Yesterday and todays Oprah show

**Daphne** · 01-16-2003, 07:11 PM

I am currently watching the show today and I saw it yesterday when they filmed it live. It is regarding the 171 inmates that were taken off of death row in Illonis. I'm just listened to several of the family members speaking of how their loved ones were killed. It' really upset me. I have mixed feelings regarding this situation. I am thankful that some men and women's lives have been spared who were on death row if they have be proven to innocent. It does make you wonder how many have been killed on death row who were innocent people. I do have strong concerns that the people who are guilty and did commit terrible crimes who are now off of death row.

What do you think?

**Daphne** · 01-16-2003, 07:43 PM

Gov Ryan said that there was a 60% error rate. I'm not sure if this is in all of America or just in the state of IL. I've only heard him say that...I haven't read that anywhere.

**nealy** · 01-16-2003, 08:28 PM

I have a problem with this situation only because it was one man who decided what he wanted to do. Where are the checks and balances? That seems like an awful lot of power for one person to have. I feel badly that our law enforcement system is so corrupt but to let that many people go, seems wrong. why didn't they let all of the inmates go???? If the error rate is so high, is it any less wrong for a man to rot in jail for something he didn't do?Things eneed to b e changed and I don't have the answers, but setting them all free seems impulsive.

Nealy

Nealy

**PennyPinchinPam** · 01-16-2003, 10:07 PM

This particular Gov. is under investigation for all kinds of illegal doings. They think he did this for his own benefit. I don't live in IL so I know nothing of this man. Just what I've heard in bits and pieces on the news.

**Daphne** · 01-16-2003, 10:47 PM

I hadn't heard that Lovinmama....makes the story even more interesting. Next week Oprah will be showing more interviews of the inmates in the correctional facility in the Chicago area (I can't remember the name). I hope to be able to see that show to find out some more info.

**Belinda** · 01-22-2003, 04:42 PM

I think it was a great thing for the men on the show who were proven by DNA and other means to be innocent, but on the other hand, my heart really went out to the family members of victims in which there was NO doubt about guilt. Why not just keep the moratorium on the death penalty there that was already in place, until each case could be individually studied? No one wants innocent people to be put to death. But these families have a right to justice too.

**PennyPinchinPam** · 01-22-2003, 04:55 PM

I heard a blip on the news about this: Is he now trying to put some of the men he released back in jail? And this man is a Governor? YIKES!!

**Miss Kitty** · 01-24-2003, 10:49 AM

I am going to comment on two levels: one as a resident of Illinois and I AM NOT a fan of Ryan. Second as a resident of the county where 2 of the death row inmates that were taken off death row committed their crimes.

First - all the studies have shown that capital punishment is not a detterent to crime. No murderer is going to stop before his crime and say, "wait I might get the death penalty". Murder is nearly always a crime of heightened passion, hate, anger, etc.
Capital punishment was touted for years as a way to save money over housing inmates for life. This has proven to be false due to the extensive legal fees for innumerable appeals, new trials etc.
In addition, life span in prison is much shorter for obvious reasons.

It has been studied and proven to be cheaper to pay for new DNA and investigations over appeals and new trials.
This also would have made much more sense over what Ryan did simply as a publicity stunt to try and overcome being eventually arrested for his illegal campaign tactics and his bribes for commercial driver's license scandal. The man hopefully will do time but not likely.

Finally, two of the men taken off death row were from my county. They were there for murdering their girlfriends children. Of course both claim innocence.
One child was beaten so severly he crawled under his bed and it took him approx. 2 hours to bleed to death internally. I personally do not want to see him put to death although the victims family does. I think the daily torture the other prisoners no doubt dole out is preferable to a quick painless lethal injection.

Sorry I went on so long.