海角破解版

Charles Crawford is 70 years old. In 1988 he was sentenced to a prison term of 12 to 80 years.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e not going to let me go. I don鈥檛 feel that they are,鈥� said Crawford, on the phone from Mansfield Correctional Institution.

Sindrick Tucker is 59. Back in 1984 he was sentenced to 28 to 75 years.

鈥淚 done been in front of them five or six times,鈥� Tucker said, referring to the Ohio Parole Board. 鈥淓very time they ask me to do something, I do it. But then when I go up to see them, they come up with another excuse.鈥�

David Copeland is 68 years old. He received a sentence of 15 to 230 years in 1979 and has been in front of the parole board 10 times.

鈥淎nd you know, with each passing year, or even or I should say with each passing month or each even each passing week or each passing day, you have to count your blessings that you even wake up to another day in this environment,鈥� Copeland said.

Everyone incarcerated in Ohio鈥檚 prisons can be classified in one of two groups 鈥� those who are commonly referred to as 鈥渙ld law inmates鈥� and those known as 鈥渘ew law inmates.鈥� Crawford, Tucker and Copeland are all 鈥渙ld law.鈥�

The dividing line is July 1, 1996. That鈥檚 when Ohio changed the parole board system.

鈥淥ld law inmates鈥� committed their crimes before Senate Bill 2 went into effect. Under this Truth in Sentencing Act, inmates are sentenced to a specific number of years. Judges decide when to grant parole. Only those who receive a life sentence go in front of the parole board.

鈥淟ife with a possibility of parole at 15 years, 20 years. Possibility,鈥� said Ohio Parole Board Chair Alicia Handwerk, during a virtual question and answer session organized by the board earlier this year. 鈥淎nd the possibility is there, it鈥檚 just all the factors have to come into alignment.鈥�

In 2020, the parole board made decisions on 953 people up for parole, 151 were granted release. There鈥檚 no information on how many of those were 鈥渙ld law inmates鈥� or any details on who received parole.

There have been several lawsuits challenging the parole board鈥檚 definition of 鈥減ossibility鈥� of parole. They鈥檝e responded by increasing transparency and adding diversity to the board. They鈥檝e adopted a more formal decision-making process and shortened the time between hearings for some potential parolees.

But like the board鈥檚 handbook says: 鈥淧arole in Ohio is subject to the absolute discretion of the board.鈥�

Sometimes the use of that discretion can be puzzling to an outsider.

鈥淭his last time I went back, I had the deputy warden here in this institution, case managers, the chaplains and several other people write letters on my behalf, people I be around every day,鈥� said James Johnson, who鈥檚 been incarcerated since 1991, when he was 23 years old.

At his last parole board hearing earlier this year, Johnson was told he didn鈥檛 have enough family support on the outside.

David Lindquist met Johnson in 2016. He taught Johnson and dozens of other incarcerated people at Southeast Correctional Institution about finding a job and living on the outside. They were chosen for the class because prison officials considered them likely to be released soon.

Lindquist and Johnson kept in touch and he offered to write a letter in support of Johnson鈥檚 release, but Johnson never took him up on it.

鈥淟iterally, he thought he was getting out then,鈥� Lindquist said. 鈥淭here was no question. He was 100% convinced he was getting out.鈥�

When that didn鈥檛 happen, according to Lindquist, Johnson became heartbroken.

Johnson wasn鈥檛 the only person from his classes who seemed headed for release only to be denied by the parole board.

鈥淚 talked to some of the guards,鈥� Lindquist said, 鈥渁nd they said, 鈥楾hese guys are the best-of-the-best. These are the best inmates in the facility,鈥� Sometimes they would even tell me that, 鈥楬ey, it doesn't seem fair sometimes.鈥欌��

Lindquist now sees what happens at the parole board as a crap shoot.

鈥淎nd I know they're criminals. I get it. But sometimes I think they've taken the humanity out. They've forgotten they're human beings,鈥� said Lindquist.

A spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections said in a written statement, 鈥淲hile public safety is the ultimate goal, consideration is always given to activities which help improve the chances of a successful reentry after release.鈥�

James Johnson鈥檚 next shot at parole is in 2026. Lindquist put him in touch with a church that runs a halfway house in Southern Ohio. He鈥檚 given Lindquist power of attorney, to try and open a bank account and help save for Johnson鈥檚 first month鈥檚 rent.