* A Bruce Rauner TV ad opens a brand new (for this year) and powerful front against Gov. Pat Quinn.
The new ad slams Quinn him for his administration’s botched early prisoner release plan that just about cost the governor the 2010 Democratic primary. Bill Brady didn’t really emphasize the botched program, but Rauner isn’t making that same mistake. [They’ve fixed the typo mentioned above and posted a new ad] Have a look…
* This is no one-off, either. Expect Quinn to get pounded on this and other topics for the rest of the season.
On December 14, 2009, The Associated Press Reported That The Illinois Department Of Corrections Had Instituted A Secret Early Release Program Known As “MGT Push” And That 850 Inmates Had Already Been Released Weeks Earlier Than They Should Have Been. “Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has suspended a prison program that allowed repeat drunk drivers, drug users and even people convicted of battery and weapons violations to serve less than three weeks’ total time behind bars. Records obtained and analyzed by The Associated Press show that since September more than 850 inmates were released weeks earlier than they ordinarily would be. The Corrections Department was saving money by abandoning a policy that requires inmates to serve at least 61 days and awarding them discretionary good-conduct credit immediately upon entering prison.” (John O’Connor, “Ill. Suspends Program That Released Inmates Early,” The Associated Press, 12/14/09)
At Least 230 Of The Inmates Quinn Released Early Were Serving Sentences For Violent Crimes Or Crimes Involving A Weapon. “Corrections also dropped a 61-day minimum stay for all inmates, meaning scores of prisoners spent a total of less than three weeks behind bars, including county jail time. They served, on average, 26 days in the state pen, from as few as seven to 60, just below the old minimum. On the updated list, at least 230 released early were convicted of violent crimes or those that involved weapons. (John O’Connor, “Ill. wrongly reported early release prisoners, The Associated Press, 1/23/10)
Criminals With Histories Of Murder And Rape Were Released Early Under Quinn’s Program. “A west suburban man sentenced to prison for murder conspiracy was freed early under a controversial state program that Gov. Quinn called a ‘mistake’ and discontinued last week, a Chicago Sun-Times analysis has found. Also sprung early were 20 other men with killings or attempted murder in their criminal backgrounds, records show. Six were convicted of murder, five of second-degree murder, one of manslaughter, one of murder conspiracy and seven of attempted murder…During a news conference last week, neither Quinn nor Randle pointed out the degree to which people with murder, armed robbery, rape and other convictions for violent crimes had been released under the program.” (Frank Main and Chris Fusco, “Back on the street,” Chicago Sun-Times, 1/6/10)
Criminals With Histories OF Domestic Battery Were Released Early By Quinn. “Quinn on Wednesday has backtracked from earlier statements, acknowledging that he knew ahead of time that the state Department of Corrections had planned to release some inmates early as part of a cost-saving measure. Quinn, however, has refused to say whether he knew that some of the prisoners had been convicted of violent crimes that included domestic battery.” (“Gubernatorial Challenger Hynes Takes Quinn To Task,” Belleville News-Democrat, 12/17/09)
Darrell Bracey Was Released From State Prison On September 23, 2009 Under MGT Push, After Serving Just One Year Of A Three-Year Sentence For Burglary. “The 23-year-old Bracey was freed Sept. 23, 2009 after serving one year of a three-year sentence for burglary, including 55 days in the state penitentiary.” (John O’Connor, “Ill. Parolee Wasn’t Picked Up After Battery Claim,” The Associated Press, 9/20/10)
On January 4, 2010, Bracey Allegedly Had Sex With A 14-Year-Old Girl. “If he had been picked up in December, he could have been back behind bars Jan. 4, the day he admittedly had sex with the 14-year-old girl, according to investigators. Naperville police investigated the incident as a criminal sexual assault, records show, but prosecutors have not filed charges because the victim’s family is not cooperating, according to the Will County state’s attorney’s office.” (John O’Connor, “Ill. Parolee Wasn’t Picked Up After Battery Claim,” The Associated Press, 9/20/10)
Joshua Paddock Was Let Out Of Prison November 6, 2009 And Was Arrested December 12 For Domestic Battery. “Joshua Paddock, 21, who was sentenced to four years in early 2008 for aggravated battery. Lake County Jail held him about 18 months, he left Stateville Nov. 6 after 14 days, and was arrested later that month for driving without a license. But Corrections did not revoke his parole until after he was arrested Dec. 12 on four charges of domestic battery.” (John O’Connor, “Quinn: Secret prison early release ‘big mistake’,” Associated Press, 12/31/09)
Paddock’s Victim Was Beaten And Choked For Four Hours In A Hotel Room. “According to the Corrections documents, the victim contends Paddock stripped her, kicked her, choked her and dragged her across the pavement and back into a hotel room over the course of four hours.” (John O’Connor, “Crimes come to light Gov. Quinn denies knowing offenses of released inmates,” Associated Press, 1/9/10)
Edjuan Payne Was Serving Time For Criminal Damage To Property When He Was Released Early Under MGT Push. “Payne was serving time for criminal damage to property when he got out last fall as part of Quinn’s secret early prison release program, although he also had an earlier murder conviction. He was sent back in January for violating parole on the property damage charge by drinking alcohol and not properly reporting to his parole agent. He was freed in March. On Friday, he was charged with murder in Peoria.” (”Parole Violator Now Charged With Murder Was Released Early,” The Associated Press, 5/18/10)
Payne Was Sent Back To Jail In January Of 2010 For Violating His Parole. “Payne was serving time for criminal damage to property when he got out last fall as part of Quinn’s secret early prison release program, although he also had an earlier murder conviction. He was sent back in January for violating parole on the property damage charge by drinking alcohol and not properly reporting to his parole agent. He was freed in March. On Friday, he was charged with murder in Peoria.” (”Parole Violator Now Charged With Murder Was Released Early,” The Associated Press, 5/18/10)
Payne Was Released From Prison Again On March 29, 2010. “Payne would have served the remainder of his sentence (which was one year because the state counts each day served as two) and been released at the end of July 2010. The state’s Prison Review Board, however, allowed Payne to be released from prison on March 29, 2010. The PRB is an independent agency. It does from time to time make confidential recommendations to the governor relative to clemency petitions.” (Andrew Greiner, “Former Convict Accused of Second Murder,” NBC Chicago, 5/14/10)
On May 13, 2010, A Month And A Half After He Was Released From Prison, Payne Was Arrested For the Murder Of A 41-Year-Old Peoria Woman. “Peoria police arrested a Chicago man Thursday in connection with the death of a 41-year-old woman whose body was found in an alley. The woman’s body was found Thursday morning in the alley in the 1400 block of Northeast Perry Avenue and she has been identified as Orvette Davis. The 8-month-old infant found lying on the ground next to her is her granddaughter, Aaliyah Gaston. The infant was taken to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center on Thursday morning with what police described as non-life threatening injuries. Police arrested Edjuan L. Payne, 40, of Chicago and booked him on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder and endangering the life of a child. (Scott Hilyard, “Police Arrest Homicide Suspect,” Peoria Journal Star, 5/13/10)
