Jaycee Dugard's Book is in stores

[Vash01]

I don't know if there is a thread for this already, so if the admin decides to merge it, that's OK.

Today I went to Costco and saw Jaycee Dugard's book there for $13.59 (original price $24.95). I could not resist opening it and reading parts of her horrifying story. I did not buy the book only because the checkout lines were very long, and that would have been the only item I would check out. I will probably go back Tues/Wed to buy the book.

Later I saw it at Barnes & Noble at 30% off. I would have gotten a 15% discount as a B&N member, but the Costco price was still better, so I stuck with my earlier plan.

From the pages I read, it is a very sincere book. She tells it the way it happened, and there is a 'reflection' on each event. It's unimaginable to any of us that live a normal life. The part that really got me was when the officer asked Jaycee what her name was and she could not say it because she had not said her real name for 18 years! She wrote it down in full. I had to close the book because I was very close to crying.

I don't want to rehash the whole story because it's been discussed on another thread, but I think reading the book in full will answer many questions. Afterall, she was just a child- an eleven year old- so how can we expect her to think like an adult, even after she became an adult?

For the millionth time, I think no punishment under our law is enough for this couple that abused the girl for 18 years!

[Lacey]

I saw an interview on tv with Jaycee and her mother, they have an incredible bond.

If I am not mistaken, the wife of the pair who kidnapped her is not going to spend a whole lot of time in jail, 36 to life, will that be halved to 18?

[Vash01]

Lacey, I don't know the answer to your question. However, I wanted to comment on the incredible bond between Jaycee and her mother. In the book she mentioned that she and her mother used to 'talk' to the moon to convey messages. The night before Jaycee was found, her mother saw the bright full moon and sent her message. Jaycee was not looking at the moon anymore, but she too saw the full moon that night because it was so bright, she could not ignore it. Next day her mother got the call that Jaycee had been found. Amazing!

I don't watch much TV, so I missed the interview. May be it will be on YT sometime.

[ChelleC]

I have a couple of friends who have bought the book. Both have said it's extremely graphic.

[overedge]

There were excerpts from it in PEOPLE magazine. Even those little pieces were really impressive. What a strong and thoughtful woman she is.

[Vagabond]

If I am not mistaken, the wife of the pair who kidnapped her is not going to spend a whole lot of time in jail, 36 to life, will that be halved to 18?

In fact, she is going to spend a whole lot of time in jail.

A sentence of "36 years to life" means that she must spend at least 36 years in prison. (A sentence of 36 year without the "to life" might mean she could be eligible for parole before 36 years were up.)

Nancy Garrido is about 56 years old now, so, if she lives that long, she will be at least 92 years old before she is eligible for parole.

[FigureSpins]

I posted about this book some time ago. It's called "A Stolen Life" by Jaycee Dugard.
A portion of the proceeds were to go to a charity for people who've been abducted and their families. Hope it sells well.
"A portion of my proceeds from this memoir will be donated to The J A Y C Foundation Inc. www.thejaycfoundation.org"
http://books.simonandschuster.com/St.../9781451629187
http://books.simonandschuster.com/St.../browse_inside

In fact, she is going to spend a whole lot of time in jail.

A sentence of "36 years to life" means that she must spend at least 36 years in prison. (A sentence of 36 year without the "to life" might mean she could be eligible for parole before 36 years were up.)

Nancy Garrido is about 56 years old now, so, if she lives that long, she will be at least 92 years old before she is eligible for parole.

Don't all prison sentences nowadays come with a "good behavior" clause that allows them to be halved? So "36 to Life" can mean 18 years, right? This article says 20; maybe it's based on the type of crime. http://www.ktvu.com/news/28107526/detail.html

Even so, Nancy Garrido would be in her late 60's or early 70's upon release, not a great age to try and start over as an ex-con, but not elderly.

There was an article arguing that she should get a longer sentence since she had multiple opportunities to free the girl, even during Phillip's imprisonment, but she failed to do so.

A bill was introduced into NC Legislative, designed to keep "dangerous, life-term prisoners" behind bars.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lano...ocked-up-.html

[Vagabond]

Don't all prison sentences nowadays come with a "good behavior" clause that allows them to be halved? So "36 to Life" can mean 18 years, right? This article says 20; maybe it's based on the type of crime. http://www.ktvu.com/news/28107526/detail.html

I may have been mistaken.

It used to be that one’s prison sentence really had no bearing on parole eligibility. Parole boards were more concerned with an inmate’s efforts at criminal rehabilitation than they were with an inmate’s punishment. As a result, the board hardly ever set parole dates.

Displeased with this process, the California Legislature determined that the purpose of incarceration should be punishment. They believed this philosophy would be best served by having the inmate serve a sentence proportional to the offense…and in proportion to others who had committed similar offenses.

