Connecticut Considering Early Prison Release For Some Violent Criminals

There's a bill wending its way through Connecticut's legislature right now that would see dozens of violent criminals come up much earlier for parole than intended under their original sentences. 

If approved by the General Assembly and signed into law by the governor, House Bill 6581 could see convicted Mystic murderer Vincent Green released from prison a decade early.

Green is serving a 25-year prison term for his involvement in the death of Kyle Sheets in a botched robbery and home invasion on Sheets' boat Crucible, which was docked at Seaport Marine, according to the Westerly Sun and The Day.

Green was 19 when he committed the crime and under the bill approved last week by the Connecticut House those sentenced to long prison terms as teenagers would be eligible for parole after they had served 60 percent of their time.

He was sentenced in 2010 to 25 years in prison and could see 10 years shaved off his prison term. Under the new law, Green will be about 34 years old when he is released.

The House voted 137-4 last week to pass the bill. Rep. Ted Moukawsher, D-Groton voted against the measure, Rep. Elissa Wright, D-Groton and Rep. Diana Urban, D-Stonington, voted in favor of the measure, which now goes to the Senate. The move follows two U.S. Supreme Court decisions in recent years that rejected long prison terms for violent criminals convicted as teenagers. 

The legislative proposal would mean that some inmates convicted of crimes such as rape, kidnapping and murder could get out of prison while they are still relatively young. People like Robin Ledbetter, who was 14 years old when she was charged with robbing and stabbing to death a Hartford taxi driver.