All over the nation, a lot of criminals have been released from prison. Overcrowding is an issue in many jails and prisons at the best of times, but when you have a particularly nasty bug flying around, overcrowding can be an even bigger problem. As a result, many facilities opened their doors and sent a lot of convicted criminals back out on the streets.

In theory, one would think they’d be selective about who would be released. After all, someone in for embezzling is usually not someone who is going to go on a string of armed robberies.

Of course, it only takes one mistake to make it clear that on some level, this was a bad idea.

Jacob Burnett was released in Louisville, KY, two days into his two-year sentence for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Four days after being released, he admitted to stabbing and killing a 60-year-old man in a subdivision just east of the city, according to local media. Another Louisville inmate, Kenneth Walker, was released to “home incarceration” even though he was accused of shooting local officer John Mattingly on March 13th. Corrections FOP Spokesperson Tracy Dotson told the media that his lodge has denounced Walker’s release. In New Jersey, Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden told Fox News that a recently released inmate has already been arrested for shoplifting and theft, according to Tap Into Middletown. “This is an exploitation of a policy that certainly was pushed with an agenda,” Golden said. “None of the other jails were consulted before this went to the ‘show cause’ order. In one case we had a release on Tuesday, he was arrested for shoplifting and theft on Wednesday – so this is what’s happening here. It’s certainly a drain on our public safety resources.”

Oh, I have no doubt it’s a drain on public safety resources.

Honestly, there doesn’t seem to have been any rhyme or reason to who got released and who didn’t. You’d think someone accused of shooting a police officer wouldn’t exactly make the shortlist for early release. I mean, if he made bond or whatever, that’s one thing, but that doesn’t sound like the case here.

Now, shoplifting and theft are hardly the worst crime someone can commit while out from jail on something like this, but they’re still crimes and there are still problems. If people aren’t being punished for their illegal activities, then what disincentive is there? They’ll figure they can get away with it and continue stealing and stabbing.

While anti-gunners continue to claim that increased gun sales were the result of NRA fearmongering, the truth is that crap like this likely played more of a factor than anything the NRA said or did. People who saw this on the news knew damn good and well that these weren’t reformed individuals who would be total Boy Scouts on the outside. No, they knew they were hardened criminals who would likely continue their criminal ways.

So, they bought guns to protect them and theirs.

Based on some of these stories, that was probably a very wise move.