Once an inmate has served that sentence, he/she must be paroled unless public safety requires further incarceration…a policy that is still enforced under today’s California parole law. Even those inmates who have been sentenced to an indeterminate sentence (such as 15 years to life -- also referred to as a life sentence) must be paroled once they serve the numeric or "determinate" part of their sentence (in this example, "15") unless public safety overrides that policy.

http://www.shouselaw.com/parolehub.html

I always thought that this meant that a prisoner serving an indeterminate sentence became eligible for parole when he or she finished serving the determinate part of the sentence (36 years, for Nancy Garrido). But I would expect that Nancy Garrido's attorney knows what he's talking about, so it must be that she could conceivably be eligible for parole earlier than that if she is deemed no longer to be a threat to society.

Even if she will be theoretically eligible to parole in less than 36 years, that doesn't mean she will be. This was no ordinary kidnapping. Nancy Garrido kept three people imprisoned for 11, 14, and 19 years.

[attyfan]

... Don't all prison sentences nowadays come with a "good behavior" clause that allows them to be halved? So "36 to Life" can mean 18 years, right? This article says 20; maybe it's based on the type of crime. http://www.ktvu.com/news/28107526/detail.html
...

Good behavior does earn credit that may result in an earlier parole date (the prison guards union insisted on this, as the threat of losing credits does make it a little easier to keep order in the prison). The laws have been changed, however, so the sentence is not halved. More importantly, the fact that a prisoner gets a parole date only means the date they come up for a hearing; it doesn't mean that they necessarily get released.

[NeilJLeonard]

Good behavior does earn credit that may result in an earlier parole date (the prison guards union insisted on this, as the threat of losing credits does make it a little easier to keep order in the prison). The laws have been changed, however, so the sentence is not halved. More importantly, the fact that a prisoner gets a parole date only means the date they come up for a hearing; it doesn't mean that they necessarily get released.

As has happened to Charles Manson. Several times before the board. Every time refused.

NJL (...I don't see that changing.......)

[Vash01]

Good behavior does earn credit that may result in an earlier parole date (the prison guards union insisted on this, as the threat of losing credits does make it a little easier to keep order in the prison). The laws have been changed, however, so the sentence is not halved. More importantly, the fact that a prisoner gets a parole date only means the date they come up for a hearing; it doesn't mean that they necessarily get released.

IIRC Phillip's sentence specifically stated 'without parole' but Nancy's did not. So I think she may be eligible to try for the parole after some years. They may not see her as a threat to society anymore. IMO she should spend the entire 36 years sentence in the prison, but of course I am not the law; speaking from emotions only.

[FiveRinger]

No one is happier for Jaycee that she's been reunited with her family. She's a strong woman, and she deserves everything good that happens to her from here.

But, I can't bring myself to read the book. I can't handle it. I know that she lived it, but I can't handle it. Since reading the thread and finding out that proceeds are going to be donated, I will buy a couple of copies and donate them to the library. But reading the whole story is more than I can stand.

[Vash01]

No one is happier for Jaycee that she's been reunited with her family. She's a strong woman, and she deserves everything good that happens to her from here.

But, I can't bring myself to read the book. I can't handle it. I know that she lived it, but I can't handle it. Since reading the thread and finding out that proceeds are going to be donated, I will buy a couple of copies and donate them to the library. But reading the whole story is more than I can stand.

Your feelings are very understandable. After reading portions of the book in the bookstore, I am not sure I want to read the rest of the book.

[DarrellH]

I don't know if I could handle reading this book.

[essence_of_soy]

I don't know if I could handle reading it either, because it would be difficult not to imagine oneself in the situation, too.

I say this because the flipside to the coin, is that the ongoing Daniel Morcombe kidnapping / murder case in Australia has been pretty much solved this week.

However, not to dwell on the apparently graphic nature of the book, this is the story of a girl / woman who survived a terrible ordeal. What an extraordinary human being she must be.

[AxelAnnie]

I listened to the book in my car. The book is read by the author...and is unbelievably compelling. She and Elizabeth Smart are made of some amazing ingredients.

[Buzz]

I sometimes wonder if she keeps in touch with her stepfather. The one who saw the kidnapping and was once a suspect in her disappearance.

[Lacey]

In seeing an interview with Jaycee and her mother, they mentioned, it's just us, so maybe there is no contact with her stepfather.

[AxelAnnie]

e

I don't know if I could handle reading this book.

Well..another way to look at it is: How could you not?
Jaycee had the courage to life through it and to tell her story. How could we not honor that by reading her book and speaking about one little girl's courage, strength and hope?

[Vash01]

I sometimes wonder if she keeps in touch with her stepfather. The one who saw the kidnapping and was once a suspect in her disappearance.

I read a part of the book where she describes her stepfather who did not care for her. They had a rocky relationship. After the family moved from Anaheim to Lake Tahoe, her stepfather said that she should walk to school, instead of him giving her a ride. She was just eleven at the time. How could anyone let a young girl like that walk alone in that isolated area? It's dangerous! It showed a total lack of caring. He has to bear at least some of the blame for her kidnapping, even though he was not directly involved in it. From the book, after she was rescued, she found out that her mom and her stepfather had separated, and it was a relief for her. He did not SEE the kidnapping, from the way it's described in the book.