!!!! How did Owens get this job to begain with. Oh-that was silly we all know. I cannot believe the Governor cannot replace her with some one who can think though. The parole board in Texas is the most corrupted in the world.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-1545590319175819132011-10-05T19:00:29.617-05:002011-10-05T19:00:29.617-05:00rissie owens is merely one of a large number who n...rissie owens is merely one of a large number who need to be replaced. odds aren't good, tho are they?<br /><br />congrats and thanks for the seven years of your blog. I stumbled upon it a few years ago desperately<br />trying to learn about a system we were caught up in (TDCJ) and while we have have had a happy ending to our story, I have developed a keen interest in staying abreast of all things justice related and making a difference where I can. Your blog is the BEST in Texas...Sunray's Wench might say the world!! Keep up the great work <br />keeping TDCJ honest.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-59715855161867321292011-10-05T18:39:58.800-05:002011-10-05T18:39:58.800-05:00I've often thought that the PPB uses the dart ...I've often thought that the PPB uses the dart method to decide who they parole. Nothing in their own guidelines seems to be considered and any ruling by a sentencing judge is ignored. It's a lottery pure and simple and affected by the personal whim of the appointed board voters.<br /><br />Thank you Grits for your dedication to the ideal of justice and your willingness to speak up for what should be changed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-30157024520911808452011-10-05T17:58:16.189-05:002011-10-05T17:58:16.189-05:00first the reaon they can continual to VIOLATE the ...first the reaon they can continual to VIOLATE the law is simple. The courts refuse to call them on it! Any one of these courts that has issued one of these orders could if they had the guts! at any time issue a bench warrent for "contempt of court" for each and every one of these individuals then ahve them picked up by fedeal marshals and dragged into court in chains and then tell them You have two choice. Follow my order...or these same marshalls will take you to the nearest federal prison to be locked up TILL your ready to issue the orders!<br /><br />as for this dr! guess he proves that old saying<br /><br />"how do you know a politican is lieing!" <br /><br /><br />THEIR LIPS ARE MOVING!rodsmithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-53660523826608743942011-10-05T17:07:08.886-05:002011-10-05T17:07:08.886-05:00To clarify, I said they "won't change the...To clarify, I said they "won't change their policy." That's not accurate because they have, somewhat. They just did so in a way that fails to address the due process concerns federal courts have raised.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-65188478258698312072011-10-05T16:56:47.593-05:002011-10-05T16:56:47.593-05:004:31, they've been benchslapped on the Conditi...4:31, they've been benchslapped on the Condition X stuff a few times and the federal judges have <a href="http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2009/11/judge-sam-sparks-parole-chief-rissie.html" rel="nofollow">said nasty things about them</a>, but the BPP has interpreted all the rulings as applying only to one individual and won't change their policy overall.<br /><br />I'm told it would take a class action suit - which is expensive, time consuming and difficult - to get them to apply the same criteria across the board, and nobody so far has been willing or able to put up the resources to do that. Plus, they have changed the rules somewhat, they're just slow-walking change for as long as they can. See <a href="http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2011/09/parole-board-continues-shell-game-over.html" rel="nofollow">here</a> for the latest item I did on that.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-33290613380824116322011-10-05T16:31:42.103-05:002011-10-05T16:31:42.103-05:00I still don't understand something. Isn't ...I still don't understand something. Isn't failure to follow a court order a crime? How does an individual non-elected government official have the literal power of life and death. How does this same individual remain exempt from failure to follow a court order or at least contempt? Please don't tell me it is the same immunity a DA has.<br /><br />Happy Birthday by the way! :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-11388597341515272112011-10-05T14:46:12.479-05:002011-10-05T14:46:12.479-05:00Yeah Scott, thanks for 7 yrs of hard work.Yeah Scott, thanks for 7 yrs of hard work.ckikerintuliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02670661043872744115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-84670618477136678722011-10-05T14:12:09.984-05:002011-10-05T14:12:09.984-05:00SW, especially on cases from the past, separation ...SW, especially on cases from the past, separation of powers prohibits the Lege from limiting the parole board's discretion, at least as I understand it. This has been an ongoing bone of contention between Whitmire and Rissie Owens. The Lege made them create guidelines but can't force them to follow them, and they don't.<br /><br />Then, they don't follow federal court rulings or opinions from the Court of Criminal Appeals, either, on applying Condition X to people not convicted of a sex crime. So part of it is the legal impotence of the Lege to control them and part of it is that even if they tried, the BPP seems hell bent on willfully bucking anyone, anywhere who tries to constrain their absolute discretion.