Michael Derderian, owner of the Station nightclub, will be released from prison a year early in October 2009 after being sentenced to four years following the West Warwick nightclub's 2003 fire, which killed 100. The Rhode Island Parole Board made its decision in a three-to-one vote on Jan. 16.
According to a statement issued after the decision by the Department of Corrections, "The Board took into consideration the testimony of the victims both opposed and in favor of his release, the impact this crime has had on the community, his overall institutional adjustment as well as his low risk to reoffend and minimal risk to public safety."
Daniel Biechele, the manager of Great White, the band whose pyrotechnics caused the fire, was also sentenced to four years in prison but will be released to parole in March 2008 after serving only 22 months of his sentence.
"(Derderian) did more time than what he should have gotten, but they just needed someone to blame. Great White should be held responsible," said John Guelke, a security guard in the Sciences Library.
Derderian asked for parole this year as well but was denied the same release date as Biechele. Michael Healey, spokesman for Attorney General Patrick Lynch '87 pointed to two main reasons: Biechele had a record of good conduct in prison but Derderian has violated prison rules threetimes. Second, "an early release would depreciate the seriousness of his crime," Healey told The Herald.
Though Lynch initially "thought and still thinks Derderian should have gotten more time, he thinks the parole board made the right call to deny release this year," Healey said.
"(Derderian) should be sent back to prison for the duration of his life," said Charisse Gulosino, post-doctoral research associate in public policy. "He doesn't deserve to be out."
"Ultimately the parole board makes the call," Healey said. "The attorney general's office is just a voice."
