Should Brenda Spencer Be Let on Parole?

...

regret then what makes you any better than a murderer yourself? Because to murder someone is to take one’s life and by locking her up not only are you taking away her life but you’re also taking away her one chance at redemption.

Since the very moment Brenda left her home in San Diego she has thrived and shown significant changes in her attitude and work ethic saying that she would have no trouble finding a job after she was released. One act three decades ago should not define someone’s identity. It appears to be much more logical to judge someone’s character based on a pattern of behaviour over the past thirty years. Previously she engraved the words ‘COURAGE’ and ‘PRIDE’ but she claims this was a misunderstanding and what she engraved were runes of the words ‘UNFORGIVEN’ and ‘ALONE’. Do you seriously believe that should this be her identity for the rest of her entire life?!

Brenda Spencer, aged 55, 2017 is still in California State Institution for Women. The simple fact is that she shouldn’t be. She should be out, living out the rest of her life forever remembering the one thing she did when she was sixteen that changed so many lives forever, including her own. A man by the name of Jimmy Boyle got sentenced to prison for life for murder but escaped the death penalty because he was underage. After his parole 38 years later Jimmy became a businessman, working with young addicts in the Gateway Exchange program. He also became further known for his sculpture work, earning an international reputation as an acclaimed artist. Just because someone did something bad in their past does not make them a bad person. Second chances should granted to all those who are prepared to seize the opportunity. “Your mistakes don’t define your character, it’s what you do after the mistake that makes all the difference.”- Dave Willis.

By Oscar Clark