55 Comments - x ace - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 6:30 am: The guy is highly unlikely to be an escape risk, so why not allow a hospital visit or furlough. Either one is a far cry from release. Common sense says let it happen. - wordslinger - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 7:02 am: He’s not going to split. He’s not going to commit another crime if he’s out. He has no history of violence. There’s no issue here except fear of the “hang ‘em high” crowd who view themselves personally as victims of everything. - Wensicia - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 7:10 am: I see nothing wrong in allowing him out to be with his wife. But, neither he or his lawyers should be allowed to stand in front of a bunch of microphones and play out that he’s the victim here. - Cindy Lou - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 7:25 am: –Thompson said attorneys have also appealed to prison authorities to release Ryan under a program that enables inmates temporary leave to visit gravely ill family members.” If it is allowed for other inmates there should be no reason to deny Ryan. I’m not a fan of George Ryan, but right now my thoughts and prayers are with this family. Let the man go to his wife. It’s not like he’s a flight risk or going to endanger anyone while he’s out. - Bill - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 7:31 am: Cut him loose. He’s paid for whatever “crimes” he was convicted of. He probably doesn’t have much time left himself. Cruelty is not justice. - Aldyth - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 7:48 am: He should be treated no differently than any other convict. - Retired Non-Union Guy - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 8:00 am: If there is a program for temporary release, then fine, let him out for a visit. But it should include a “no publicity” stipulation or it is immediately revoked. - Loop Lady - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 8:07 am: as a former Governor, albeit convicted felon, I guess I don’t have a problem with him saying goodbye to his wife, but I agree with Retired Non Union Guy. No publicity and no segue to early release…do the crime, do the time George. I hope I don’t have to see Big Jim whine about the injustice of all this again on the news tonight… - Just a Citizen - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 8:33 am: Let him go visit his wife. How could that hurt anyone or anything? - Elmhurst - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 8:34 am: Like has been said, he’s not an escape risk, he isn’t a danger to anyone. No matter how vile his offenses against the public are, they are not violent. He’s an old man whose clock is running down himself. That list alone creates a set of circumstances that make it easy to let him have a couple of hours with his wife to say his goodbyes and return to his cell to face his grief there. - No Name Nick - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 8:36 am: I think as we as a people should be big enough to have a little compassion even for a convicted criminal. Let him have the visit and if that’s too liberal for some folks add the time he visits on to his sentance. - Siriusly - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 8:41 am: I agree that he should be able to be with her, if and only if, that is the standard procedure for other inmates. I think it is the humane thing to do, but I’d like to think that equal and fair treatment of the law applies. - 3 beers to Springfield - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 8:42 am: The former Governor should be allowed to access any program available to other inmates including a temporary pass to visit a dying relative. As has been pointed out be several previous comments. He’s not a flight risk or a threat to the public. - Logical Thinker - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 8:48 am: Maybe not seeing his wife will act as a deterrent for the rest of the crocked politicians who continue to steal from the rest of us. Maybe they will use this as a painful example of the things they will sacrifice. Something has to change. Let this be the poster case. - John Bambenek - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 8:49 am: If, and only if, this option is available to others who don’t have GRyan’s connections and those requests tend to get approved, fine. He should get no special treatment simply because he has connections and Big Jim as a lawyer. - How Ironic - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 9:07 am: A brief visit, as long as it’s in line with what other convicted felons are allowed. Nothing more, nothing less. I’m growing weary of the endless appeals to the heart over this guy. I would imagine a good percentage of inmates all have some sort of heart wrenching circumstance that would cry out for some sort of release ‘to be with family’. That’s the rub with doing a crime and being convicted. The consequences are rarely fun or enjoyable. - MrJM - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 9:08 am: I was going to say exactly what John Bambeneck said at 8:49. I’m all for more humane treatment for prisoners, but I’m also for treating those prisoners equally. – MrJM - wordslinger - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 9:12 am: –Maybe not seeing his wife will act as a deterrent for the rest of the crocked politicians who continue to steal from the rest of us. Maybe they will use this as a painful example of the things they will sacrifice.