Why is Bill Cosby trying to get released from prison now?
It’s been revealed that Bill Cosby won’t be released from jail. He’s been denied parole by the Pennsylvania Parole Board. His rejected petition results in the continuation of his three-to ten-year prison sentence. His denied parole was due to numerous factors, including his refusal to participate in treatment programs for sex offenders and violence prevention.
Cosby, who’s now eighty-three years old, was sentenced to three to ten years in a state prison in September 2018. In 2004, the actor had allegedly drugged & sexually assaulted a former Temple University employee in his home. More than sixty women have made similar accusations against the once-beloved comedian & actor.
Bill Cosby’s interview with the Pennsylvania Parole Board
On May 7th, Bill Cosby had a virtual interview with the Pennsylvania Parole Board to distinguish if the former actor was eligible for parole. The recent denial was in part due to his rejection of any treatment programs and lack of a parole release plan.
A representative for Cosby released a statement on the defamed comedian’s social media accounts which stated, “It was brought to our attention by Mr. Cosby that over the past months, members of the PA State Parole Board had met with him and emphatically stated, ‘if he did not participate in SVP [Sexually Violent Predator] courses that his parole would be denied.’”
“Mr. Cosby has vehemently proclaimed his innocence and continues to deny all allegations made against him, as being false, without the sheer evidence of any proof. Today, Mr. Cosby continues to remain hopeful that the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court will issue an opinion to vacate his conviction or warrant him a new trial.”
Additionally, Bill Cosby’s parole was also denied partly because of a negative recommendation from the Department of Corrections. Laura Treaster, a spokesperson for the state parole board, has stated that Cosby must prove he has completed his SVP courses in order to obtain another interview for parole release.
Treaster has also stated: “According to the Department of Corrections database, Mr. Cosby’s maximum sentence date is September 25, 2028.” If Bill Cosby continues to refuse treatment and fails to abide by the board’s requirements, he will not be released for another seven years.
Bill Cosby’s conviction & trial
In 2018, Cosby was convicted on three counts of aggravated indecent assault. Andrea Constand and five other women testified against the actor, claiming they were all similarly drugged & sexually assaulted. The victims had similarly claimed that they had trusted him as if he were a mentor. Cosby denied all of the victims’ testimonies as well as the sixty accusations made against him by other victims.
Bill Cosby has remained adamant that all sexual conduct was consensual. Last December, Cosby’s legal team filed an appeal to overturn the conviction. There has yet to be an official ruling made on the appeal. Constand has stated that she has “no doubt that the Supreme Court of PA will do the right thing.”
Andrea Constand stated: “I respectfully ask the Supreme Court of PA to consider the enormous prospect of putting my perpetrator back into the community after being labeled a convicted sexually violent predator who has shown no remorse for his actions.”
She continued, “While everyone deserves for their cries and appeals to be heard, even convicted criminals, if anyone’s cries matter most right now, it’s the women who have lifted their voices and selflessly put themselves in harm’s way, such as the prior bad act witnesses in my case. They are the true heroes,” she added. “Regardless of our national heritage, color, creed or identity we all deserve justice, that is a fact.”
—
According to Bill Cosby’s representative, Cosby has no intention of participating in any therapy programs or educational courses. It’s expected that Bill Cosby will be serving his full ten-year sentence. Because of his age, there’s doubt that he’ll ever be released.
