# Woman arrested 396 times tells parole board she can change **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 26, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777 "2013-04-26T17:42:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/1 "2013-04-26T17:42:44Z")
Here’s the link: > **[Woman arrested 396 times tells parole board she can change](https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/woman_arrested_396_times_tells_parole_board_she_can_change/)** > > The ABA Journal is read by half of the nation's 1 million lawyers every month. It covers the trends, people and finances of the legal profession from Wall Street to Main Street to Pennsylvania Avenue. She says she’s found God and doesn’t want to be a monster. She also doesn’t want to take her medications and gets irritable quickly. Just how many chances should someone get? If enough people answer that, I guess the Mods should move this to IMHO. I am just amazed at “some people”. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/2 "2013-04-26T18:04:42Z")
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me 395 times… ---
**Author:** ![Obnoxious\_Hood\_Ornament](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Obnoxious\_Hood\_Ornament](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obnoxious_Hood_Ornament)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/3 "2013-04-26T18:05:16Z")
Soylent Green is a permanent change. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/4 "2013-04-26T18:07:29Z")
Shermain’s march to the see. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/5 "2013-04-26T18:10:22Z")
I say give her a chance. This time has got to be different than the other 395 times. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/6 "2013-04-26T18:33:41Z")
Well, Matthew 18:22 has Jesus telling his disciples they should forgive offenses not seven times, but seventy times seven. So by those figures she has 94 to go. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/7 "2013-04-26T18:34:26Z")
396 strikes and you’re out. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/8 "2013-04-26T18:36:01Z")
She should have at least gone for 400 before quitting. But on a serious note, this isn’t that unusual. I used to work in prison and it was pretty common to see people with over a hundred arrests. 396 is high but I’m sure you could find plenty of people with more. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/9 "2013-04-26T18:38:26Z")
I approve of the new 396 strikes program. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/10 "2013-04-26T18:42:33Z")
At what point do you just finally say 'You are not fit for society, goodbye"? How much money has this person cost the city of Chicago? How many people has she hurt? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/11 "2013-04-26T18:49:39Z")
> [@hotflungwok](#): > > How many people has she hurt? There’s no way to be sure, is there? I’d not be surprised though if she wasn’t coming up on close to 400. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/12 "2013-04-26T18:57:21Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > She should have at least gone for 400 before quitting. > > But on a serious note, this isn’t that unusual. I used to work in prison and it was pretty common to see people with over a hundred arrests. 396 is high but I’m sure you could find plenty of people with more. Yup. I’ve seen notorious criminal defendants with dozens or even hundreds of arrests before, such that every court appointed defense attorney in town has represented them several times over. At least one or two of them I’m pretty sure passed 400. Usually it’s somebody with a very bad drinking problem racking up public intoxication convictions or a mentally ill person racking up criminal trespass convictions. Sometimes they’re rearrested within a few hours of being released from serving their last jail sentence. It’s really pretty sad, they’re functionally serving a life sentence a week at a time. The sad sacks don’t usually have violent felony convictions like robbery like the woman in the OP does, though. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/13 "2013-04-26T19:07:43Z")
The longer Chicago Tribune article describes her as “acutely psychotic” and says she won’t take her meds. Presumably releasing her into some sort of program that monitors her med use would be the best course. > [@lieu](#): > > There’s no way to be sure, is there? I’d not be surprised though if she wasn’t coming up on close to 400. Sounds like a lot of her convictions were for drugs, disorderly conduct and prostitution. She finally landed a meaningful jail stay for armed mugging, but I don’t think that’s the bulk of her offences were so severe. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/14 "2013-04-26T20:51:33Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > The longer Chicago Tribune article describes her as “acutely psychotic” and says she won’t take her meds. Presumably releasing her into some sort of program that monitors her med use would be the best course. Considering that she failed to take her meds in **prison** , I have severe doubts about her chance of success elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/15 "2013-04-26T21:15:51Z")
She could be released into a mental hospital or halfway house and forced to take meds for the rest of her life. Are those places a better life than spending it in prison? Either way, she’s functionally incompetent to live on her own. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/16 "2013-04-26T23:11:07Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > 396 strikes and you’re out. A baseball team losing four straight games in a series has less strikes on them than her! Damn…almost 5 straight games! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/17 "2013-04-26T23:46:04Z")
> [@hotflungwok](#): > > At what point do you just finally say 'You are not fit for society, goodbye"? How much money has this person cost the city of Chicago? How many people has she hurt? As I noted, I was seeing these people in prison so eventually they do reach a point where they end up doing some serious time. That’s why if you hear about a guy who’s in prison for something minor like shoplifting, you should assume he’s been previously arrested dozens of times. You don’t go to prison for stealing a six-pack of beer. But if you steal a six-pack of beer every Friday for a year or two, you’ll eventually end up in prison. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/18 "2013-04-26T23:48:22Z")
> [@Yeticus\_Rex](#): > > A baseball team losing four straight games in a series has less strikes on them than her! Damn…almost 5 straight games! Aren’t there 3 strikeouts per team per inning? That would be 27 strikeouts in a no-hitter. That would be almost **15** games. StG ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/19 "2013-04-27T01:12:32Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > She could be released into a mental hospital or halfway house and forced to take meds for the rest of her life. Are those places a better life than spending it in prison? Either way, she’s functionally incompetent to live on her own. Illinois ain’t real grand for [long term inpatient mental health care](http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/01/19/quinn-to-close-tinley-park-mental-hospital-downstate-facility/). Pretty gawddam awful, in fact. Which is why [so many of our mentally ill are constantly in and out of jail](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/04/mental-illness-prisons-jails-inmates_n_2610062.html). ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777/20 "2013-04-27T02:01:19Z")
I think it would be more efficient ultimately to simply hire a cop specifically for her, to follow her around and arrest as necessary. Well maybe not, exactly. But you hire cops to follow her and her ilk around. When you bust one, she goes into the penal system for a few days or weeks or months. The cop goes in to get assigned to another fruitcake just coming out of the penal system after their few days or weeks or months. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-arrested-396-times-tells-parole-board-she-can-change/656777.md?page=2)