Former manson family member denied parole. Again

Marie5656

Marie5656

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Batavia, NY
Leslie Van Houten, who was a part of the Manson family has been denied parole again for her role in the Manson family murders of the LoBianco's, done days after Sharon Tate and others. She was not involved in the Tate crime

Gov. Newsom rejects parole again for Manson family member - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)


I am not sure how I feel. what this group did was horrendous...and punishment was deserved. But, supposedly she has expressed remorse, She was deemed to "still be a threat to society.", But....I am wondering how much she and the others were infuenced by Manson, and the brainwashing he did of his cult members?
I am not saying we should excuse what they all did, but she is in her 70's now, has spent over 50 years in prison. But then again, how would freedom after so many years affect the mental health of a prisoner?
 

I wonder when these things come up how will they adjust ....not a reason to keep them of course ...
But it would be a difficult transition and how would they integrate into a society that has changed a great deal.....
I do not think at her age she would be a danger but perhaps the parole board knows more
 
Jeni said:
I wonder when these things come up how will they adjust ....not a reason to keep them of course ...
But it would be a difficult transition and how would they integrate into a society that has changed a great deal.....
I do not think at her age she would be a danger but perhaps the parole board knows more
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I suppose she would still like to see the outside world again, but 50 years in prison would make for a difficult transition.
She would not be a threat to society(Manson himself would have) but parole decisions are sensitive to public sentiments.
 
Nathan said:
I suppose she would still like to see the outside world again, but 50 years in prison would make for a difficult transition.
She would not be a threat to society(Manson himself would have) but parole decisions are sensitive to public sentiments.
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Cannot imagine this considered public sentiment.... Parole seems like a crap shoot anymore

https://www.yahoo.com/news/man-buried-school-bus-full-153442091.html​

Man who buried school bus full of children for $5 million ransom approved for parole​

 
The parole boards say that she is not a threat, she was a teen at that time, and has an excellent prison record for 50 years.....but the governor vetoes their decision. Can't help but think the governor's decision is due to it being a political position, rather than any expert on anything related to crimes, psychology, or risks.
 
I don't have a full grasp on this whole situation of the Manson Murders of Sharon Tate because I was born in 1972, but from what I have read on it he did have a lot of an influence over these young people.

I am not sure if Leslie Van Houten would be a threat to anyone now especially with Charles Manson being dead now, but like you are all saying how would she transition into pretty much a new outside world from the one she was in before she was incarcerated. That is going to be extremely difficult for her. I just looked her up and she is currently 72 years old. Like I said at that age, I don't think she would be much of a threat to anyone. It seems to me though the court system is going to have her live the remainder of her life in prison.
 
Wonder how much brainwashing would be involved here? I was wondering if Stockholm Syndrome would have fit the criteria in the case of Mansons followers, but I am not sure if being in a cult fits the definition. I think the notoriety of all the murders, and the weirdness of the whole "family of hippies" thing factors in.
 
Nathan said:
I suppose she would still like to see the outside world again, but 50 years in prison would make for a difficult transition.
She would not be a threat to society(Manson himself would have) but parole decisions are sensitive to public sentiments.
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Lets remember that prisoners are allowed to watch TV, listen to radio stations, read newspapers, and books while in prison, so they are not unaware of life outside the walls. In certain cases they may have a personal computer with limited internet connection. I was involved as a Crown witness involving a guy named Ralph Power, who was convicted of 2 attempted murder charges and one of arson in 1972. He got a ten year sentence and served eight years before being paroled in 1980, In 1981 in Toronto he murdered a 19 year old woman . He was convicted of first degree murder and got a minimum of 25 years before being eligible for parole. He is STILL in prison in 2022 because he has been denied parole so many times that he has given up applying for it. He has now spent over 40 years of his life in prison. He knows that he could not live in society. He is willing to live out his days at the Bath Correctional Institute near Kingston Ontario. JimB.
 
Marie5656 said:
She was deemed to "still be a threat to society."
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This topic of paroling convicted murders has come up before. I do not ever support doing it.

Part of the reason is that I don't think we can determine someone's "threat to society" on an individual basis. And studies have shown that paroled murderers are more likely to commit violent crimes, including murder, than the population at a whole. So by releasing people like this we have allowed more of these crimes to happen. I cited some of these studies last time around.

That and I believe that once someone has committed murder they have given up the right to live amongst us.
 
Alligatorob said:
This topic of paroling convicted murders has come up before. I do not ever support doing it.

Part of the reason is that I don't think we can determine someone's "threat to society" on an individual basis. And studies have shown that paroled murderers are more likely to commit violent crimes, including murder, than the population at a whole. So by releasing people like this we have allowed more of these crimes to happen. I cited some of these studies last time around.

