I’m coming to you today, an inmate in the Kentucky prison system – 39 years, 11 months, and one day. Most here were not interested in our Governor’s State of the Commonwealth address last night, yet I watched intently. Not only do I want the best for others, but I want positive changes in Kentucky’s criminal justice system, concerning parole board, [unclear] laws, second book laws, fairness, and more. Governor Beshear did not mention any of these issues directly, but he gave me and my family and thousands of people hope when he said, “My faith teaches me that everyone deserves a second chance.”
I do wonder if he has taken a look at the Kentucky Parole Board and the incarcerated. Kentucky has a disproportionately higher rate, an average number of people in its prison system, who will be incarcerated until they die, unless the governor uses his power as Governor to step in. I’m one of those people. Second look legislation is needed in Kentucky and other states also, someone needs to take a serious look into the abusive powers of the Kentucky parole board with no oversight.
There are 16 factors in the Kentucky policy that are supposed to be considered in granting parole. Only two of these were used to give me death by incarceration. Those are seriousness of the crime and victim statement. Fourteen others were ignored and given no consideration. Even my death won’t change those two. However, I was 21, an emerging adult and I do not deny making grave mistakes and poor choices. I’m now 61. Not only did my age change, I have taken every step and opportunity that prison has made possible to rehabilitate my life and my soul since day one. My victim’s legacy should not be hatred and tragic loss, but one of saving lives and helping bring about change. Are not rehabilitation and remorse most important? Especially, if we are a nation of faith.
I know there are others, but I don’t know everyone’s facts. Myself, I had no prior record. I had a trial lawyer that withheld a 15 year plea bargain. I have completed a 100 plus programs; have a master’s in Christian counseling; have the support of senators, clergy, family, national groups like FAM, state groups such as Able, ACLU, KFTC, and more. I and others are models for how prisons do offer rehabilitation programs, but we ourselves had to choose that path. Am I saying every lifer is ready for parole or commutation? No. I am saying I was told to die here by the Kentucky parole board, while other heinous cases were promoted for parole. Not to be vengeful, I hope everybody gets a second chance, but let me share a case with you. A woman gave birth, stuffed toilet paper in the baby’s mouth, put that preciousness in a trash can and proceeded to go into the prison to visit her boyfriend. She received the privilege of parole the first time up, while having a terrible behavior record here in prison with tickets of drug use, fighting, and more. There are many comparison cases like this, and if the seriousness of the crime and victim impact are not applied here – why not?
We have a justice in Michelle Keller on the Supreme Court of Kentucky, and she has said, “Given the gravity of the interests that say, I must express my concern that the Kentucky parole process itself, along with the lack of checks on the power of that board, results in power being wielded in a manner inconsistent with the Kentucky constitution.” She also says that sentencing occurs at the judicial level in courtrooms by our peers. and a judge and a jury, not a parole board. I and many families are pleading for Governor Bashear to correct this. He’s done great things for our state in his two terms and time for his faith to have action and bring about change and commute unfair situations, like other states are doing at this time. Just as many prison policy initiatives reports have stated, Kentucky needs a policy of presumptive parole, which says that parole is for inmates who meet the criteria and who have rehabilitated and who have earned it.
I pray and plead for a second chance, and I plead for people to get involved, advocate. I am a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a great aunt, a friend, a remorseful life, and soul worth saving and giving a second chance. Thank you.
These commentaries are recorded by Prison Radio.
