Robert Wexler: “Today is a very sad day for Floridians and for all Americans. Nearly 1,000 criminals who have committed the most heinous…”

“Today is a very sad day for Floridians and for all Americans. Nearly 1,000 criminals who have committed the most heinous crimes imaginable have been released from Florida's prisons without serving nearly their full sentences. Once again the victims and their families will relive the worst nightmare, knowing that the criminal who destroyed their lives is free to commit the crime again. This is an outrage, and Congress must stop it now. Imagine it was your 6-year-old son who was sexually molested by a friend you trusted enough to bring into your home. Imagine it was your wife or sister who was brutally raped. Imagine it was your 17-year-old son who was repeatedly stabbed to death. These are not hypothetical examples. All of these vile criminals were among the 1,000 prisoners already released from Florida's prisons. The criminals who committed these heinous crimes are now walking free due to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that creates a so-called constitutionally protected right to gain time, an early release mechanism created by Florida officials in 1983 to alleviate prison overcrowding. History shows that a frighteningly high percentage of these criminals will molest, murder, and rape again and again.”