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Edward Berbon was living at a halfway house in Camden, New Jersey, while he was finishing out a nearly two-decade sentence for attempted murder.
But NBC 7 found at least two San Diego County cases where people had been held for decades on offenses that were not legally qualifying for the program. According to the District Attorney’s office, Rance E. Winters, 62, was committed to the MDO program back in 1999 after pleading guilty to starting a grass fire with paint thinner two years earlier and having his parole revoked. The California Board of Parole Hearings approved Winters’ commitment to the MDO program. Winters’ offense -- unlawfully starting a fire or penal code 452(c) -- is not a legally qualifying offense for confinemen...