The difference between shooting someone inside a home and murder is that one victim didn’t die and the other did.

Because shooting into an occupied dwelling is not on the list with murder, kidnap, rape and other crimes in a state law, doesn’t mean the crime is not violent.

Using that premise, Morgan County Circuit Judge Glenn Thompson probably should have used his judicial discretion when considering the release of Carol McPherson in September. Instead, the judge honored a recommendation from the state Department of Corrections to let her out of prison and place her in Morgan County Community Corrections.

She was serving a 15-year prison sentence for shooting into an occupied dwelling.

The judge referred to the community corrections state law, noting that Ms. McPherson’s crime is not listed.

Meanwhile, the victim, Lisa Bragg Walden, who said Ms. McPherson shot her, is living in fear.

Ms. Walden said she didn’t know violent criminals were eligible for the program.

Judges often use their discretion in cases. To say that Ms. McPherson was a model inmate is like every other inmate in prison saying they got religion.

To add to her fear, Ms. Walden said David Sloan, acting director of the program, was rude to her. Also, no one notified her of Ms. McPherson’s release, which is a violation of the state’s crime victim notification act.

That’s bordering on victim abuse.

The program, which gives judges an alternative to sending defendants to prison, should be for non-violent offenders or should stop being portrayed to the public as a program for non-violent offenders.

A woman shooting into a home and injuring an occupant is not non-violent.

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