After more than three decades behind bars for a 1994 murder committed in Dorchester, Kevin Denis has been granted parole, a ruling that reflects changes in the state’s approach to sentencing young offenders. The Massachusetts Parole Board, during a Jan. 12 decision, voted 4-1 to release Denis to a halfway house, according to the Boston Globe. At the age of 18, Denis fatally shot 17-year-old Diron Spence during an attempted robbery.
The decision comes in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling that deemed discretionary life sentences without parole unconstitutional for those who were 18 to 20 years old at the time of their offense. Denis was one among approximately three quarters of the 59 inmates seeking release under this ruling who have been granted parole, as reported by the Boston Globe. On the night of the killing, Denis confronted Spence and a friend, demanded money, and upon Spence’s hesitation, fired the fatal shots with a .357 Magnum revolver. “Four more shots were fired,” it said. “Three bullets hit Mr. Spence, resulting in a fatal wound to his chest.”
Documents from the Parole Board show that during Denis’ incarceration, he completed around 80 programs and earned a bachelor’s degree from Boston University. The Parole Board noted Denis’s minimal discipline history in prison and his involvement in Restorative Justice practices. This information was corroborated by Boston 25 News, highlighting that he was also evaluated with a low risk on the LSCMI risk assessment tool…