– Maybe pseudo-behavioral sciences shouldn’t be practiced on the fly and he should be treated like any other convict who apparently can make this request. I’m all for violent criminals being locked up for a long, long time. With murderers and other heinous criminals, you can throw away the key. But among Western countries, our incarceration level is off the charts, while our crime rates are comparable or higher, so where is the deterrent? - Hank - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 9:19 am: I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask for a brief escorted visit to Mrs. Ryan’s bedside……true, but first the judge needs to hear from an independent medical source on her condition. All the public hears is Big Jim, Sneed and the Family giving medical updates, hardly unbiased. I also agree with John, other prisoners don’t have Big Jim’s contacts for emergency hearings, let him wait his turn - Anonymous - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 9:24 am: The Bureau of Prisons furlough procedure is available to any inmate, and should be available to Ryan. He’s not a danger to the community, and the warden should let him visit his wife’s deathbed. That’s routine, and justified. What isn’t routine, and is really shameful, is Gov. Thompson, Dan Webb, and their colleagues’ motion to release Ryan on bail pending appeal because of his wife’s unfortunate illness. Judge Pallmeyer denied Ryan’s motion to vacate his conviction based on the Skilling case, in a well-reasoned decision. The bail motion to the court of appeals (one of the Chicago papers has the link), uses the illness as a means of trying to prejudice the court into releasing Ryan on bond on the merits — with boldface type. In my opinion, it’s appropriate for people both to wish for Ryan’s immediate (temporary) release by the Bureau of Prisons to be with his wife, and to express disgust with his lawyers’ filings and public statements. - Eubie - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 9:32 am: I think the “he should be treated like all other convicted criminals” only goes so far. The overwhelming majority of convicted felons were given many, many second chances by “the system”…cases thrown out, plea deals, probation, etc, etc. How many first-time, non-violent offenders go to prison? If George Ryan were “treated like every other criminal”. he never would have been incarcerated. Gov. Ryan deserves a break from the system like most that are in the system have been given many times. - Anonymous - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 9:39 am: Eubie, The overwhelming majority of convicted felons weren’t long-time high-level public officials who stole from the public, killed investigations, caused the deaths of innocents, and showed no remorse for their crimes. That being said, like other non-dangerous federal prisoners with a dying spouse, he should be given a temporary furlough by his warden under Bureau of Prisons procedures. - OurMagician - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 10:06 am: A visit would be fine with me, just as with others in the same situation. A commutation? No. - NIref - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 10:12 am: The Rev. Duane Willis did not get to say goodbye to his wife and children. Does Ryan, and most any prisoner have the right to request temporary bail? Absolutely, but he does not deserve it. - wordslinger - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 10:19 am: NIref, don’t let facts get in the way of posting an opinion. Sheesh. - tired of press - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 10:31 am: Eubie, Many prisoners accept plea bargains because prosecutors slap them with much greater charges and they are afraid to risk huge sentences at trial. Not to mention they have no money for an attorney, especially for trial. (Even most middle-class people would go bankrupt if they had to go to trial.) What happens is that the public defender pressures them to plea in the 30 seconds that he meets with them right before they appear before the judge. It is no bargain for the prisoners. - Bill - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 10:32 am: ==The overwhelming majority of convicted felons weren’t long-time high-level public officials who stole from the public, killed investigations, caused the deaths of innocents, and showed no remorse for their crimes.== Neither was ol’ Goerge. He got ratted out by a former friend trying to save his girlfriend and railroaded by Mr.Prosecutorial Overreach himself. - Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 10:34 am: Treat him the same as other similarly-situated prisoners. If nonviolent offenders are eligible for this temporary release program, he should be eligible too. Don’t treat him any better than other inmates, but don’t treat him any worse either. - Logical Thinker - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 10:53 am: Wordslinger @9:12 am “But among Western countries, our incarceration level is off the charts, while our crime rates are comparable or higher, so where is the deterrent?” Show me the list of politicians who have done HARD time (not the fluff 2-5 year sentences at a country club) and by HARD, I mean sentences where they really felt the pain. If Ryan stays in jail while his wife dies (as sad as it might be) and if Blago goes away for 15-20 years and misses his daughters weddings, then maybe somewhere down the line someone will think twice about their crimes instead of just getting some slap on the wrist. Don’t confuse overall conditions of incarceration with those sentences given to politicians. - George - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 11:05 am: Is the spectacle of a once powerful man begging to see his wife one last time so exhilarating to some that we must ignore compassion? Justice is not cruelty out of spite, but being reasonable and fair. Ryan did wrong and he is being punished for it. But he also did a lot of good in his many years of public service–or at least enough good to earn him one last day with his wife. I hope the warden has more compassion than many of the readers of this blog. - Pilgrim - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 11:11 am: I am not a fan of George Ryan. Yet, I find myself thinking that he should be allowed to be by his wife’s side for 8 hours