JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- Road rage shooter Yalanda Parrish is out of prison, but she is not exactly a free woman. Only WDRB's Rachel Collier was there to speak with Parrish and the man she shot.
Yalanda Parrish's new home is a work release center, part of the Clark County Jail. Now released from prison, Yalanda Parrish is confident, telling a WDRB reporter she feels "blessed" as she walked into Clark County Court Thursday.
A judge announced her sentence will be served out in a work release program.
As she came out of court, only WDRB was there to talk to her.
"Yalanda, how do you think the work release program will be a better fit for you?" asked WDRB's Rachel Collier. "Uh, I'll talk about that later," she responded. When asked, "How are you feeling though today after court?" "Uh, I'm at peace," Parrish said.
In June of 2008, Parrish shot Wesley Mosier in the chest after a road rage incident in Jeffersonville. In 2009, a jury convicted her of aggravated battery and criminal recklessness. Parrish was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but has only served three.
Although the judge Thursday ordered her to three years of work release, she will likely only serve about half that because of the way Indiana laws work.
"Do you think this will be a good change for you instead of being in prison?" asked Collier. "Anything's better than prison," Parrish replied.
Her victim is indifferent to her being out on work release. "So it doesn't quite bother you that she's only been in prison for a couple of years and she'll be out on work release?" asked Collier. "No," responded Mosier. "Because the work release will be harder. When you have to get out everyday and come back, and pay to stay in the jail and stay there on the weekends," he explained.
"Do you feel she'll be a threat to anyone while she's out?" asked Collier. "Probably." Mosier replied.
"I'm sure it has been a great change and shock to her life having to spend the last three years in the Department of Corrections," said Clark County Prosecutor Steven Stewart. "I'm hoping that time in there changed her outlook on the use of firearms."
It is the latest chapter in the road rage saga that captured the attention of Kentuckiana. "I think everybody could relate to both of the people involved," said Stewart. "Everybody has perhaps done something, yelled, cussed, given the finger to some other driver, except the part about drawing a gun and shooting someone because of it."
The director at the work release center says it may be hard for Yalanda Parrish to initially find work because so many people know her name and her case.
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