Mistaken Calculation In 2004 Led to Early Sarah Jane Olson Release. So Sorry Say Officials

State Department of Corrections spokesmen who will be spending Easter with their families say they regret the mistake that released Sarah Jane Olson a year early and yanked her back as she was about to board a plane to be with her children in Minnesota on the holiday. (AP at Google report "Free by Error, Ex-Radical Back in Prison" cites a press conference with Scott Kernan while the SF Chronicle "SLA ex-member Sara Jane Olson back in jail, 5 days after release " relates a nearly identical statement by Alberto Roldan, chief deputy general counsel for the Department of Corrections)

AP: 

"The department is sensitive to the impact such an error has had on all involved in this case and sincerely regrets the mistake," Kernan said.

Chronicle:

"The department is sensitive to the effects this has had. The department sincerely regrets the mistake," said Alberto Roldan, chief deputy general counsel for the Department of Corrections.

Um, guys.  If you're just releasing talking points, put it on a piece of paper and fax it around.  Words from a person are supposed to be heartfelt and individual.

So, basically the little press conference and expression of regret by the "chief deputy general counsel" are manipulative garbage.

But that doesn't surprise me in Schwarzenegger's California.

The two deputy chiefs above both admit that political pressure led to a 'discovery' of error. Unfortunately, the same groups which wanted her re- imprisoned this year will not be happy if she is released next year on March 17th.

From the AP report:

The Los Angeles Police Protective League, which represents more than 9,000 Los Angeles police officers, said it was relieved that Olson had been returned to prison, but was "far from satisfied."

"Parole shouldn't even be an option for terrorists who are convicted of murdering innocent bystanders and attempting to murder police officers," said the group's president Tim Sands. "Anyone who tries to kill police officers should get significant jail time and serve their full sentence."

  I guess we'll see what fireworks develop next St Patrick's Day.

Also from  AP

Olson's attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, called her client's return to custody "ridiculous" and said prison officials caved in to outside influences.

"As far as we're concerned they're bowing to political pressure and they are wrong," Holley said. "It's like they make up all new rules when it comes to her. It's like we are in some kind of fascist state."

And where will she be held?  The AP reports:

She will be returned to the same prison in central California that she walked out of Monday and will not be eligible for release until March 17, 2009, he said.

Olson was released on Monday from Chowchilla according to reports, and Frontera Prison (CIW, Corona) in which the LA Times reported she would be held (click on tag "sara jane olson" and you should be able to see link to previous post) is nowhere near anyplace that could be called "Central California".  So, possibly Frontera is just a stopover or there are more mistakes being made by CA DOC.

tags: sarah jane olson  kathleen soliah  

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