Quick Hit:
The chair and a member of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board have resigned following the murder of 11-year-old Jayden Perkins by a recently paroled convict. The resignations come amid public outrage over the board's decision to release the perpetrator, Crosetti Brand, who committed the crime less than 24 hours after his release.
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Diving Deeper:
The incident has sparked widespread outrage, particularly as Smith had sought a protection order against Brand just a month prior to the incident. Brand, who was serving a 16-year sentence for home invasion and aggravated assault, was granted parole on March 12th. The attack on Smith and her son occurred just hours before a scheduled hearing about the protection order.
Both the Illinois Department of Corrections and the Illinois Prisoner Review Board claimed they were unaware of the protection order hearing. However, emails obtained by CBS 2 indicated that the Department of Corrections had knowledge of the hearing as early as February 22nd.
Following the revelation of these emails, Governor JB Pritzker announced the resignations of Shelton and Miller. In a statement, Pritzker acknowledged the need for the Prisoner Review Board to operate independently, but also stressed the importance of careful consideration of evidence in cases involving victims of domestic violence.
Brand, who was first paroled in October before being briefly reasserted in February for threatening a woman via text, is now facing a murder charge and several other violations in connection with Jayden's death. The tragic incident has highlighted the need for improved communication and transparency within the court system, particularly in cases involving protective orders against soon-to-be-released inmates.