Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania Parole Board denied Bill Cosby’s bid for parole, finding he failed to complete several tasks contingent on his release — primarily a mandatory sex offender treatment program.
Journalist and “Chasing Cosby” author Nicole Weisensee Egan first reported the news of Cosby, 83, being denied parole on her Facebook page. The board outlined several factors which influenced their decision, including the Department of Corrections’ negative recommendation and Cosby’s failure to establish a parole release plan and complete a treatment program for sex offenders.
The board handed down its ruling on May 11, but it was not publicized until Thursday.
Speaking with CBS News, state parole board spokesperson Laura Treaster confirmed Cosby was denied parole, but she declined to provide details connected to the Department of Corrections’ negative recommendation and Cosby’s prison conduct.
However, the board said they would not consider Cosby for parole unless he completes the sex offender treatment program. The jailed comedian has said he would not express remorse for a crime he did not commit, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Sentenced in 2018, Cosby, 83, is serving a three- to 10-year sentence for sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his Cheltenham home in 2004. During his trial, prosecutors argued that the comedian had a penchant for drugging and raping unconscious women. More than 60 women have accused Cosby of sexual assault.
Cosby would have been eligible for parole on September 25, after completing the three-year minimum term of his sentence.
Instead, Cosby has sought to have his aggravated indecent assault conviction overturned. In December, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court heard arguments in his pending appeal.
Cosby’s legal team has argued that five accusers who testified during the comedian’s second trial should not have been allowed to take the stand. During the initial 2017 trial, which ended with a hung jury, a Montgomery County judge only allowed one previous accuser to testify.
Cosby remains housed at the State Correctional Institution at Phoenix. The state supreme court has not yet ruled on his appeal.
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[Featured image: Bill Cosby/State Correctional Institution-Phoenix, Montgomery County Correctional Facility]
