ACTIONS PAR FOR THE COURSE; PRISONER SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN GRANTED 24 HOUR RELEASE

In the vast majority of cases when a direct relative of a prisoner has passed away, the inmate should be allowed to attend the funeral and burial of their loved one, either on a 24 hour leave or with escort, according to certain criteria. IMHO, that criteria would include the prisoner's previous record with lack of violent behaviour and lack of issues with the family.

Friday, 19-year old Plant City High School graduate and Army private Jody Missidine was given a hero's funeral, having been killed serving his country in Iraq. His father, Kelvin, has a long criminal record and history of violence and did not raise his son. The family did not want him to attend the funeral.

Regardless of that past record, which includes his current incarceration for two counts of battery against a law enforcement officer and one count each of resisting an officer with violence and escape, and the Polk County Sheriff's Office decision declining to escort Missidine because of his long and violent record, Circuit Judge Dennis Mahoney allowed him a 24 hour release anyway.

It was a bad decision.

According to the story written by St. Petersburg Times reporter Ben Montgomery:

At the cemetery, Kelvin Missildine stayed about 50 yards away from the grave. He watched from a gray van, four kids in the back seat and a woman beside him...

A few minutes later, Hillsborough Sheriff's deputies approached him. He yelled at them. Then his van began to pull away. Missildine leaned out the passenger window and yelled obscenities.

Needless to say, Missildine was promptly arrested for violating a tresspass warning. Maybe Hizzoner Mahoney should have seen the PCSO decision not to accompany Missildine as a warning that the prisoner was rather inclined to this type of behaviour.