People make mistakes in life, but there are some instances in which a person’s desire to make the mistake right can help them to get closure for the incident. A recent case involving a man who escaped a pre-release program in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1980 recently turned himself into law enforcement officials.
The man has lived under an assumed name until he turned himself in. He had been in prison since he was 18 years old. He is now 63 years old. He traveled around some after escaping and finally settled down in Oklahoma, where he got a job.
In November, the man got into a dispute over financial matters with a man he worked with, which is what prompted him to turn himself in to local police. That was a shock to the law enforcement officials. He had nearly six years left to serve on his sentence for armed robbery and a parole violation.
The man won’t be heading back to prison to finish out his original sentence. Officials considered his good deeds while he was in Oklahoma and his age when making their decision to grant him parole. They said he wasn’t a threat and that he turned himself around. While he has to stay in Maryland once he is released, he hopes that he will be able to go back to Oklahoma.
This man’s case shows that owning up to mistakes and acknowledging wrongdoing can sometimes lead to a good outcome. It is important to understand what the potential consequences might be for owning up to a mistake before making that step.
Source: The Washington Post, “Maryland grants parole to 33-year fugitive who surrendered in Oklahoma last year” Michael S. Rosenwald, Jun. 03, 2014