For some too young to have known this firsthand in 1988 ——
Willie Horton was a convicted prisoner in Massachusetts who, while released on a furlough program signed into law by Dem. Gov. Michael Dukakis, raped a Maryland woman and bound and stabbed her boyfriend. Mr. Bush’s campaign and supporters cited the case as evidence that his Democratic opponent was soft on crime and used the case in TV ads.
Another video tries to attack Bush as a racist but has to mention more weekend passes and more crime. And mentions Mexican illegals in an attempt to defend them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUxAMG8UqIw
The bus cannibal was found not guilty by reason of insanity, treated and released without conditions, supposedly cured of his schizophrenia. I am in no position to judge but of course it seems very dubious a full recovery would be possible or that anyone could really guarantee no further incidents.
As it turned out, he had two victims, the bus passenger he killed, and a first responding police officer who had to witness the aftermath of the events, and later committed suicide.
Pickton is very high profile in BC and it would be a huge election issue if he actually got parole. I don’t think it’s going to happen. Paul Bernardo (another notorious Canadian killer) regularly petitions for parole too and is not allowed out. As a general rule serial killers never get parole, it’s an unwritten rule but can anyone think of an exception?