Some 118 killers and rapists were sprung early from prison under former Gov. Mitt Romney’s watch even as he has expressed outrage on the presidential campaign trail over a judge who freed a violent ex-con now accused of killing again.
The inmates released under Romney, a Herald review found, were allowed to walk out the gates by the Department of Correction by claiming so-called “good time” that in some cases substantially reduced their sentences.
Ninety-five of those inmates were convicted of manslaughter, 20 were locked up for rape and three were juveniles convicted of first-degree murder, records show.
It is the very same “good time” system that freed ex-con killer Daniel Tavares, who shaved 360 days off his sentence by claiming time he did not deserve, according to a state probe. Tavares, 41, now stands accused of slaughtering a Washington state couple.
Last November, an outraged Romney demanded Judge Kathe Tuttman resign for releasing Tavares - who had just served 16 years for slashing his mother to death with a carving knife - over the objections of Worcester prosecutors who warned her of his violent history.
But the state probe first reported by the Herald showed that the DOC under Romney failed to act on disciplinary matters against Tavares, a move that could have kept the killer behind bars nearly a year longer.
“We can only say to the public that we think the system as it was designed failed them,” Public Safety Secretary Kevin Burke said.
Spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said Romney did nothing to deliberately release inmates early and was only following the law by granting them good time they were able to claim under state regulations.
“Governor Romney did not issue any pardons or commutations as governor,” Fehrnstrom wrote in an e-mailed statement. “Mike Huckabee issued 1,033.”
But Romney opponents said his repeated attacks on Huckabee, his chief Republican opponent in today’s Iowa caucuses, ring hollow when compared to the Tavares case and the scores of other inmates who were set free early during his tenure.
“I’m surprised (Romney) would be campaigning in such a strident manner, saying that he’s been so tough on crime,” said State Sen. Richard Tisei (R-Wakefield), who supports Rudy Giuliani. “It’s another example of an area where he shouldn’t be criticizing other candidates.”
The state DOC grants “good time,” which sometimes takes years off inmates’ sentences, if the offender was sentenced prior to 1994 - before truth in sentencing reforms - and automatically qualifies for reduced time or if the inmate takes substance abuse classes and other programs.
Tavares was released early by claiming automatic good time. A probe by Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration found that Tavares should have lost 360 days of that time because of assaults on prison guards that were never punished under Romney.
The administration is now reviewing the cases of 750 other inmates due to be released in the next two months to determine whether they qualify for the good time they’re trying to claim.
Officials said there’s nothing they can do about the inmates already released under Romney, because a 60-day window for reviewing their disciplinary incidents has long since elapsed.
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