Serves Her Right for Being Related to a Drug Offender

Radley Balko | March 25, 2008

Ten-year-old girl Jayci Yaeger lies in a Nebraska hospital with terminal brain cancer. Her dying wish is to have her dad at her bedside. Unfortunately, dad is in federal prison on a five-year drug sentence. He's due to be released next year.

The prison warden has the discretion to grant a furlough to prisoners under "extraordinary circumstances." He has thus far refused, concluding that this situation doesn't meet that standard. One wonders what would.

Still, I understand his decision. We can't risk any compassion when it comes to illicit drugs, lest other 10-year-olds with terminal cancer get the wrong message. This is a "war," after all.