That and I believe that once someone has committed murder they have given up the right to live amongst us.
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I understand what you are saying, but in this situation was she acting fully on her own thoughts and actions or was she under the control of Charles Manson when she committed these murders? Yes, she was part of actually committing the murders so the actions she took out on Sharon Tate and the others she actually did, but was that done because she wanted it done or because she told it was all part of some plan by Charles Manson and she believed it? I don't know the correct answer to any of that.It is really a difficult case. I am with you 100% that a person who commits a murder on their own with no one manipulating or brainwashing them they should never get released, but this is a different sort of case.
 
Jeni said:
Cannot imagine this considered public sentiment.... Parole seems like a crap shoot anymore

https://www.yahoo.com/news/man-buried-school-bus-full-153442091.html​

​

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That guy is probably more dangerous than Van Houten as were his released accomplices. Much more calculating. That crime took much more planning and preparation at which he or his accomplishes could've backed out but still went ahead with it. To top it off his victims were children who he tortured burying them like that
 
I'm wondering if there is family that would take her in or how she would be supported. Is she a threat today? Doubtful.

Years ago a therapist told me I should be dead, strung out on drugs or in prison. Years later I thought of her prison comment and realized that had a been pretty vs. what I was when young, overweight and ugly, I could have easily been influenced by anyone who showed interest in me because of the abuse and isolated I was exposed to. What I looked like at least saved my freedom. I could be in prison myself because I was a total mess at 18 and I was supposed to be an adult.

But then in the end we are responsible for what we do.
 
She deserves to die in prison - not because she's a "Threat to society," not because she's "Not rehabilitated." Because prison is BETTER than what she deserves. What she deserves is what she was originally sentenced to before California's screw up, which is execution - a much more painless & peaceful execution than she brought on her innocent victims.

It's important to note that the parole board approved her release before the governor stepped in.
 
Silent Rose said:
I understand what you are saying, but in this situation was she acting fully on her own thoughts and actions or was she under the control of Charles Manson when she committed these murders? Yes, she was part of actually committing the murders so the actions she took out on Sharon Tate and the others she actually did, but was that done because she wanted it done or because she told it was all part of some plan by Charles Manson and she believed it? I don't know the correct answer to any of that.It is really a difficult case. I am with you 100% that a person who commits a murder on their own with no one manipulating or brainwashing them they should never get released, but this is a different sort of case.
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The perpetrator of every crime could say, "He/she talked me into it; he/she brainwashed me."
 
Remy said:
I'm wondering if there is family that would take her in or how she would be supported. Is she a threat today? Doubtful.

Years ago a therapist told me I should be dead, strung out on drugs or in prison. Years later I thought of her prison comment and realized that had a been pretty vs. what I was when young, overweight and ugly, I could have easily been influenced by anyone who showed interest in me because of the abuse and isolated I was exposed to. What I looked like at least saved my freedom. I could be in prison myself because I was a total mess at 18 and I was supposed to be an adult.

But then in the end we are responsible for what we do.
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This. I've heard an addict or alkie frequently stop maturing at the age in which they start abusing drugs. So if the started dabbling or using by 15 or 16 that will be there mental age decades later if a lifetime addict/alkie

Yes 'we are responsible' and if more realize that or the young tought that society would be much better off today.
 
WhatInThe said:
This. I've heard an addict or alkie frequently stop maturing at the age in which they start abusing drugs. So if the started dabbling or using by 15 or 16 that will be there mental age decades later if a lifetime addict/alkie

Yes 'we are responsible' and if more realize that or the young tought that society would be much better off today.
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interesting perspective on the maturing part ........... I think that explains a few people i know .... to me .....
I too agree that young people should be taught that they are responsible and even a stupid item can haunt the rest of lives...
 
win231 said:
The perpetrator of every crime could say, "He/she talked me into it; he/she brainwashed me."
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That could be the case unless the person acted on their own which in this case they obviously did not. That is the reason why Charles Manson spent his entire life behind bars which he should have.

I am not saying this lady shouldn't spend the rest of her days behind bars. I am just not sure at her age now if she is a threat to society. I really don't know if anyone will ever know that for sure unless they do release her at some point and it just is too risky to try that. So she will probably spend the remainder of her years behind bars.
 
Maybe they should release her and make her lecture young girls about the pitfalls hanging with criminals just for drugs or attention. She should tell them how she spent lost 50 years of her life in prison-the peak years, no kids, no activities for the young etc. She missed the opportunity to make her own choices. It should be a quasi scared straight typed lecture.

She needs to be running the could've would've should've through her head the remainder of her life along with hopefully steering a few troubled girls in the right direction. Might not be physical incarceration but she has to mentally realize or pay for what she has done for life or death as sentenced.
 

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