Early Release For Vick??????

me thinks maybe so, ......

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick could be getting out of federal prison much earlier than anticipated after applying for a prison-monitored drug rehabilitation program and evidently being moved into the program in Leavenworth, Kan.

The program could have Vick out of prison by the end of this year and perhaps back in the NFL by the 2009 season.



A source confirmed to Yahoo! Sports on Friday that Vick has applied to the program, which is run only at the federal facility at Leavenworth. An official with the Federal Bureau of Prisons said Friday that Vick was being transported to Leavenworth.
Under the program, Vick could be released after serving only 12 months of the 23-month sentence Vick was given Dec. 10 in Richmond, Va. It's unclear exactly when Vick would be released because it's unclear whether the 12-month term starts from when he voluntarily began serving his prison term in November or whether it starts from when he enters Leavenworth.

Part of the reason Vick was given a 23-month sentence was that he failed a drug test for marijuana after pleading guilty to charges relating to dog fighting. Vick is expected to be held in a minimum security wing of the prison at Leavenworth. According to a federal source, Vick is currently in transit to a minimum security satellite prison that is under the jurisdiction of the Leavenworth facility.

Although it's unknown what the standards are for entrance to the drug rehabilitation program, two sources confirmed that Vick was eligible for it. An official at Leavenworth told Yahoo! Sports that Vick would have to spend a minimum of one month at the prison before qualifying for the program.

Calls and emails to Vick's attorney, Billy Martin, were not immediately returned Friday, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gill refused to comment on Vick's application.

"I can't confirm or deny anything on it," Gill said.

As it stands, Vick's 23-month prison term could translate to a release in the summer of 2009, putting his attempts at a return to the NFL for that season in jeopardy. But if Vick were to be released in late 2008 or early 2009, his opportunity to return to the league after missing only two seasons would be boosted significantly. Members of Vick's camp continue to hope that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will decline to tack on a lengthy suspension following Vick's release from prison.

Humane Society investigator John Goodwin expressed moderate dismay at the news Vick might get out earlier.

"At the time that he was sentenced, I and a lot of other people who watched this case felt Vick received a fair sentence," Goodwin said. "If this really happens, that he's able to get out in what's basically half the time, I think there's going to be a lot of outrage about the whole situation.

"It's just another example of big money allowing someone to get away with something the rest of society couldn't."

I wouldnt be suprised lol

Hell, I didnt think he'd get any kail time in the first place.....I figured he'd get out of it with a fine and community service :/

I figured he wouldn't spend the whole time. Most Celebs don't...I do hope they let him back into football though.

I don't think they should allow him to play again! This is not who our children should be looking up to! Personally I wish they would let me carry out his punishment...anyone who can drown, electrocute, hang, and slam dogs to death shouldn't be lucky enough to rot in jail!

I didn't figure he would serve time either, and if he did it wouldn't be much. Shoot if you can get 3 DUI's in a 6 month period and only serve 18 hrs or whatever, must be nice to have some money. If that was you or me, how long would we serve? They say money can't buy happiness, but it seems to be able to buy freedom

SouthernStylePits wrote:

I don't think they should allow him to play again! This is not who our children should be looking up to! Personally I wish they would let me carry out his punishment...anyone who can drown, electrocute, hang, and slam dogs to death shouldn't be lucky enough to rot in jail!

You would kill a man over an animal's life? That seems a bit extreme, doesn't it?....I don't think he should be "looked up" either, but I don't think football players should be looked up to, but they are. There are guys playing in the NFL who have done worse crimes then Vick, and they get to play...What Vick did was sick and dumb, but he did his "time" (well, as much as you'd expect a celebrity to serve, not saying it's right, but it's how things are unfortunately), so, he deserves a second chance.

CoolHandJean wrote:

SouthernStylePits wrote:

I don't think they should allow him to play again! This is not who our children should be looking up to! Personally I wish they would let me carry out his punishment...anyone who can drown, electrocute, hang, and slam dogs to death shouldn't be lucky enough to rot in jail!

You would kill a man over an animal's life? That seems a bit extreme, doesn't it?....I don't think he should be "looked up" either, but I don't think football players should be looked up to, but they are. There are guys playing in the NFL who have done worse crimes then Vick, and they get to play...What Vick did was sick and dumb, but he did his "time" (well, as much as you'd expect a celebrity to serve, not saying it's right, but it's how things are unfortunately), so, he deserves a second chance.

I'm not saying I would kill him. I just feel he should have to go through the pain he put those animals through! I don't think that's extreme because animals can only do what humans train (and force) them to do! Those dogs did not choose to be placed in that life...he chose it for them...and the pain and trauma those animals had to go through was disgusting. In my opinion, he has not proven that he is truly sorry for the horrible things he did to those dogs...I would put money on it that he would do it again in a heartbeat if he knew he wouldn't get caught. He's a monster and doesn't diserve to be treated like a freaking hero! He diserves a much much harsher punishment than he he recieved.

hell leonard little of the rams killed a couple in a drinking and driving case if memory serves correct. and then he was pulled over while out drinking and driving a second time. that is a FAR more disgusting deal if you ask me

i have to agree with southern.kids do look up to professional athletes.he had his chance and blew it.if he plays again what lesson would the nfl be teaching him and any other player that screws up?i personally hope i never see him in the nfl again.

