Manson didn't even bother attending his own parole hearing.  He knows he is safer in isolation. He's cruel and the scourge of the Earth, but he's not dumb. The longer he puts out his vile act, the safer he is. Meaning, if he tried to reform, he would eventually be put into the general prison population and meet his demise.   

The United States is unique - and uniquely evil - in its federal/state justice systems.

State governments are common law based.  In order for an act to be criminal under a state's laws it must be somehow inherently wrong.  That doesn't explain why it's legal to carry a gun in Florida but not in New York but you get the idea.  If you're going to carry a gun from a redneck state into a damed yankee state you might want to check the laws first.

The federal government has no such restrictions and can make pretty much anything it wants a crime.  Didn't pay your phone bill on time?  Well, you just failed to pay a federal tax.  Didn't know it was a crime?  Too bad.  But if you admit guilt and pay an absurd fine the government won't press for a 20 year sentence.  The catch is that you are probably guilty of committing a federal offense.

What makes things worse is that federal government isn't answerable to anyone.  When people see a ridiculous state law in action they demand its repeal.  When they see a ridiculous federal law in action they are lucky if they can identify the agency that enacted it.  Because there are far more federal "regulations" that there are laws.  And there are a lot of laws.

Why does the FCC (or whatever) care if you pay your phone bill late?  Because it has to justify its existence.  If it reports to Congress that it convicted 1000 people of telephone tax evasion it can justify a bigger budget.  Next year it can catch 2000 scofflaws and justify an even bigger budget.