After living a criminal life for 11 years and being in jail and prison for 4 years, How do you figure that Jacques has changed his life. Because he has sat in prison with nothing else to do, and participated in a few programs and schooling. Do people realize how many inmates go through these programs and end up back in prison. TOO MANY! Changing in a controlled environment and being a model prisoner is a lot different then being on the streets and being a model citizen. He needs to serve a lot more time. No matter how sorry he is he needs to face the consequences. Being drunk and running over a family is not a TERRIBLE ACCIDENT...it is a choice he made and needs to pay for his action. He or his family should have chose to get him help long before and then maybe this wouldn't have happened. I do feel for both families involved. However, the Smith's have to live without their son and their injuries for the rest of their lives. Tory needs to stay in prison that is where he belongs after committing such a horrific crime.

One thing that everyone seems to be misunderstanding is that most of his offenses were as a CHILD. That doesnt make justification for his charges but look at the bIG PICTURE. As an adult, he was responsible and was changing his life around from the age of 18 to 21 he hadnt been in trouble until after the fact of his stepfather commiting suicide. He started to change his life around 9 years ago. No matter the tradgedies he has gone through he is still persisting to change him self and help others. No matter what happens He cannot bring Buddha back, he cannot do antyhing to make the Smith family happy but He can change other people decisdions by teaching them of his thoughtless actions. He will be pursuing his goal to become and advocate for MADD. He wants to go to high schools and teach kids about what he has done. He wants to SAVE others since he cannot save buddha

He took a life, I say life for life. no less.

Other than the offense at 21 that landed Jacques in this situation, his last charges were for possession and consumption of alcohol at 16.

Looking at a listing of offenses in no way gives a clear picture. Where I live, our overzealous police chief will file charge of rioting if a group of (I think it's 5 or more per Oregon law) get into a fisticuffs. So if Jacques has a dangerous weapon charge, could it be from carrying a pocket knife?? My friend's son (10)was cited for having a weapon when he had school scissors in his backpack.

Has Jacques served enough time? No amount of time will bring the boy back...however according to the state of Utah, he is eligible for parole consideration.

The parole board looks at mitigating factors...past criminal history, I assume personal history (based on the moderator bringing up Jacques' share of tragic circumstances), behavior and participation in rehabilitation.

The law says Jacques is afforded an opportunity for a parole hearing. To just arbitratirly say NO, he hasn't served enough time isn't acceptable.

Both families have reason to feel pain and suffering, but healing will only come with true forgiveness. Understanding is about putting yourself in the other person's shoes. Give Jacques a chance to show the change he wants to make. Why take another man's life (by keeping him longer than necessary in prison) because of a horrific accident. No one is excusing him for his actions, but it was an accident, and Jacques wants to do things right now. Forgive. Heal. Find charity to give a man a chance at life.

he should stay in jail, he shouldn't have been drinking and driving, it wasn't his fault his dad hung himself!!!

Everyone is looking at the Smith family and forgetting about how Tory feels. The Smiths did loose a brother and a son and that love will never be replaced but think about how Tory feels. He is going to have to live the rest of his life knowing that he killed a child. And knowing that because of the actions he made, Buddah will never get to experience "life". Imagine living with that guilt and that pain. Spending time in prision is a punishment and most people just sit there and waist there time but he has become a "model". Think about the guilt that you would live with knowing that you have taken the life of a child.

His grandmother said he had an "accident." This was not an accident. He should be charged with 1st degree murder. I feel so sorry for the family.

Tory has regretted this accident from the time he realized what happened. He has turned his life around to the best of his ability while in prison. He wrote to my daughter not long after the accident and told her that he would do all in his power to help other people realize how awful drinking and driving is. He is determined to help change the growing trend of drinkers that drive. No matter how long he stays in prison, when he gets out he will be an asset to our community. He has truly changed. When my daughter, his good friend died in a car accident last October, one of the first letters we receaved was from Tory. His letter comforted us so much that we had part of it read at her funeral. He has written to me a few more times and each time he has expressed concern for our lose and tried to comfort us. I know he has true remorse for the choices he made that night. I hope that he is released soon.

It's a difficult situation to judge from the outside. No one on the outside truly knows if this kid has 'changed' or not. Maybe he has learned a painful lesson. I agree that he could be a positive influence and a crusader against drinking and driving, but he might not be that committed to the cause once he's out of jail.
It's really hard to say if he deserves to be released right now...but he should ultimately be forgiven and given an opportunity to make a good life for himself.