A LETTER FROM JOYCE TURNER-GRANDMOTHER OF DUSTIN VICKERS
DEAR FRIENDS,
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR VISITING THE WEBSITE AND TAKING A MOMENT TO LEARN ABOUT THE CLEMENCY ACTION COMMITTEE AND WHAT WE REPRESENT.
I MYSELF AM A GRANDMOTHER OF A YOUNG MAN NAMED DUSTIN VICKERS. MY FAMILY AND I HAVE BEEN VISITNG DUSTIN IN THE ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FOR 17 YEARS. AS MOST OF YOU, WE ARE WELL AWARE OF THE ISSUES AND PROBLEMS REGARDING THE ADC AND THE OPPORTUNITY, OR LACK THEREOF, FOR PAROLE FOR MANY OF THE INMATES INCARCERATED THERE.
WHILE IT IS OUR MAIN GOAL TO ADDRESS AVENUES OF RELEASE FOR THOSE SENTENCED TO LIFE OR THOSE THAT HAVE A SENTENCE EQIVALENT TO LIFE, WHICH IS SO EXTREME , THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY FOR PAROLE, IT IS OUR INITIAL GOAL TO BEGIN UNITING PRISONER'S FAMILIES ACROSS THE STATE.
WE HAVE TO BECOME AWARE OF ONE ANOTHER.
WE HAVE TO LEARN TO NETWORK WITH ONE ANOTHER.
WE NEED TO BEGIN SHARING OUR INFORMATION AND POOLING OUR RESOURCES.
FOR THOSE THAT ARE NOT AWARE, IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS, LIFE EQUALS LIFE WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE.
THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN THE SENTENCE OF LIFE WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE AND LIFE WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE. ALSO, FOR THOSE SENTENCED UNDER THE 70% LAW THAT ARE OVER THE AGE OF 40, THE ODDS OF BEING RELEASED ON PAROLE IN THEIR LIFETIME ARE NOT GOOD.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY APPROXIMATELY 14,500 PRISONERS IN THE ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND ROUGHLY A QUARTER OF THOSE PRISONERS (ABOUT 3600) WILL , MOST PROBABLY, NEVER COME HOME FROM PRISON.
I HAVE COME TO REALIZE THAT THOSE PRISONERS WHO HAVE SPENT THE MAJORITY OF THEIR LIVES IN PRISON ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE GAINED THE MOST FROM THEIR TIME THERE AND ARE THE ONES THAT ARE LEAST LIKELY TO RETURN, YET IT IS COMMON PRACTICE TO RELEASE REPEAT OFFENDERS, TIME AND TIME AGAIN, AFTER THEY HAVE ONLY SERVED A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. IT IS THOSE REPEAT OFFENDERS THAT HAVE MAINTAINED THE STATUS QUO FOR THE RECIDIVISM RATE IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS. WHILE THE ADC HAS BECOME A REVOLVING DOOR FOR MULTIPLE OFFENDERS, IT ALSO STANDS AS A CLOSED DOOR FOR THOSE SERVING LONGER SENTENCES, AS THEY ARE NEVER GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ANOTHER CHANCE AT FREEDOM.
FOR THE TIME BEING, THE FOLLOWING IS THE ONLY INFORMATION WE NEED FROM YOU. THIS INFORMATION WILL BE KEPT PRIVATE AND USED ONLY TO RELAY CRITICAL INFORMATION THAT EVERY PARENT OR RELATIVE NEEDS TO KNOW. IF YOU WISH TO ALLOW OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CLEMENCY ACTION COMMITTTEE TO HAVE ACESS TO YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR SUPPORT AND NETWORKING PURPOSES, PLEASE NOTIFY US. THE ONLY INFORMATION THAT WILL BE SHARED WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ARE YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS. YOUR PHONE NUMBERS, ADDRESSES, OR THE NAMES OF YOUR INCARCERATED LOVED ONES WILL NEVER BE SHARED. IF YOU WISH TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION, YOU MAY DO SO ON YOUR OWN.
1. LAST NAME AND FIRST NAME
2. E-MAIL ADDRESS
3. DO YOU WANT YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADRESS SHARED
4. HOME PHONE NUMBERS (OPTIONAL AND ALWAYS PRIVATE)
5. CELL PHONE NUMBERS (OPTIONAL AND ALWAYS PRIVATE)
6. NAMES OF RELATIVES AND/OR FRIENDS INCARCERATED
7. ADC NUMBER OF PERSONS INCARCERATED
8. SENTENCE OF PERSONS INCARCERATED
9. YEAR SENTENCED OF PERSON INCARCERATED
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED AND WOULD LIKE TO BECOME INVOLVED, WE COULD USE YOUR HELP. WE ARE LOOKING FOR GOOD IDEAS AND PEOPLE THAT ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT, NOT ONLY THE RELEASE OF THEIR LOVED ONE FROM PRISON, BUT ALSO PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN HELPING HIM/HER GAIN KNOWLEDGE AND INDEPENDENCE IN THESE DESPERATE TIMES.
AGAIN, WE APPRECIATE YOUR INTEREST AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU.
SINCERELY,
JOYCE TURNER-GRANDMOTHER