Why is Bernie Madoff Not in Jail?

Why is Bernine Madoff here.....


... and not here?

I've been scratching my head for the past couple of days (which hurts, and is creating a bald spot) trying to figure out why Bernie Madoff, who by his own admission masterminded the biggest Ponzi scheme in history, is not situated where he belongs -- in the palatial surroundings of Manhattan Correctional Center, where scum like him are supposed to reside.

Instead, he was released on a mere $10 million bail, even though he didn't meet the conditions for his bail. He was sent back home to his apartment at 133 East 64th Street.

This is absolutely astounding. Madoff faces life in prison for ripping off, literally, widows and orphans -- philanthropies serving the needy, along with a lot of rich people and funds-of-funds.

He is very likely to get a prison term that, for a seventy-year-old man, is going to be the equivalent of a life sentence.

He has tons of money.

If that doesn't spell "flight risk," I don't know what does.

Let's compare the two possible residences for Bernie Made-Off:

Metropolitan Correctional Center: I've been there (ahem... visiting). It is not a pleasant place. You have to go through about fifty layers of security, just to get in to the damn place. And it is a damned place, by design. The atmosphere is oppressive, regimented.

133 West 64th Street: Much nicer. Never been there, so that's all I can say.

And that's not all. For some reason that completely escapes me, Madoff will be allowed to travel throughout Connecticut, where he can enjoy such wonderful attractions as Mystic Seaport, the Barnum Museum, and of course the world-famous Oddfellows Playhouse in my old stomping grounds of Middletown, Conn.

He can eat grinders on Bank Street in New London and go camping at Pachaug State Forest.

In other words, he will do everything that a free man can do, rather than eating dry baloney sandwiches and staring at the ceiling, which is the main occupation of MCC inmates.

Doesn't seem quite right, does it?

© 2008 Gary Weiss. All rights reserved.