I think involving the victims and the families in the decision is extremely integral. I think knowing the full circumstances and the impact of what the perpetrator has done lends itself to information that perhaps is not on paper or that you're not fully understanding.
I think that changes also, perhaps.... There is testing and there's a system in place, and criteria and rules and regulations. My question, I guess, would be.... I am not a professional on this. Obviously I am going from a different standpoint than from being a part of the committee, although I would love to be part of that committee. My question is, could there be exceptions to the rules? Does it have to be the same cookie cutter for each individual prisoner? Each prisoner, each perpetrator, has a different circumstance. Yes, there is a guideline, but could it be more personalized to that prisoner?
I'm not sure of the exact answer or what the solution is to perfect the system, but I do believe that communication and time, with more thorough communication with the people who spend time with the prisoners and more impact from the victims and the families.... All of those things combined make up a very important key component to making it so that the victims and the prisoners both have rights.
I understand that prisoners have rights and I don't negate that or dispute it, but so do the victims, and those need to be just as important and heard.