Leslie Van Houten: She deserves to be paroled
According to the Encyclopedia of Criminal Justice, rehabilitation is defined as “punishment intended to reform a convict so a person can lead a productive life free from crime.” However, the prison system does not parole many individuals who have shown they are rehabilitated. Instead, the prison system ignores their own guidelines of rehabilitation and denies parole to deserving individuals because of public pressure to punish. For example, Leslie Van Houten, who was a member of the Charles Manson “Family” has been in prison for 46 years. She has shown she has been rehabilitated but has been denied parole 20 times. Although Leslie Van Houten has shown she is rehabilitated, the prison system has not acknowledged her rehabilitation because the prison system wants to punish her. Leslie Van Houten is a former member of Charles Manson’s “Family” who is in prison for the murder of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. At the time of her conviction she was a loyal follower who was under the control of Charles Manson. She actually confessed to a murder she did not commit to help in his defense. She was sentenced to death in 1971, but a year later, the state of California commuted all death sentences to life imprisonment. By law, life
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However, over the past 46 years, Van Houten has since renounced Manson and expressed remorse for her crimes. She has earned two degrees while in prison and has been a model inmate and has been a mentor to other inmates. During this time she has changed her perspectives a great deal. While under the influence of Charles Manson she had no remorse for her criminal behavior that led to murder. Her ability to change her morals while in prison shows that she has behavior skills that proves her values of intercultural knowledge. Leslie Van Houten could function in a variety of cultural contexts and be a productive member of