I think he should get the same sentancing that any average joe would...he is the one who brought this mess on his self and caused so much "more" negative attention to be brought to this breed. If he was gonna participate in matching dogs, he shouldve ben more of a quiet professional about it....instead of doing it like some numb nut, ignorant ass thug. There's no since in torturing dogs.....none at all.

The way I look at it is that he is a felon.He knew that his actions were not only immoral and cruel,but illegal.So he played craps and lost so why the question of his prison sentence now?Why should he do less time than someone with no money or decent legal representation?Why should his Job be waiting for him when if he worked at the home depot or a local supermarket he would be terminated on the spot with NO chance of rehire? People like him are the reason we today fight BSL.

And to add to that, if he was the average Joe, good luck in finding a job at all with a felony...

pitmamma wrote:

And to add to that, if he was the average Joe, good luck in finding a job at all with a felony...

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I couldn't agree more.Not to mention the severity of the crime is all in the eye of the beholder.Some here feel that it's extreme to want to take a man's life away because he killed a dog not a human.I personally feel that this is just the insight we needed to see what Michael Vick is capable of.It takes a certain amount of heartlessness to watch anything that is alive and can feel pain burn to death.A dog will scream from severe pain.So no one finds it a little bit homicidal that he could stomach to hear and see and smell that kind of torture,and who knows where that torture stops! I think he has deeper issues than what people are letting on too!

SouthernStylePits wrote:

In my opinion, he has not proven that he is truly sorry for the horrible things he did to those dogs...I would put money on it that he would do it again in a heartbeat if he knew he wouldn't get caught. He's a monster and doesn't deserve to be treated like a freaking hero! He deserves a much much harsher punishment than he he received.

He probably isn't truly sorry for the horrible things he has done, but that's not for us to decide. If he does do it again, then I would completely understand never allowing him to play again, but I believe he should get a second chance. Now I am not saying, give his dogs back, and all that. I think he should be restricted on his pet owning, at least for a while...

If the kids look up to them, isn't that more of the parent's fault then the NFL's fault? Shouldn't the parents be explaining who is a good person to look up to and who isn't?...

What he did was pretty messed up, but like I have already said, there are worse offenders out there on the field playing, heck, there are worse offenders out there just walking around that have gotten a lesser penalties...Our legal system is messed up. True enough...

To be fair, I don't agree with a Felon ( whether it's Joe Schmoe or Mr. Millionaire) getting treated like trash, because they made a mistake in their life, either. I think most people deserve second chances. There are only three types of people I believe never change and don't deserve a second chance, and that's murderers, rapists, and child molesters.

You know Jean...not to get all Psychology majorish on you here...but harming animals...especially so brutally...isn't that far away from harming a human...both Dahmer and Bundy killed cats and small dogs...tortured them really...before they began killing humans. I feel Vick is a heartless monster, no one who can do that to an animal has a heart! I also feel that yes, our system is screwed up, and no one should be treated like trash because they made a mistake, but a drug or alcohol conviction is one thing (most of the time that can be linked to addiction and treated accordingly), but animal abuse is a much darker crime, both physically and psychologically.

I know all about that SouthernStyle. I have a weird obsession with learning about Serial Killers...

Serial Killers have also been know to either be abused as a child or have brain damage, but that doesn't mean that every person that has been abused or has brain damage is going to become a Serial Killer. So, the same goes with not every animal abuser/killer is going to become a human abuser/killer...

I am not saying what he did was okay. I have said many times it was a horrible thing, but you can't hold a man on what you think he might do. Whether he's plays football again or not, he will still be on the streets. So, saying that he is a sick individual, okay, that might be, but we don't know anything about him personally. We have never spoken to him. We have never met him...

Even the most "sane" person can do things that people think are "unspeakable". Since you went into the psychology aspect, has you ever heard of the study where they had people come in, and they would have the person asked questions of the volunteer. If the Volunteer got the answer wrong, the person was supposed to push a button, which they were told would electrically shock the volunteer. Every time the Volunteer answered wrong, the person was told the shocks would get more intense. When they started the experiment, the Volunteer got the first answer wrong, and the person hit the button, and the Volunteer made an awful noise of pain. The person kept asking the questions, and kept hitting the button. Even though, those people were regular down to earth people, they still caused "harm" to the other person, because they were told that is what they were supposed to do...

Have you ever been around a group of boys when things start to go down hill? Something negative might be going on, but that mob mentality kicks in, and they can do some awful stuff, that if they hadn't been together, they probably wouldn't have done on their own...

For all we know, Vick might have been in that mob mentality. He might have been on some sort of drug (since there was also a drug bust involved that started this whole case). He might be like you said just some sick mo' fo'. Bottom line is we don't know. We don't know Vick. We only know what the media tells us, which we all know is always one sided and details are usually missing...

I am not justify anything he has done, but I also have no place to convict him either. Like I said before, if he does it again, then hopefully he will truly pay for it. Otherwise, there isn't much else to it.

