Missouri Prison Reform received the following message from a resident of a Missouri Prison. Some edits were made for clarity.
I’m from N.E. K.C. MO, I was married with 3 kids, I got locked up in 3-1998 for statutory rape, the courts gave me 8 life sentences, I’ve been locked up for 25 years, this is the first time I’ve been in prison, the first time I’ve ever received any felonies, I’ve been up to see the parole board 3 times and every time they gave me 5 year set backs, I will see the parole board again in 3-2026, hopefully they will give me an out date, my prison record shows that I haven’t been in that much trouble, I just want to say that I’ve been locked up for 25 years, I know what I did was bad, but I didn’t kill anybody, I’ve seen guys that was locked up for murder that only did 15, 20 years and got out, I’ve seen guys get multiple set backs when they went up for parole, the parole board is not giving people second chances, and the few people that they are given second chances too, get out and commit crimes and come back to prison, it’s like they keep all the inmates that would do good out there, in prison, and let out all the inmates that want to commit crimes, I just hope and pray things get better, I want to get out and be a law abiding citizen, and to be a productive citizen of society, would you please pray for me, I need all the players I can get, I would really appreciate that, may God bless you all.
Missouri needs a good time behavior law… my husband took a plea on a 15 year sentence and was told he would be classified non violent and serve 1 month to the year which means 15 months… probabtion and parole classified him violent and gave him 5 years on a 0 percent so technically he could of just got probation…. They also put “ this decision is final and not up for appeal” since he has been there he took the ITC program and graduated.. he now teaches the program and is a facilitator… he also got his GED… he also got a certificate to help counseling other inmates.. mind u my husband was a first responder, firefighter, and a over the road trucker, very well known by the community… he has done everything he could in just 2 years… but is forced to serve a full 5 because probation and parole set strong harsh time.. why is the ones that don’t care get out.. the ones that really want to come home are made to stay… there needs to be a good time behavior law.. Missouri is the only state that does not have one.. and there needs to be a system where probation and parole officers are being watched and having others help make a decision… it seems like they just don’t want to let people go because it’s a power trip