Quinn must own up to prison mistake

"The buck stops here."

Debt-ridden Illinois is short on bucks these days, but Gov. Patrick Quinn still could learn a lot from President Truman's famous motto.

Like how to shoulder responsibility for his administration's unconscionable decision to release violent convicts, some of whom served only days of their prison sentences and then went out and committed crimes again.

At a news conference last week, Quinn hung Illinois Department of Corrections Director Michael Randle out to dry for the secret early-release program. "I have told him in no uncertain terms that this was a big mistake," Quinn said.

Randle accepted the blame, in a third-person sort of way. "There were mistakes made," he said. "For that, I take responsibility."

But Quinn's statements, clearly meant to put a lid on the firestorm that erupted after The Associated Press broke news of the secret program, didn't satisfy.

If Randle's the key to the ill-advised plan, Quinn should have fired him.

If Quinn knew about the plan in advance, he should take full responsibility.

Though relatively new to the governorship, Quinn should realize he's accountable for what's done on his watch by his hand-picked corrections director. And he should own up to it.

Ultimately, 1,718 inmates were released between September and December after getting up to six months off for good behavior the minute they entered prison, reversing a policy that every inmate spend at least 61 days behind bars.

Forty-eight went back to prison for parole violations, and Quinn acknowledged eight are accused of new crimes. Among them: Derrick King, who severely beat a woman in Chicago. Just days after his release, he threatened another woman. And William Abruscato, who cut a woman with a knife and threatened to torch her Antioch-area home. According to The Associated Press, Abruscato is back behind bars on new charges. And Joshua Paddock, formerly of Vernon Hills, released Nov. 6 and rearrested Dec. 12 on domestic battery charges.

It's been a tough lesson for Quinn on the need to be upfront about his plans for dealing with a massive, inherited budget deficit. When the prison release first came to light, he wouldn't say whether he knew about it. Then he said he did know, and later that he explicitly ordered Randle not to release any criminal who had hurt anyone. At last week's news conference, he said The Associated Press story was his first notification of the releases.

No amount of spin can cover up one fact:

Either Quinn knew his administration was going to throw open prison doors and release violent offenders months ahead of schedule, without warning victims, prosecutors, law enforcement authorities or the public.

Or he didn't know.

Either way, the buck needs to stop with Quinn.