Double assassin Menendez brothers to quote self-help teams in sentence discount plea | EUROtoday

Arrested over 35 years in the past, Erik and Lyle Menendez have now spent extra of their lives behind bars than free.

The pair have been imprisoned for the double homicide of their dad and mom of their Beverly Hills house. In the many years since, they’ve gotten an training, participated in self-help courses and began varied assist teams for his or her fellow inmates – all behind bars.

Legal representatives for the brothers now plan to spotlight their behaviour throughout their time in jail as they put together to plea for a lowered sentence later this week that might result in their launch.

Erik and Lyle have been sentenced to life in jail with out the opportunity of parole at ages 18 and 21 after killing their father, Jose Menendez, and mom, Kitty Menendez.

Defence attorneys for the brothers argued that they acted out of self-defence after years of sexual abuse by their father, whereas prosecutors mentioned it was as an alternative a scheme to assert a multimillion-dollar inheritance.

Last yr, former District Attorney George Gascón requested the court docket to think about a brand new sentence for the brothers which might make them instantly eligible for parole.

A resentencing petition filed by Gascón’s workplace offers an in depth view of their time locked up and their efforts at rehabilitation. Both brothers have obtained commendations and statements of assist from correctional officers who’ve noticed their habits in jail.

Correctional Lieutenant Victor Cortes wrote of Lyle’s “exceptional conduct, a high degree of character and trustworthiness” in an April 2024 memo supporting his resentencing.

“As far as I can perceive from my professional training as a correctional peace officer, Erik Menendez is a rehabilitated man who humbly strives toward helping those in need,” Corrections Officer D. Rosario mentioned in a March 2016 memo, based on the resentencing petition.

Gascón’s successor, Nathan Hochman, does not agree. He submitted a movement final month to withdraw the resentencing request, and prosecutors argued throughout final Friday’s listening to they might not assist the brothers’ resentencing.

Disciplinary information

Lyle has not been in a single battle within the 30 years he has been in jail, based on jail information that famous that he needed to be moved to a Special Needs Yard in 1997 as a result of “he wouldn’t fight back when attacked.”

Both brothers have the lowest possible risk assessment and raw security risk scores for inmates serving a life sentence, according to the resentencing petition.

Unlike his brother, Erik was cited for two fights among his eight violations in prison. Lyle has had five violations, according to the resentencing petition. Some of these violations include possessing a cellphone and contraband such as a lighter or Adidas shoes.

Early prison years

During the first few years of his time in prison, Erik completed numerous victim empathy, anger management and domestic violence programs.

Lyle became involved in leadership roles early on and served as Representative for Prisoners in Northern California prisons in 2003, according to associate warden B. Holmes in a 2017 memo cited in the resentencing petition.

“For over 10 years serving in that capacity, he has worked productively with the administration to foster a positive programming culture at Mule Creek State Prison,” Holmes said.

Community support groups

Erik cofounded the Life Care and Hospice connections support group in 2016 with the goal of providing support for elderly and disabled inmates and developing more compassion and understanding between them and their able-bodied peers, the resentencing petition said.

“Because even behind bars, he believes in compassion and dignity,” his cousin Anamaria Baralt mentioned at a information convention final month.

According to neighborhood useful resource supervisor Crystal Lopez, Erik authored the entire curriculum and ultimately developed a brand new 126-page handbook for this system in 2023.

Erik additionally began two meditation packages and has turn out to be the lead facilitator for Alternatives to Violence, an in-prison battle decision workshop. At one level, he was instructing 5 completely different courses per week, the resentencing petition mentioned.

Lyle based a program in 2016 that focuses on serving to different inmates perceive their childhood trauma and focus on subjects like experiencing intercourse abuse as youngsters in addition to Youth LWOP Ally, a mentorship group of youth offenders with sentences of life with out risk of parole mentoring different youth engaged on their rehabilitation targets.

The Green Space Project

At the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, Lyle spearheaded the Green Space Project starting in 2018, which goals to beautify jail yards to create an surroundings higher suited to decreasing violence and recidivism.

Their mission was impressed by the Norwegian method to incarceration that believes humane jail environments results in extra profitable reintegration into society.

“Over 100 inmates participated, marking the first time prison administration entrusted an inmate to lead such a redesign,” Baralt mentioned throughout a digital information convention in February.

He labored with native companies and all ranges of jail administration to lift greater than $250,000 for the mission, and he partnered with Guide Dogs of America to lift $100,000 for synthetic grass, based on the resentencing petition.

Erik is the lead painter for a large mural that depicts San Diego landmarks.

The closing product will embody out of doors school rooms, rehabilitation-group assembly areas and coaching areas for service canines.

Pursuing increased training

Lyle graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a bachelor of arts in sociology earlier this yr and earned an affiliate diploma in sociology beforehand. He is at the moment enrolled in a grasp’s program the place he research city planning and recidivism, and the Green Space program is a part of his capstone mission.

Erik was accepted into UC Irvine for the autumn 2023 time period and can graduate in June with a bachelor of arts in sociology. Prior to that, he earned affiliate levels in sociology and social and behavioral science, in addition to a well being care aide diploma.

“They’ve taken a really horrible situation and while they are still in prison, they took that deck of hards and made it a winning hand for themselves,” their cousin Tamara Goodall mentioned.