The Menendez brothers, after over 35 years in prison for murdering their parents, are now eligible for parole. Parole suitability requires consideration of the circumstances surrounding the crime, specifically the offender's age and the context at the time. Furthermore, accountability for their actions and the ability to foresee future consequences are crucial. Psychologists have evaluated the brothers to be at moderate risk for future violence, although their recent infractions indicate a lapse in judgment while seeking personal connections during their parole reconsideration process.
The determination of suitability for release on parole is a two-part equation. One part is consideration of the circumstances that led to the crime, including the age and circumstances of the (then) young person at the time of the crime.
Both brothers had been found with smuggled cellphones late last year, at a time when they knew that consideration of re-sentencing was a possibility.
The evaluating psychologists found them to be at 'moderate' (as distinguished from 'low' or 'high') risk of committing violence.
Their decisions to violate rules at a time when they hoped to be found suitable for parole reflect that the intensity of the desire for contact swamped their judgment about the consequences of these actions.
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