The Florida Parole Commission

The work needed to be successful in keeping the murderers like the one of my husband, Officer Ron Parker, behind bars has taken a toll on each member of Ron's family and me. It is a tremendous emotional and financial burden to prepare and attend each parole hearing. Even though parole hearings are every seven years, the preparation time warrants gearing up one year prior.

Preparation Steps:
·         reread the court documents, review old letters, files,
·         check with the Victim's Advocate Office in Tallahassee,
·         begin circulating petitions in key areas,
·         attend many meetings where I can get the word out
·         request letters
·         generally psych myself up for the fight that I know is ahead.

I have been told that I should not worry about DeSherlia ever getting out. This is a belief that I or anyone else dealing with parole hearings will never buy (although in this case this murderer died in prison).

There are no guarantees in this life and each new Parole Board brings fresh members, some more liberal than others. I cannot and will not let my guard down, always remembering to dot each "I" and cross each "T".

I must continue to tell everyone Ron's story, less they have forgotten or have not heard it before. You can never let your guard down or stop the fight.

When you finish one parole hearing and finally put the material away, you are constantly preparing for the next one. For all these reasons and more, I am seeking a bill to increase the time intervals between parole hearings from seven years to 10 years or better yet a 3 strike policy and no chance of parole. Only then can we provide some relief to the families and victims.

There are 5,000 inmates serving 25 years or longer in Florida Prisons. Just think of the time , money and personnel involved in preparing for each case that comes before the Florida Parole Board.  Considering our economic stagflation, the amount of money that could be saved and put to better use is staggering. What a tremendous impact this has on the State Budget and your tax dollars. Therefore, I am seeking your help to increase the time between parole hearings a reality.

bgparkervic@charter.net I would be grateful to hear from you.

Brenda Parker
Widow of Officer Ron Parker