Greg King’s daughter Karen King died in January 1997 after two men kidnapped, raped, and killed her.
He says he felt outraged when he heard lawmakers are looking at a bill that may throw out what’s known as “truth in sentencing.”
Right now Michigan law mandates that prisoners serve their minimum sentence. This bill would allow them to be released 15% early for good behavior.
Michigan Department of Corrections spokesperson Russ Marlan supports the bill. He says it will allow the DOC to cut its budget by 20%, or $380 million a year. He says the parole board would work to make sure only prisoners with a plan that would allow them to be productive citizens would be released.
Prosecutors from around mid-Michigan gathered at a press conference earlier this week saying the bill neglects the rights of crime victims who have been promised the criminal who wronged them will serve a minimum amount of time for the crime. They say much of the money saved will be spent prosecuting convicts who return to a life of crime when released.
King says not knowing how long his daughter’s killers will remain behind bars would be torture.