to give her some sort of closure. All of the more so as we taxpayers watch Rod Blagojevich and Patty go about their normal daily routines with hardly any repercussions. I would attach the caveat that George Ryan (or his family members) pick up the “Total” costs incurred by the state and taxpayers for his 8 hour furlough to be by his dying wife’s side. This ongoing tragedy with George & Lura Lynn Ryan has to give Rod and Patty something to think and talk about as they lie in bed together at night. - dupage dan - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 11:24 am: If others in the fed pen have been released to see terminally ill relatives in similar circumstances (similar crime/sentence) for a brief visit then it would be ok for Ryan. No commutation/early release. He does his time like the rest of the cons. No special favors, period. - Fed-Up - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 11:27 am: Those in this blog who have been saying he should be denied this right are the same ones who said we shouldn’t bend the rules to let him out early just because of who he is, the position he once held and the health of his wife. Now he is asking for something within the rules - a death-bed visit. So we should bend this rule to disallow him that opportunity? This is the height of hypocrisy – bend this rule so he can’t visit but let’s not bend others to release him early. I was never a fan of the man but let’s treat him fairly and with some modicum of compassion. - Fed-Up - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 11:30 am: Pilgram - I agree with your caveat - if, and only if, the same rules apply to all other prisoners in similar situations. You can’t hold him to a different set of standards because you don’t like the guy. - Secret Square - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 11:31 am: If other inmates are allowed to do it for similar reasons and under similar conditions, what’s the harm. If Ryan is allowed one day out of prison to say goodbye to his dying wife, or even several days so he can go to the funeral — is that alone going to suddenly make the prospect of prison less of a deterrent to future corrupt politicians? Are they going to decide “Well, going to prison isn’t such a big deal after all, because I MIGHT get out for a day or two if my wife/husband is dying.” - Ghost - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 11:36 am: === But among Western countries, our incarceration level is off the charts, while our crime rates are comparable or higher, so where is the deterrent? ==== A couple of quick points: your comparing apples to oranges. A numberof Western countries convict and incarcertae criminals without the use of miranda warnings, warrants, or having evidence thrown out as being improperly seized. So is the lack of detereence due to our system of check and blances creating a perception that it is easy to get away with or avoid being convicted of crimes? Also crime statistics do not transpose well from one country to the next; geography, population denisty, law enforcement prctices etc all have impacts on thos numbers. The best way to do a comparison is to look at statitics from the same location, before and after changes to the system. For example, do we see fewer drug crimes since we increased punishments etc for drug offenses and so forth, if you want to truly measure deterence. Keep in mind we use incarceration not only to deter, but also to protect the public from the individiual during the time they ar elocked up, and to satisy the public desire for retribution. So you have to take all these into account as well. - Irish - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 11:38 am: “The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed- It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes.” - Shakespeare Step back and take a breath. Is allowing him to see his wife going to change any of the deeds of the past? No. Is it any different of an opportunity than what is offered to other inmates? No. Is allowing him to see his wife going to make his incarceration seem more palatable to possible future corrupt public officials ? I doubt it very much. Is keeping him from seeing his wife solely an act of revenge seeking? Yes As civilized human beings, with some hope of forgiveness for our trnsgressions, I would think we would see no problem with allowing him to see his wife. - wordonthestreet - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 11:38 am: If one thinks that prison time is a “deterrent” to political crimes, one is just being naïve. Political power/office is mostly about ego, anyway, so they never think they are doing anything wrong or that they will get “caught”. Look, Boehner handed out lobbyists checks (bribes) on the floor of the House and thought nothing of it; and Obama’s administration offers jobs to candidates they don’t want running against their chosen cnadidates. We thought Watergate would be a wake-up call, didn’t we? Yet nothing changed. Power corrupts. Let ole George out to see his dying wife, we’re not teaching anyone anything positive by being cruel. - Irishpirate - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 11:43 am: If Mrs Ryan is truly that sick then hubby should be let out unescorted for a reasonable time. Her time apparently is short and as much as I loathe the man he should be allowed to be there. A few weeks or months outside of prison is not going to cause the world to collapse. If you’re looking for justice it’s an elusive thing. In this case we ought to show a little temporary mercy and humanity. - Nuance - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 11:57 am: I would say yes, the discussion seems to revolve around the guilt of George Ryan but Lura Lynn has not been found guilty of anything legally and this should be more about her than George. - cermak_rd - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 12:08 pm: As someone who sat by my dying mother’s