If ever a case illustrates the problems facing a parole board, then it must be the one of William Pierce. On the one hand, the opportunity for rehabilitation is a given in any civilized society. On the other, people are in prison for a reason. Most are dangerous, some extremely so. William Pierce-he liked the sobriquet Junior, although there was nothing innocent about him-was released on parole from the Reidsville state prison in Georgia in May 1970. By the time of his arrest ten months later he had murdered at least nine people. Most likely, he had killed more victims than even that. There was little reason to believe that Pierce could hoodwink the parole board, even if he wanted to. There was little reason to believe that his criminality would escalate. Yes, he was a petty crook whose crimes had become to be a little less petty prior to his latest incarceration. But there was also little to suggest the parole board was about to release a savage killer into the midst of society. But they did. And here this is what happened next.
