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Massachusetts Parole Board has released 39 murder convicts who were initially sentenced to life without parole
Boston Herald ^ | December 26, 2025 | Rick Sobey

Posted on 12/27/2025 7:06:47 AM PST by grundle

The state’s parole board has released 39 “emerging adult” murder convicts who were originally sentenced to life without parole, but who later became eligible after a court ruling.

The Massachusetts Parole Board has issued 51 parole decisions since the Supreme Judicial Court last year ruled that emerging adults who were 18 to 20 at the time of the offense cannot be sentenced to life without parole.

Allen Alston, 47 — formerly known as Allen Scoggins — was one of the convicted murderers granted parole. On May 16, 1997, a then-19-year-old Alston shot and killed taxi driver Ismael Rivera, 56, in Brockton.

Alston was seen entering Rivera’s vehicle and ultimately shot Rivera before fleeing on foot. Alston was arrested in South Carolina about five months after the fatal shooting and confessed to killing Rivera.

(Excerpt) Read more at bostonherald.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: insanity
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Free version: https://archive.ph/vS14y#selection-1539.0-1541.1
1 posted on 12/27/2025 7:06:47 AM PST by grundle
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To: grundle

Its OK if they stay in Massachusetts, perhaps Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket or Cambridge. The problem is there will be no strings attached to their mobility and they can carry their criminal pasts into Red states.


2 posted on 12/27/2025 7:08:34 AM PST by laconic
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To: grundle

Liberals are out of control in Ma. and voters ignore them.


3 posted on 12/27/2025 7:09:35 AM PST by chopperk
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To: grundle

It should be required that the parolees live with members of the parole board for 6 months.


4 posted on 12/27/2025 7:09:57 AM PST by SaxxonWoods (Annnd....I voted for this too!)
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To: grundle

Well once again..... F’ the decent citizens!


5 posted on 12/27/2025 7:11:22 AM PST by high info voter (Delivery )
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To: grundle

Some will kill again. By rights, their victims should be members of the Massachusetts Parole Board or their relatives because there will be victims.


6 posted on 12/27/2025 7:11:58 AM PST by citizen (A transgender malel competing against women may be male, but he's no man.)
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To: laconic

Similar to CDLs issued to the unqualified.


7 posted on 12/27/2025 7:12:32 AM PST by xp38
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To: grundle

They worry more about murders and thieves than they do taxpaying citizens


8 posted on 12/27/2025 7:13:12 AM PST by butlerweave (Fateh)
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To: grundle

MassOf2Shits


9 posted on 12/27/2025 7:14:33 AM PST by Bikkuri
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To: grundle

They are unemployable in the business world, so expect them to become government employees. Maybe Code Enforcement or running for public office.


10 posted on 12/27/2025 7:15:28 AM PST by blackdog (The philosophy of the schoolroom in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.)
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To: citizen

By rights, their victims should be members of the Massachusetts Parole Board

Instead of the murders and thieves they released earlier


11 posted on 12/27/2025 7:16:32 AM PST by butlerweave (Fateh)
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To: butlerweave

These parole board members have no respect or sympathy for the family members and victims of the murderers.


12 posted on 12/27/2025 7:19:10 AM PST by Mr. N. Wolfe
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To: grundle

These acts of irresponsibility always end up with this question: “Why did mobs of citizens take to the streets and hang or decapitate those in charge?”

When those in charge oppress the law-abiding and refuse to imprison the worst criminals, they DESERVE to be hanged from lamp posts. They earned their violent punishments.


13 posted on 12/27/2025 7:19:32 AM PST by Gnome1949
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To: grundle

Massholes


14 posted on 12/27/2025 7:26:03 AM PST by DFG
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To: grundle

My family moved out of Messoftwoshits when I was ten. We moved to Arizona. God blessed us. My first cousin was murdered by a corrupt cop in his own house while having a nervous breakdown. My aunt and her granddaughter ended up receiving some big bucks with the lawsuit but my cousin died very young from six bullets from a crooked cop’s gun. In Mass, it’s not just negroes that are killed by the cops.


15 posted on 12/27/2025 7:27:52 AM PST by FlingWingFlyer (MAGAism is the greatest CURE for DemonRAT "Demockrazy". )
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To: grundle

Won’t be long before we read about vicious crimes committed by these convicts.

When they reoffend, and chances are they will, each “justice” on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court who voted in favor of this should be tried alongside the criminal and face the same punishment.


16 posted on 12/27/2025 7:28:26 AM PST by Bon of Babble (You Say You Want a Revolution?)
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To: grundle

GROK3 says>>>
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Yes, the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) ruling was a split decision.The landmark case, Commonwealth v. Mattis (decided January 11, 2024), ruled that sentencing “emerging adults” (ages 18–20 at the time of the offense) to life without parole is unconstitutional under the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights, as it constitutes cruel or unusual punishment.
This made Massachusetts the first state to categorically ban such sentences for this age group.

The decision was 4–3:Majority (4 justices):
Chief JustASS Kimberly S. Budd (DEI female and black) (author), joined by JustASSES Scott L. Kafker, Dalila Argaez Wendlandt, and Frank M. Gaziano.

They emphasized neuroscience showing that emerging adults’ brains are not fully mature (similar to juveniles), their diminished culpability, greater potential for rehabilitation, and evolving standards of decency.

Dissent (3 justices):

Justices David A. Lowy and Elspeth B. Cypher (separate dissents), with some overlap in concerns. They argued that the judiciary should defer to the Legislature on defining adulthood and punishment severity, rather than extending juvenile protections based on brain science.


17 posted on 12/27/2025 7:29:08 AM PST by dennisw (There is no limit to human stupidity / )
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To: grundle

I wonder how diverse the parolees were? Were whites and females adequately represented?

It’s MA so it is important to them.


18 posted on 12/27/2025 7:30:40 AM PST by alternatives?
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To: laconic

Years ago, I listened to a politician address this issue. She condescendingly said something along the lines of, “Crime is a lifestyle choice like any other and we have to respect that.”


19 posted on 12/27/2025 7:30:51 AM PST by Gen.Blather (Has anyone seen my tagline? ...I know it was here...)
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To: grundle
If someone got to age 19 and didn't know murder is wrong then he should never be released from prison.
20 posted on 12/27/2025 7:32:34 AM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
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