No he won’t. Federal charges have no early release or parole. 35 years means 35 years. This means that he will be released from prison when he’s 62 years old, outside of a presidential pardon.
The only question that remains, and has for a long time, is whether he will spend his time at the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, KS; or the United States Penitentiary, Administrative Maximum Facility (ADX), in Florence, Colorado.
Of the two, he had better pray to whatever gods he worships that it is Fort Leavenworth, because there is at least the possibility that he could survive there.
Were this simply a military offense, it would guarantee the former. But Manning managed to offend a dozen government agencies, who may not be happy about the Pentagon claiming unique punitive jurisdiction. They will want bitter revenge, and so they will lobby for ADX.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adx_florence
that’s a joke.
I thought I read yesterday that he would be up for parole after serving 1/3 of his sentence less time served. Maybe that was wrong. I hope so.
“No he won’t. Federal charges have no early release or parole. 35 years means 35 years. This means that he will be released from prison when he’s 62 years old, outside of a presidential pardon.”
The media outlets are all saying he is eligible for parole after about 10 years.
This was military court, not federal court. Eligible for parole after 1/3 of the sentence, so a little over 10 years, with time served.
I was closely involved in the Clyde Conrad spy caper in the 8th Infantry Division in Bad Kreuznach in the 80’s. Clyde and his four junior enlisted accomplices worked for me, I was a part of the investigation to discover who the spy/spies were, and I was the first prosecution witness at his German trial.
Clyde was convicted by a German court and died in prison.
Kelly Warren, a female soldier, was sentenced in Federal Court to 25 years in 1999 and reportedly was released from Federal Prison in 2011. Rod Ramsay, Clyde’s right hand man, was also tried in Federal Court and received a sentence of 36 years. I think that he is still in Federal Prison, but I’m not sure.
Manning will be coming to Leavenworth, probably tonight on an Army aircraft. He will be taken to the new disciplinary barracks on the north end of post and will be inprocessed. He will stay in the DB until his military appeals process is complete. At that time, he will be discharged from the Army and will be transferred to a Federal Prison. Given the history of the Conrad gang, my guess is that he may be released sometime down the road.