bed in her final days, I’m not sure if the compassionate thing for George is to let him be with her. But it is the compassionate thing for her. - Responsa - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 12:10 pm: This dilemma would be so much clearer to sort out if Blago were not still roaming the streets and enjoying the warmth of his family. - The KQ - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 12:49 pm: This is from an INMATE INFORMATION HANDBOOK from the Bureau of Prisions: Bedside visits and funeral trips may be authorized for inmates when an immediate family member is seriously ill, in critical condition, or has passed away, depending on the inmates custody classification. If approved, one or two Correctional Officers will escort the inmate. All expenses will be borne by the inmate, except for the first eight hours of each day that the employee is on duty. There are occasions when an escorted trip is not approved, even when all policy-required conditions have been met, based on a determination that the perceived danger to Bureau of Prisons staff during the proposed visit is too great, or the security concerns about the individual inmate outweigh the need to visit the community. - Leave a light on George - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 12:54 pm: Just read an article on another site about Tony Rezko’s sentencing hearing being postponed. The story said Rezko complained to the judge about not getting enough fresh air or seeing his family often enough. It is prison Tony. That’s the point. - Stones - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 1:23 pm: It seems to me that much of the public opinion regarding the plight of Mrs. Ryan is the result of incessant attempts at lobbying for former Governor Ryan’s early release. I wonder if his chances for a bedside visit with his wife would be greater if Jim Thompson wasn’t on TV and radio every other day with a new angle to get George out of prison. I do have sympathy for Mrs. Ryan and personally don’t object to the granting of one final visit. - truthman - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 1:29 pm: So Blago is still “free” to go on Reality TV, call his prosecuter a “coward” and watch his wife eat a spider on TV to pay the family bills, yet Ryan must sit in prison while his wife dies? Must be fair………..in some other universe, not this one. - dupage dan - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 2:16 pm: Stones, It seems there are some who are calling on an independent evaluation of Mrs Ryan’s condition so that we can be sure she is gravely ill since some are so wary of Big Jim Thompson’s claims. Thompson muddied the water when he made a statement that this situation was all the more tragic since it involves a denial of due process (I am paraphrasing here - related to the honest services issue, I suppose)) in the court case as well as a denial of compassion. Thompson may be speaking to another audience (Judge Pallmeyer?) but many voices I hear express indignation at his antics. I suppose this will go on long after Mrs Ryan passes away. Thompson will just add another shpiel to his never ending repetoire. That’s OK, it is his right. It is also my right to ignore him. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 2:22 pm: Hey, cyou, see ya. You’re gone from here, man. All your comments you’ve ever posted have been deleted. I’m sick of your comments. - wishin4spring - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 2:28 pm: I think more emphasis should be on Mrs. Ryan. We all know George Ryan is guilty. He’s doing his time. He should do all of it. Lura Lynn should be allowed one last visit with her husband. Mrs. Ryan did nothing wrong, she deserves that much. No media attention. Just a brief, quiet visit. Then, George needs to go back to prison to complete his sentence. - perry noya - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 2:37 pm: Apart from the merits of a furlough for Ryan, it’s too bad the decision is up to the Bureau of Prisons. In my experience the BOP is among the most arbitrary and dictatorial of government agencies. - been there - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 3:26 pm: Thompson’s ongoing press circus just might be the reason that the Terre Haute warden will deny the request for a visit. Or maybe he can require that the visit will happen only if NO ONE finds out about it. - Say WHAT? - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 4:13 pm: I think Mr. Ryan should be by Mrs. Ryan’s side and with the family during this time. Time is not on their side. Once he says goodbye to his life partner and best friend, his life will be harder than ever, and he must face that in prison. These are the consequences of a man’s actions. That being said, I feel terrible for all Mrs. Ryan and their family has had to endure these past years. When people go to jail, their loved ones suffer horribly. You can’t sleep,eat, function. The stress is life altering. It is beyond terrible, and unless you have had to live through it, you will NEVER understand or be able to comprehend the magnitude of it. Ryan family, you are in my prayers. - zatoichi - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 4:24 pm: Will Big Jim be there for the next 20-30 convicts in the same situation? As long as it is handled like any other similar cases and follows the rules, Ryan should be allowed to go. No mics, no cameras. Let him be. Very tough spot for the family. - ZC - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 6:13 pm: Bill, you’re a George Ryan apologist too? I will say this for you - you are consistent … - Jon Zahm - Thursday, Jan 6, 11 @ 10:30 pm: I think a 24 to 48 hour supervised visit with the costs borne by the Ryan family is appropriate here. This is not some visit to a girlfriend, this is a 50 year marriage partner. I do think he should serve out his sentence however. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.