DC Sniper Inmate Feels Shame, Guilt and Remorse in Supermax Prison

In Washington D.C. 2002, two snipers terrorized anever be released. But can a man change? Can a
city and sent shock waves around the world. Theyperson who commits an abominable act ever be
killed 10 people over a 23-day period.accepted back into society? What can we as a
Five years later Lee Boyd Malvo, one of the sniperssociety do for these people we call inmates, convicts,
who was 17 at the time of the murders, is ajailbirds, cons, and felons? Most will be released and
changed young man according to social workermany will be worse than they were when they
Carmeta Albarus-Lindo who has spent hundreds ofentered prison or jail.
hours with Malvo since his arrest.Society brands former inmates with catchy titles, like
Lee Boyd Malvo wrote in a letter to CNN that he isex-cons, when these people actually should be called
"still grappling with shame, guilt, remorse."by their true titles: fathers, grandfathers, sons and
John Allen Muhammad, the older sniper/murderer, isdaughters of people who love them.
on death row at Sussex One, a Virginia prison.Malvo has taken some college correspondence
"That boy was a victim before he even knew it."courses and he draws pictures in his 23 hour-a-day
Muhammad's ex-wife, Mildred says, regarding Malvo,lockdown cell at the Red Onion Correctional Center in
"His life was over when he said, 'Hi.'" She claims andWise County, Virginia. Isn't it society's duty to correct
many people believe young Malvo was heavilythese 2 million men and women who are doing time in
brainwashed by the older man whom he called "Dad."America's jails and prisons? Incarceration, in and of it's
Malvo met Muhammad two years before theself is punishment enough. What we should be doing
shooting and Muhammad became a kind of a fatheris preparing people to go home and do something
to Malvo. The older man taught an impressionableother than commit crimes. They should be taught a
Malvo that violence was the only way to correcttrade or profession and be given jobs upon release.
racial problems especially for African-Americans.Once released, they have paid their price for their
Now it appears that Malvo is entitled to a little mercycrimes, and we as a society should quit judging them
and compassion from a society that seems to beand punishing them for what is over. Of course some
preoccupied with the political rants of getting toughviolent inmates should never be released until they
on crime. Too often our system of justice has beenhave proven, as much as possible, that they will not
replaced with a system that seems to be self-servingrepeat their crimes.
for the players involved while little time is spent onSociety as a whole will benefit with less crime if we
finding truth and understanding the causes of crimeshave prepared these people to become productive
committed. Revenge without knowledge is the ordermembers of society.
of the day where judges no longer judge. They haveMalvo needed a father figure in his life. He picked the
become referees in a linguistic battle of technicalities.wrong one or the wrong one picked him. Let's not
Because of minimum mandatory laws, these judgesabandon him again. He and all the others in his place
have almost no say in what happens to a personcould use a few words of encouragement.
who may have been as much a victim as the originalYou may contact the author for Malvo's current
victims of the crime.contact information.
Malvo will serve many years behind bars, and he may