Sal in Rhode Island

Former Speaker of the House Sal DiMasi has requested the court to consider his request to make his recent transfer to a federal facility in Rhode Island a permanent thing.

Why not, we wonder?

What would be the problem with allowing Sal to be in a Rhode Island lock-up instead of being in a Kentucky lock-up?

Whatever the feds right now are trying to do with Sal is a big question mark.

Setting that question mark aside, what, if anything, is lost on the government and the prison system if Sal is allowed to remain in Rhode Island – closer to home – so to speak, so that members of his family and especially his wife can come to see him?

Sal has already been crushed and ruined by his conviction in federal court. He has been wiped clean of whatever financial resources he once commanded. He has been humiliated. He has been brought about as low as one man can go, considering everything that came before.

We ask that federal authorities allow Sal to stay in Rhode Island instead of being returned to Kentucky.

He isn’t owed anything.

Then again, this request isn’t asking for very much.