Prisoners eligible for parole after 1/3 of sentence

While David McKoy may have received an eight year sentence for his crime, chances are if he behaves himself he’ll be back on the streets in less than three. The process is called parole and the prison’s Parole Board met yesterday and approved twenty-six out of the fifty-three applications. Among those rejected by the board were applications by convicted murderers Patrick Reyes and Rudolph Neal. Some of those granted an early release are Santiago Baeza, originally sentenced to twenty years for manslaughter, Mark Thompson, who was given thirteen years on a rape conviction, Johnny Rancharan, in for twelve years for manslaughter and convicted forger Bernadine Reid, originally sentenced to a five year term. A statutory instrument that came into effect on December first allows all prisoners, except those sentenced to death, to be eligible for parole after serving only one third of their sentence. Those convicts sentenced to life imprisonment may be paroled after serving only seven years behind bars.