Ill. early release inmates not exactly 'low-level offenders'

When the Associated Press learned that Governor Pat Quinn's cost-cutting prison cost-cutting measure to release 'low-level offenders' early from prison included a generous definition of that classification of criminal, he denied knowing about it and then got caught in a lie.

Until it the initiative was suspended last week, 850 inmates were released. The Chicago Sun-Times got a look at the records of some of the crooks, and while some probably were hapless "Cool Hand Luke" types caught vandalizing parking meters, others were not.

But a list of the first 204 inmates obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times shows a wide variety of prisoners being let out early, prompting questions from law enforcement officials and criticism from anti-drunken driving advocates and Quinn's opponent in the Democratic primary for governor.

A Sun-Times analysis of the early-release list showed that, as of last week, there were 40 burglars, 18 felony DUI drivers, 28 financial criminals -- including forgers and thieves -- and one attempted robber among the inmates sent home early. Most of the other early-release inmates were incarcerated for drug crimes. Some had as much as one year shaved off their prison time.

This is already a political issue for Quinn, a Chicago Democrat, who is an enthusiastic supporter of the Gitmo North prison in Thomson.

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