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-61264014521206365752011-10-05T13:32:05.322-05:002011-10-05T13:32:05.322-05:00The season premier of House opens with House sitti...The season premier of House opens with House sitting before the parole board. In typical House fashion he quickly sends the head of the parole board into a very unprofessional fit of rage by criticizing the irony of their impotence. The scene portrayed how these morally depraved pampas ignoramus’s don’t like it when they have to talk to smart people let alone a really smart person who openly thinks there dumbass’s. Being a doctor show, House tries to help a young man with an out of the norm illness according to prison standards by challenging the younger female prison doctor professionally. Basically your smart, pretty, come from a wealthy family why waste your talents if you’re not going to do the right thing and heal people. At the same time accusing the older Affirmative Action prison doctor whose in charge of being to cowardly to actually practice medicine and simply collecting a substandard paycheck in the hopes of a state sponsored welfare plan in the form of a pension. <br />Anyway in a rare moment of TV watching, I have to say it was a cute show. I’m sure it’s nothing like our professionals who manage and care for the offenders in Texas. <br /><br />Happy Birthday Grits, you are a great resource of the many faces of the issues we face in Texas criminal justice. And what a great outlet for my rants against state sponsored child abuse simply referred to by the acronym tyc. Very therapeutic.Sheldon tyc#47333https://www.blogger.com/profile/17236854879241753231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-4466205235267848932011-10-05T13:29:08.538-05:002011-10-05T13:29:08.538-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Sheldon tyc#47333https://www.blogger.com/profile/17236854879241753231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-34062259640422078862011-10-05T11:54:47.920-05:002011-10-05T11:54:47.920-05:00Whether the inmate is in or out of prison, the tax...Whether the inmate is in or out of prison, the taxpayer will foot the bill for medical care. Once an ex-con, it is hard for them to find jobs w/benefits. Whitmire has made a mess of TYC and is now preparing to do the same to TDC. <br /><br />As for the bizzare comment, what else can one expect from governor appointees or for that matter elected officials. Sorry for painting with such a broad brush but it's really rare to find a person with integrity who is serving the people of Texas.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-34396829528174788572011-10-05T10:11:15.777-05:002011-10-05T10:11:15.777-05:00Scott - could the Lege propose a new law that stop...Scott - could the Lege propose a new law that stops the Governor having so much power to appoint people like the BPP? Could it bring in a law that sets out clearer parole guidelines? I know that's probably pissing in the wind seeing as the BPP ignore everything they are told to do, but it would be a start.sunray's wenchhttp://lookingforthecabinbythelake.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-87403438871927322732011-10-05T09:53:35.676-05:002011-10-05T09:53:35.676-05:00This is exactly why I'm glad I found Grits, an...This is exactly why I'm glad I found Grits, and have kept reading over the years. Too many stories get ignored or mis-reported, and too many pols get away with outright lying to reporters who don't care enough to check the facts.gravyrugnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-34050731511505111692011-10-05T09:44:33.106-05:002011-10-05T09:44:33.106-05:00Texas PO: "But we all know dumb isn't li...Texas PO: "But we all know dumb isn't limited to that age range". Right. Apparently dumb can be found abundantly in whatever Rissie Owens' age demographic is, as well. <br /> Scott, congrats on 7 years, and thank you for doing all this holding of the feet to the fire that most of us are too lazy to do. And for your work and reporting on The Innocence Project, and the CJ gig that I can't at the moment remember the correct name for.Donhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16902834245861000386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-30239437381652168172011-10-05T09:42:07.447-05:002011-10-05T09:42:07.447-05:00SW, the Lege can't tell the parole board what ...SW, the Lege can't tell the parole board what to do, which is an ongoing point of friction. It's a separation of powers issue and they're part of the executive branch, appointed by Perry.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-37289611444256420622011-10-05T09:20:35.286-05:002011-10-05T09:20:35.286-05:00Even if the 6% of over 55 year old inmates DID com...Even if the 6% of over 55 year old inmates DID commit a violent crime, if the law says they are eligible for parole, then the BPP go against the spirit of the law in denying them on the grounds of "insufficient time served" or "nature of offence". <br /><br />Plus, just because the crime is deemed "violent", it does not necessarily mean that the inmate is an habitually violent person.<br /><br />If Whitmire is so upset about paying for elderly inmate medical care, perhaps he should propose a new bill in the next session to force the BPP to parole more inmates over 55. Simples.sunray's wenchhttp://lookingforthecabinbythelake.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-69182360572542117082011-10-05T08:54:27.659-05:002011-10-05T08:54:27.659-05:00I just emailed Senator Whitmire through his webpag...I just emailed Senator Whitmire through his webpage in regards to Owen's inaccuracies and suggested that she should have to back up what she said or correct her statements in writing.MaxMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02374787544584744902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-72198634267766372982011-10-05T08:28:44.615-05:002011-10-05T08:28:44.615-05:00Ms Owens either replies "I don't know. I&...Ms Owens either replies "I don't know. I'll have my staff get the information to you," or she comes up with the incorrect information in this article. Unfortunately, the general public doesn't know Grits will hold her accountable.<br /><br /> I would guess there won't be another article to counter the incorrect statements, but she has very ably diverted the criticism of medical parole which is the purpose of her comments.Texas Mavericknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-47380703960420900132011-10-05T08:02:30.409-05:002011-10-05T08:02:30.409-05:00Maybe she meant that most of the offenders coming ...Maybe she meant that most of the offenders coming before her board are 55 or older. Any idiot with half a brain cell knows that the 20-29 year old age range makes up the majority of offenders in every part of the world, the "young and dumb" demographic. But we all know dumb isn't limited to that age range.A Texas POhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05675916968621862855noreply@blogger.com