That study was done to see how people react to an authority figure. It wasn't focused only on the intent of the person taking the test. I am talking about his intent...he intended those dogs harm...he admitted slamming a dog to the ground until it died...he also admitted giving the go ahead to have several dogs electrocuted, drowned, hung, and buried alive. I'm sorry, but I respect your opinion, but in the same breath, had it have been ANYONE else, I would still feel the same way. I'm sorry but he admitted to doing it, and like everyone else he should suffer consequences. He knew when he joined the NFL that he would be held to high standards to keep his job. What he was doing was wrong, and no lover of the breed can justify what he did. Matter of fact, it's people like him who cause responsible owners like us to lose our dogs. It's the fighters and the abusers who cause state and nation wide BSL, so as a Pit Bull owner, lover, breeder, I say what he did was not okay. By following his bloodlust, he put bad light on my dogs. He should pay considerably for what he's done, and a slap on the wrist is not payment! Honestly, I would like to see some big line backer really **** him up! I feel that would be payment, because right now, we focus on the man, but what about the dogs? They have no voice, it is up to us to speak for them! Animals cannot sin, that is a priviledge reserved exclusively for humans (don't know who said that, but it's true). Animals can only do what they have been trained and taught to do. The bottom line is he's a sick individual who shouldn't be allowed to squirm out of his punishment! In the end he is still one thing...a dogfighter...therefore, he's trash!

Hopefully the man has learned his lesson and that will be the end of it, only time will tell. BUT look at OJ, what a waste of flesh and talent. Granted he got of scott free, but look at what a mess he is...Maybe if he would have had to pay for his actions things would have turned out differently. Who knows!!! We can only speculate..Nothing wrong with speculating, I have enjoyed the friendly debate.

That is my problem with him and his croons, not what they did but the manner in which it was done. Culling is part of life, not jut in the dog world. Heck people get culled before they are even born. Not opening that can of worms, but it happens. True Poodle breeders cull, farm animals, etc. It has to be done respectfully.

I agree that he is scum for how he kill to those dogs and what he has done to our breed. I also agree that he hurt our breed much worse than many people...

I never said what he did was "all right". I believe I said many times that it was horrible...

I also believe that he should have to serve his full "23 months". I never said that it was okay that he was getting out early. I said that it was the way of our country. Celebrities don't truly ever serve their sentences. Sad but true...

Yes, he should pay for it, but how much is too much. Where do we decide a man's life is less important than an animal's life? And where do we decide to which extent an animal's life should be protected? We can agree that killing a dog in the way, Vick choose was cruel and unusual. But should a man get more time in jail for hurting an animal than he does for hurting a human? Should a man's life be completely torn down to nothing, because of an animal? That human did make the conscience decision to take those actions, but what amount of punishment is fair, and what amount of punishment is going too far? There is a lot more to this, then just, he did wrong. Because we know he did wrong, but to what extent should he be punished is the question.

I am not a fan of the guy. I don't want to see him back in the NFL, because I like the Falcons or anything like that. The truth is I never even heard of the guy until this whole thing came up. To me, it's just a weird situation. No one seems to be gun-ho to get the worse guys off the field. So, If the NFL suddenly wants to hold their players to a "good guy" image, then let them get rid of the guys that have done worse things than Vick. If those people weren't on the field, then I would be right along with you saying that he shouldn't be allowed to play ever again. But if it's okay to be a murderer or a rapist and still play in the NFL, then why not let a Dog abuser on the field as well? That is why I think he should have the second chance to play. Like I said before, if he screws up again, then that should be it, no more chances.

Jean I completely agree. A crime against a animal should not even compare to a crime against a human. And there are many other celebrities that have done far worse and served little or no time and it didn't hurt their career at all. He was convicted and is serving his time. After he gets out the world will see what kind of man he really is. If he chooses to be productive and stay out of trouble or hang out with the wrong people and prove to the world they were right in what they thought about him. BTW, I had never heard of him either, lol...

Again I feel it's all the same and You would never hear me holler out lock Vick up but free OJ in 100 years,a crime is a crime.If we go up the alley of people getting away with murder and some serving the sentence then we might as well release every body from prison because it happens all the time.Is it right hell no,OJ should go down in my opinion the same way Vick should they are both sicko's who need to be socialized in a prison where the people fight back! As far as his Job I feel yes felons should be able to support their families and themselves like any other human being deserves the right to live,but when you do your time as an average joe you have to work hard at regaining a suitable life for yourself and why should Vick be given special treatment and not have to feel the same rock bottom that so many others have had to feel?Looking for a job again,suffering the consequences of your actions,That is what will make the difference in him doing it again or not.Paying for what he has done in the first place.
That's what happened to stupid OJ he got away with murder and the moron thought he was untouchable enough to start stealing and committing strong arm robbery!

Oh and by the way lovemypits I agree about the friendly debate thing. The only people I get to debate with these days are my pups or people all under the age of 13. I think their getting bored with me boot.LoL

Marlenadee, me too, the dogs and a 13 yr old, lol...