Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is a prisoner’s best friend in the Land of Lincoln.

His early prison release program, designed to “save Illinois money” by releasing inmates early ignores the collateral damage to innocent residents.  That damage is often brutal.

Take Mary Shepard, an elderly woman who was nearly beaten to death while volunteering at a small town church in Illinois.  Shepard and another elderly woman helping out that day were beaten by a big, burly guy who Governor Pat Quinn released early to “ease overcrowding” and to save the state a few bucks.

Well, Sunday evening there was a happier ending involving one of Quinn’s big, burly early prisoner releases.

This time it was a young man who shot a police officer in Chicago two years ago was out on parole.  He served less than six months in prison after shooting a police officer with a gun he was illegally carrying!

Less than six months for shooting a police officer!

Jerome N. Harris, 17, (inmate #M43525 if you want to look him up on the Illinois Department of Corrections Inmate Search page) sprung a few leaks and was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead an hour later, according to a report from the Sun-Times.