Mar 22, 2008 10:21 pm US/Central
'Admin. Error' Led To Early Release Of Olson
(WCCO)
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"My understanding is that she was completely cooperative and left the airport without incident," said Scott Kernan of the California Department of Corrections. (Sara Jane Olson, File)
AP
A Minnesota mother released from prison on Monday is back behind bars. Police in California arrested Sara Jane Olson Saturday.
Police said criticism over her release on Monday caused them to review her sentence and parole. They discovered a miscalculation made in 2004 that caused her to be released a year too early.
"The whole thing is completely outrageous, it is completely unlawful. You don't pick someone up in the middle of the night at the airport and bring them back home," said Olson's attorney David Nickerson.
Olson's attorneys said she and her husband were about to board the plane when 8 officers met her at the gate and arrested her. They brought her to her home in Palmdale, California while the investigation was completed.
Just after noon Saturday she was taken to the California Institute of Prison in Corona, California. From there she will be transported to the Central Correctional Facility in Chochillo, California.
"My understanding is that she was completely cooperative and left the airport without incident," said Scott Kernan of the California Department of Corrections.
After Olson was released on Monday corrections leaders said a review of her sentence took place. They discovered what they are calling an "administrative error" that was made in 2004 that allowed Olson to be released a year early. Police said decades of different sentencing laws caused them to miss the error before she was released.
"Let me make it very clear that it was an error by the department, but the department has the authority to return an individual to custody to complete her analysis," said Kernan.
But Olson's attorneys oppose that position. Nickerson is claiming that pressure from police led to Olson's re-arrest. They plan on filing an appeal Monday morning.
"They have already admitted their incompetence. Now we are supposed to just take their word that this is the new due date," said Nickerson.
Olson's new release date is March 17th, 2009. Nickerson said Sara Jane Olson's family is "bewildered and astonished" by her re-arrest. He said legally, a hearing has to take place before someone's parole can be revoked and they may sue the California Department of Corrections for what they are calling a violation of Olson's civil rights.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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