Parole board: Downs remains a danger
SALEM, Ore. -- The law says convicted child killer Diane Downs gets a parole hearing.
The law also says she has to stay behind bars.
Downs was convicted as a dangerous offender in 1984. To be released, she needed to prove she was no longer a danger.
After two hours of answering questions from the Oregon Board of Parole, Downs failed to prove to the board that anything had changed.
The parole board looked Tuesday for signs that Downs is a different person. To release Downs, the board wanted her to accept responsibility for her actions.
But Downs stuck to the same story.
"You make it clear that you did not commit these crimes, is that what you are saying today?" Candace Wheeler, chair of the board, asked Downs.
"That is accurate, that has always been the case, and that will always be the truth," Downs said.
Another criteria for release: having a parole plan.
But Downs was evasive when asked about her marriage status and ability to find employment.
"I don't feel that I have all the facts that I need to make a fully informed decision, and if you're not telling me information, what do you think I'm going to believe?" Darcy Baker, another member of the board, told Downs.
An offender's prison record also plays a role in the decision, and Downs has an extensive history of prison violations -- including an escape -- that she didn't apologize for.
So board members concluded after fewer than 30 minutes of deliberation that downs didn't meet the standard for release.
"What you presented was really a minimization of your responsibility in these crimes," Wheeler said. "We thought that you showed a considerable degree of defensiveness and that you were less than honest with us."
Downs is entitled to another hearing in two years.
Doard members advised Downs to take advantage of prison programs to improve herself in the meantime.
