The concept of releasing prisoners on parole before they complete their full sentence has been a cornerstone of correctional systems for much of the 20th Century, born of the belief that most criminals can and should be rehabilitated.
But rising crime rates in the late 1970s caused a seismic shift in the country’s attitude–rehabilitation went out the window and harsh punishment came into vogue. The mission of parole was lost in the rush to give offenders long mandatory sentences, and parole polices began to vary widely from state to state.
Illinois, like many states, switched to determinate sentencing in the 1970s. That meant the length of each inmate’s sentence was predetermined. The state’s Parole Board now only has the power to parole inmates sentenced under the old laws.
Danny Rouse, convicted of killing Allen Learst’s 5-year-old son in Wichita, Kan., was sentenced to life in 1980, right on the cusp of these sweeping changes. At the time, a life sentence in Kansas meant a minimum of 15 years in prison, after which parole became a possibility.
Had Rouse committed the crime just a few years later, it’s likely he would still be locked up.
Grandfathered in under the old laws, Rouse was able to start making a case for freedom in 1994. Though repeatedly denied, he finally persuaded the Kansas Parole Board to release him last March.
In November he was charged with murdering 16-year-old Stephanie Wagner in Royal Center, Ind.
Colene Fischli, administrator of the Kansas Parole Board, said Rouse met all their requirements and had been a model prisoner. The board’s deliberations are not public record.
Naturally, Stephanie’s friends and relatives, and the father of the boy Rouse killed in 1979, question Rouse’s release. They want answers and accountability, but neither is likely to come.
“The board doesn’t have a crystal ball,” Fischli said. “Certainly if they had information that the person was a risk they would not have released him.”
