New information from the Department of Corrections record of a man accused of raping a 10-year-old girl has renewed the debate over Risk Reduction Earned Credits.
Last week, Desmond James, 23, from Waterbury was arrested and charged with Home Invasion and Sexual Assault among other charges. Police said James climbed through the window of a Meriden apartment and raped a 10-year-old girl.
On Tuesday, former State Senator Len Suzio released information that James earned 129 Risked Reduction Earned Credits (RREC) while serving time for burglary and robbery. RREC, also known as the early release program, allows offenders to earn time off their sentences for good behavior and for taking rehabilitative courses.
According to Suzio, James would have been released early but he escaped from a halfway house before that could happen. In this case, Suzio argued that the program failed to rehabilitate James.
"This is a program that was justified on the basis of reforming or rehabilitating criminals, hardened criminals. And this is proof that the program is not working,” Suzio said.
In response to Suzio’s charges, the Department of Corrections released a statement:
"Risk Reduction Earned Credit (RREC) did not impact this placement. The Department of Correction has had the authority to transfer an offender into a facility like this for more than 25 years."
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