he call for the investigation into the Massachusetts Parole Board was triggered after Cinielli, along with two other men robbed the Kohl’s in Woburn this past Sunday and allegedly Murdered Woburn Police Officer John “Jack” Maguire, 60, who responded to the robbery call and began chasing two of the alleged robbers on foot. One of the men, who Woburn Police allege was Cinelli, began shooting at the officer and ultimately struck and killed him.
Dominic Cinelli was released by the Massachusetts Parole Board after a hearing in 2008 and now Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is asking for an investigation of the Parole Board for having released Cinelli, a man who at one point been sentenced to three concurrent life sentences for Armed Robbery, Armed Assault with Intent to Murder, Assault & Battery with a Dangerous Weapon, and Gun Crimes.
As a result, the Governor, along with Police Chief across the state and nationwide, are seeking a review of the Massachusetts Parole Board’s decision-making criteria in order to determine how someone, such as Cinelli with such a violent history and had been previously convicted as an Armed Career Criminal, could have been given leniency and released.
Typically, when someone is granted “parole”, the inmate is released from prison after having served a portion of his prison sentence. Once released, however, parolees still remain under supervision and if conditions of parole are violated, could be returned to prison. Some conditions of release may include checking in with an assigned parole officer; submitting to random drug testing; abiding by a curfew; and/or counseling or treatment programs.
When deciding whether to grant someone parole, the Massachusetts Parole Board weighs the inmate’s risk to re-offense and the “compatibility of his…release with the welfare of society.” The Parole Board will also typically review information about the inmate such as: interviews with the inmate; diagnostic prison data; the inmate’s social background; the circumstances of the offense for which he was committed; Victim Impact Statements; prison conduct records, including programs the inmate may have participated in while serving his sentence; and of course, the inmate’s juvenile and adult criminal histories.
According to the Massachusetts Parole Board, 64% of Massachusetts parolees successfully completed parole without being returned to custody; 36% were issued technical violations; and only 10% were found to have committed a new crime while on parole.
Proponents of the Parole system argue one of the primary factors is releasing inmates is economics. For example, on average, it costs taxpayers approximately $40,000 per year to incarcerate someone, versus $5,000 to supervise someone on parole.
The other men involved in the Kohl’s robbery have been identified by the Woburn Police Department as Scott Hanwright, 19, of Wakefield, who has been charged with First Degree Murder; and Kevin Dingwell, 51, also of Wakefield, who has been charged with Accessory After the Fact.
Boston Criminal Defense Lawyer Lefteris K. Travayiakis has extensive experience in defending persons charged with all major felony crimes, including Crimes of Violence such as Armed Robbery, Armed Assault to Murder, and Assault & Battery with a Dangerous Weapon, and is available 24/7 for consultation.
If you have been charged with a crime in Massachusetts and would like to take advantage of a Free Consultation to explore your legal rights and defenses, Contact Us Online or call 617-325-9500.