Shanley's Safety in Prison Raises Concern

AP ^ | 2/14/5 | DENISE LAVOIE

[SmithL]

BOSTON -- As defrocked priest Paul Shanley faces sentencing on child rape charges, inmate advocates are worried that sending him to prison could amount to a death sentence for a man who was at the very center of the Boston Archdiocese sex scandal.

After all, another key figure in the scandal, former priest John Geoghan, was beaten and strangled behind bars in 2003, a year after he was convicted of molesting a 10-year-old boy. A fellow inmate told investigators he killed Geoghan "to save the children."

Some are worried that the 74-year-old Shanley could be the next mark for an inmate.

"He's so high-profile that that puts a big target on his back," said James Pingeon, an attorney at Massachusetts Correctional Legal Services, which represents inmates. "We feel concerned. Obviously he's a vulnerable person because of his notoriety and his age."

[LauraleeBraswell]

Oh my GOD.

I AGREE WITH YOU. What is your deal?!

[Captain Peter Blood]

All I can tell you is that it painted this guy as well Cardinal Law and Cardinal Cooke as pretty bad in my opinion. I am not sure whether it was Cardinal Cooke or Cushing who was there before Law.
Anyway this thing went into great detail about Shanley and the church in general from when Shanley was in seminary to when all hell broke lose. It certainly wasn't flattering or sympathetic, I thought for the most part very balanced and non biased.
Shanley comes out painted as the vile creature he is. Wish I could remember what issue this was in.

[LauraleeBraswell]

I think this priest deserves to burn in hell. That doesn't mean I advocate burning him at the stake.

I 100 % agree with you. Argue with someone else. I already share your view.

[Gorzaloon]

The fact that it goes on. Our Justice system clearly isn't harsh enough if we're hoping the guy get's his punishment in prison.

If, when a judge is told by a "psychological Professional" that one of these can be rehabilitated and hence should be released..then they should only be: To live as a guest with the Judge's and the Shrink's FAMILIES on alternating weeks.

Suddenly, there would not be any releases for frivolous reasons. A thief can be scared straight, maybe. A dope dealer can straighten out, maybe, but these creatures do NOT get better. To those who decry the way they are treated in the Big House, then let them campaign for the Magic Needle.

[SilentServiceCPOWife]

Anyway I think it's more of a fairy tail we tell ourselves.

No, it's not. Several years ago my sister was employed in a position where she had to be in court every day. One morning, five inmates were brought in for arraignment for assaulting a child molester. They beat him and stabbed him repeatedly with a pencil. He had to be hospitalized because they beat him so badly.

[LauraleeBraswell]

Punishment is a deterrent. And his should deter others. Like Singapore, Enough to scare any other pervert straight.

[chiefqc]

I hope he lives a really, really long time so that he can be pasted around as a play toy.

[NJ Neocon]

That was a mental image I could have lived without.