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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The third suspect in the shooting death of a 15-year-old boy faced a judge Tuesday morning. Related U.S. Marshals and Louisville metro police tracked down and arrested Cannon Pendergrass on Monday. Pendergrass, 22, was formally charged Tuesday with in the slaying of 15-year-old Gregory Holt. Pendergrass was the third man arrested in the Holt slaying case and is now facing the same charges as the other two suspects, James Mallory, 29, and Anthony Hogan Jr., 18. Holt was found shot to death inside his home on Clover Street two weeks ago. All three suspects have been in...

February 3, 2010 Inmate released early is arrested in rape attempt By Robert Lewis and Sam Stanton rlewis@sacbee.com Thumbnail image for Kevin Peterson.jpgOne of the inmates the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department released early as part of an effort to reduce the state's prison population was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of attempted rape, less than 24 hours after getting out of jail, The Bee has learned. Kevin Eugene Peterson got out of jail Monday night after serving about two months on a four-month sentence for violating probation on a prior felony conviction. Peterson was arrested 12 hours later, around 12:30 p.m....

Prisoners in an Indian state who attend yoga classes will be freed early because the lessons improve self-control and lessen aggression, authorities said. For every three months spent doing sun salutations, deep breathing exercises and balance postures, a prisoner will get 15 days off their sentence, Madhya Pradesh state's inspector general of prisons told AFP. "Yoga is good for maintaining fitness, calming the behaviour, controlling anger and reducing stress," Sanjay Mane said. "When a prisoner attends yoga sessions and fulfils some other conditions, he will be considered for a remission if his jail superintendent recommends his case." Attending literacy classes...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Critics heaped scorn on Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn on Monday over a secret prison program that allowed hundreds of inmates — some violent offenders — to be released early, including some who only spent 11 days behind bars. An Associated Press report released Sunday showed that more than 850 inmates — including repeat drunk drivers, drug users and even people convicted of battery and weapons violations — were released early under the program since September. This happened because the Corrections Department abandoned a policy that all prisoners serve at least 61 days and gave inmates months of...

NEW YORK — Their budgets in crisis, governors, legislators and prison officials across the nation are making or considering policy changes that will likely remove tens of thousands of offenders from prisons and parole supervision. Collectively, the pending and proposed initiatives could add up to one of biggest shifts ever in corrections policy, putting into place cost-saving reforms that have struggled to win political support in the tough-on-crime climate of recent decades.

Fresno County sheriff's officials began releasing inmates from the downtown jail Tuesday as they prepare to close two floors and reduce the overall population by 800 inmates later this month.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A man who told police he shot two teenage boys at random "to get something off my chest" was recommended for release from prison following a parole hearing Tuesday. Jeron Grant, 26, and an accompolice were charged in the Valentine's Day 1997 shotgun shooting deaths of Andrew Westbay, 13, and Scott Hawrysiak, 15, who were gunned down at close range as they walked home after playing video games at a neighbor's house. Parole board member Curtis Devin, who held the hearing, recommended Grant be released in either August or September, only a few weeks earlier than...

Monday, May 23, 2005 Minister had hope for ex-con in Maine Associated Press ©Copyright 2004 Associated Press. E-mail this story to a friend MONTPELIER, Vt. — The pastor who drove Kent Hanson to Maine after he was released from prison had high hopes for the ex-convict. The Rev. Pete Fiske of The Church at Prison holds services at the St. Albans prison and helps offenders after they leave prison. On the morning of May 12, the 63-year-old Hanson had just served the last minutes of a 20-year sentence for the 1985 murder of Helena Warner. Fiske was taking the man...

In an article appearing in the Los Angeles Times yesterday - Thursday, November 25th, 2004 - the subject of 'Early Release' was addressed with facts that will infuriate all but the comatose. The article addressed the Los Angeles County Jail system. It addressed Sheriff Lee Baca's attitude regarding the early release program. It touches on budget shortfalls and reactions to them. The article mentions that police chiefs, prosecuting attornies, judges, police officers and victims are either serously concerned or downright angry about this program. Victims who were supposed to be notified regarding some of these early releases, weren't. Victims of...

At least 73 inmates released early this year from the Los Angeles County Jail have been rearrested within weeks, in some cases days, on new charges as serious as kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon, according to an LAPD audit obtained by the Daily News. The three-month Los Angeles Police Department audit completed April 1 has fueled criticism of the controversial Sheriff's Department program under which up to 400 inmates are being released from jail after serving only a fraction of their sentences. The Daily News reported Sunday on the case of a Burbank woman who allegedly was beaten...

<p>About 130 inmates on average are released early each day from county jails to save money, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department data show.</p> <p>The inmates -- robbers, auto thieves, drunk drivers and abusive spouses -- and other convicts are freed early as part of a plan by Sheriff Lee Baca to offset millions of dollars cut from his budget.</p>

<p>Gov. Gray Davis has rejected legislation closing the state budget gap by $70 million next year through the early release of thousands of prisoners.</p> <p>The governor announced his veto Tuesday just before enacting billions of dollars in hard-won budget cuts agreed to by the same Democratic leaders who sought the early-release measure.</p>

<p>SACRAMENTO - As California's budget woes have escalated, state prison officials quietly have been studying a range of options to save hundreds of millions of dollars, including releasing non-violent inmates, delaying the opening of a maximum security lockup and early discharge from parole, according to internal documents obtained by the Mercury News.</p>

<p>California governor Gray Davis is fine-tuning a new budget proposal that could raise taxes for some and slash some public service programs for others.</p> <p>SACRAMENTO (AP) - Proposals to release some nonviolent and elderly prisoners early have emerged in California and other states confronting massive budget shortfalls.</p>

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - State prison officials are considering an early release program for some inmates convicted under the mandatory sentencing law overwhelmingly approved by voters in 1994. But critics are calling the idea a betrayal of the 1994 law, which was passed to protect crime victims' rights. The Oregon Corrections Department plans to submit its early release proposal to the governor and the Department of Administrative Services, which will decide whether to refer it to the 2003 Legislature in January. The proposal would allow selected prisoners to earn credit for good conduct and participation in work and rehabilitation programs,...