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Who deserves redemption and who doesn't? A case study in a crossword puzzle

FLICKR PHOTO/Chip Griffin(CC BY 2.0)/https://flic.kr/p/4xNLFK

Bill Radke speaks with Bremerton Police Chief Steven Strachan about a controversial crossword puzzle published in the New York Times.

Two weeks ago, the New York Times ran a crossword puzzle with a James Bond theme. The puzzle was written by Lonnie Burton, a Washington state inmate. A lot of Times readers were outraged because of Burton is in prison for raping a 15-year-old boy in Federal Way 26 years ago.

When the New York Times puzzle editor explained why he chose to run Burton's crossword, he said "I’m a strong believer in redemption and the capacity of people to change."

So who deserves redemption after committing violent crimes and who doesn't? Chief Strachan, a member of the state clemency board, helps answer that question.

Year started with KUOW: 1985 – 1986, 1991 – 2004, 2012
Year started with KUOW: 2015