Prisoner Released 90 Years Early Says He's Reformed And Plans To Appeal

A Colorado prisoner who was mistakenly released 90 years early but then sent back to prison says he is a changed man and plans to appeal, the Associated Press reported.

Rene Lima-Marin was convicted in 2000 on charges including kidnapping and sentenced to 98 years. Due to an administrative error he was released in 2008, only to be sent back to prison earlier this year after six years of freedom. Lima-Marin's lawyer, Patrick Megaro, said Tuesday that his client does not deserve to be behind bars, and that sending him back to prison is cruel and unusual punishment.

Megaro said his client's rights were violated and that he plans on appealing his client's resentencing, the AP reported.

Lima-Marin was convicted on multiple counts of robbery, kidnapping and burglary. He was supposed to serve the 98-year sentence consecutively, But a court clerk wrote that Lima-Marin was to serve the years concurrently, or at the same time.

Lima-Marin was granted parole and released after serving eight of the 98 years.

During that time, Lima-Marin worked on improving his life, becoming a salesman and window fitter, as well as helping to raise his girlfriend's 7-year-old son, The Guardian reported. Lima-Marin married his girlfriend, Jasmine Lima-Marin, and together they now have a 4-year-old son.

"That was his life, raising his kids and being a husband," Jasmine said according to CBS News. "He definitely was not the same person that he was when he went into prison."

It wasn't until January when the mistake was discovered and Lima-Marin was rearrested. Prosecutors say Lima-Marin should be behind bars.

"He should not be able to escape the minimum sentence due to a clerical error," Arapahoe County Senior Deputy District Attorney Rich Orman told CBS News.

A similar case to Lima-Marin's occurred in early May when a judge released a Missouri man who was rearrested for never serving a 13-year prison sentence.

Jasmine Lima-Marin said she has reached out to the same lawyer who helped the Missouri man to help appeal her husband's case.