Accept parole system and move on, says Doan Cleare

By LEANDRA ROLLE 

Tribune Chief Reporter 

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

AS the Davis administration prepares to debate legislation that would allow those sentenced to life in prison to be eligible for parole, Prison Commissioner Doan Cleare said it’s time for the public to accept this and “move on”.

His comments came as he addressed concerns from several residents who contacted this newspaper after spotting Kevin Patrick Hanna, convicted of killing his family, in public, and questioned whether he had been released.

Commissioner Cleare explained that Mr Hanna is part of a prison work release programme, which is why he has been seen in public.

Hanna was sentenced to life in prison for killing his father, mother, brother, and two sisters in 1984 when he was a teenager. Details of the case were widely publicised.

He was reportedly acquitted of murder charges but was found guilty of manslaughter by “reason of diminished responsibility” after a doctor testified that he suffered from mental health issues.

Four decades later, Hanna is said to be fully rehabilitated and regarded as one of the prison’s “best residents”, having participated in all available rehabilitative programmes at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

“Kevin Hanna is one of the best residents we have in this institution. He ain’t showing no signs, he is rehabilitated,” Mr Cleare told The Tribune yesterday. “There is no more programme I can push Kevin Hanna into in this institution. He has been through all of them, some six, seven or eight times. He’s now over 60 years old.”

He noted that Hanna has been on the prison’s work release programme for over four years and dismissed concerns about his public appearances, saying “society has more dangerous people on the road than Kevin Hanna right now”.

We have to realise that 99 percent of the persons who come to prison will be released eventually,” Mr Cleare added.

“Anyone who has been given the latitude of going to work on the release programme, they have an extremely good chance of being released.”

Mr Cleare explained that those sentenced to life in prison can be released after serving a period of time if the Prerogative of Mercy Committee decides they’re no longer a threat to society.

Although Mr Cleare believes Hanna would be a good candidate for release, he refused to say if his case was currently under consideration Prerogative of Mercy committee.

Concerns about the release of those sentenced to life in prison comes as the government prepares to debate Conditional Release of Offenders when Parliament returns after summer recess.

The bill, which has been in the works for over a decade, outlines the parole regime for convicts, including those sentenced to life imprisonment.

When sentencing people for life imprisonment, courts would be required to specify the minimum period of incarceration that offenders must serve before being eligible for parole consideration.

The bill says that period must “satisfy the requirements of retribution, deterrence, and

rehabilitation”. Murderers sentenced to life must serve at least 25 years.

Commissioner Cleare said when the bill passes, the prison work programme will end, making way for day parole.

People who are not sentenced to life imprisonment could be eligible for full parole consideration after serving at least sixty percent of their sentence and for day parole after serving 50 percent.

Comments

birdiestrachan says...

Right or wrong it will not be easy for Mr Hanna to adjust, Some one has to help him to live each day,

Posted 22 August 2024, 10:57 a.m. Suggest removal

bobby2 says...

Everyone may wish to remember, Mr. Hanna's & all the other murders in prison did not give a 2nd chance to their victims.

Posted 22 August 2024, 1:10 p.m. Suggest removal

Sickened says...

I'm confused about those among us who want murderer's walking around our neighborhoods and interacting with our kids playing in the streets. I certainly don't want that.

If we hang murderer's **as per our laws** then we wouldn't be having this discussion about possible parole. Parole should only be for non-violent criminals.

Posted 22 August 2024, 3:02 p.m. Suggest removal

ExposedU2C says...

No one who has been convicted of having brutally murdered their parents and siblings should ever be released from prison back into society no matter what the circumstances.

The public deserves to know who was authorized to sign, and who in fact did sign, each and every document that was required to allow this murderous monster to be set free to roam among us.

It sounds to me like our society needs to be protected from the stupidity of Doan Cleare and others who share his truly absurd views. Can we somehow have the threat of Doan Cleare and others like of him removed from our society?

Posted 22 August 2024, 5:54 p.m. Suggest removal

empathy says...

Redemption is part of jurisprudence.

If we are indeed a nation founded on christian principles, the most significant of which is ‘forgiveness’ then we need to accept circumstances when our fellow citizens, having committed crimes including murder, have served their time, in effect asked for forgiveness, and our now available for redemption. This is part of civil society and what we all would want for our loved ones and ourselves if we have indeed been rehabilitated.

It is also noteworthy to point out that he was not convicted of ‘first degree’ murder and therefore was not sentenced to life without parole nor a sentence without the possibility of release.

Yes he deserves “help” and supervision upon release, however we do need to “accept” what our laws allow and demand. Otherwise chaos will ensue.

Posted 22 August 2024, 7:50 p.m. Suggest removal

ExposedU2C says...

Spare us the christian values BS. After all, the squalid and most inhumane conditions for inmates in our prison system are not exactly a testament to our christian values. But this fact, as abhorrent as it is, should not somehow justify terrorizing our society by releasing those convicted of the most heinous crimes to freely walk among us.

And what makes you think we have the resources necessary to properly help and supervise such persons once released? We don't even have the resources needed to do something about the very unchristian-like and most inhumane conditions at the Fox Hill prison facility.

By the way, real chaos will ensue if we just do the christian thing and let all the inmates out to roam free among us no matter the degree of violence of the crimes they committed.

Posted 22 August 2024, 10:47 p.m. Suggest removal

ExposedU2C says...

By the way, if you are indeed a Christian, I suggest you have a careful re-read of Chapter 21 of the Book of Exodus in an unadulterated King James Version of the Bible, especially Verses 12 & 15.

Posted 23 August 2024, 8:53 a.m. Suggest removal

Sickened says...

These so called Christian values so many of us spout is a major reason why our country is so damned backwards. Forgiveness??? A man bludgeons a child to death and Christians spew forgiveness and empathy out of their twisted mouths.
Not sure when humans decided to trade their intelligence for blind faith but it's time to start thinking sensibly again.

Posted 23 August 2024, 9:21 a.m. Suggest removal

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