SADLY...Three More Years

HELLO EVERYONE,

SADLY, IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE WRITTEN ANYTHING AND I WILL PROBABLY BE USING THAT WORD SADLY A LOT. IT SEEMS THE PAROLE BOARD, WHO WERE SO ON OUR SIDE THE LAST FEW YEARS, HAS DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA THAT I DO THREE MORE YEARS.  NOT TO COME HOME IN THREE YEARS, BUT TO RETURN TO THE BOARD TO SEE IF THEY WILL LET ME COME HOME. SADLY THIS IS BEING PLAYED OUT OVER AND OVER WITH OTHER GUYS HERE TOO.THREE YEARS THIS TIME, MAYBE FIVE THE NEXT TIME. THEN, WHAM! TEN YEARS. A GUY THEN ENDS UP NEVER GETTING OUT, WITH ALREADY HAVING 30 YEARS IN, OR MAYBE 40 YEARS.

SADLY, I HAVE NO REAL POWER THERE.THEY DO WHAT THEY CHOOSE WHEN THEY CHOOSE. THEIR RATIONAL FOR THIS THREE YEARS WAS THAT I HAD AMASSED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF CONDUCT REPORTS AND THAT I FAILED TO DEMONSTRATE POSITIVE CHANGE.THEY ALSO STATED THAT DUE TO THE SERIOUS NATURE OF THE CRIME, MY RELEASE INTO SOCIETY WOULD CREATE UNDO RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY. THAT MY RELEASE WOULD NOT FURTHER THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE OR BE CONSISTENT WITH THE WELFARE AND SECURITY OF SOCIETY. THEY BELIEVE THAT I WILL ENGAGE IN FURTHER CRIMINAL CONDUCT. 

YES, MY THOUGHT EXACTLY. SADLY, AFTER 35 YEARS IN HELL-31 OF THOSE YEARS SPENT ON DEATH ROW FOR A MURDER I DID NOT COMMIT, A MURDER THAT THE PAROLE BOARD ITSELF FOUND DOUBT WITH. THAT AFTER 50 DIFFERENT PROGRAMS BEING IN REINTEGRATION. AFTER BEING A PART OF EVERY HONOR STATUS PROGRAM AT EVERY PRISON I HAVE BEEN IN, INCLUDING DEATH ROW, BEING A MENTOR FOR TWO YEARS, BEING IN REINTEGRATION AFTER BECOMING A CERTIFIED PARALEGAL, A TUTOR, HELPING OTHERS GET THEIR G.E.D'S.HAVING NO VIOLENCE ON MY RECORD AGAINST STAFF OR INMATE, EVEN WHILE ON DEATH ROW THEY DECIDED I HAVE FAILED TO DEMONSTRATE POSITIVE CHANGE!

ALL THE GOOD I HAVE DONE DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING AND SADLY I DON'T KNOW THAT IT EVER WILL.THEY NEVER EVEN MENTIONED THE FACT THAT I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING MY INNOCENCE ALL THESE YEARS AND THAT THEY THEMSELVES FOUND DOUBT TO THE FACT THAT I WASN'T THE PRINCIPAL OFFENDER, MEANING I WASN'T THE ONE WHO KILLED MR.LEACH.WHAT I HAVE BEEN TELLING EVERYBODY ALL THESE YEARS.

SADLY, I KNOW THEY WILL NEVER REALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT I MAY BE INNOCENT, OR EVER APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT THE STATE OF OHIO DID TO CONVICT ME. SADLY, I WILL ALWAYS HAVE THIS STIGMA ON ME OF BEING A MURDERER AND HAVING TO HOPE THIS PAROLE BOARD ONE DAY LETS ME GO HOME. I THOUGHT THIS WAS THAT DAY AND NO MATTER HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS, I KNOW I STILL HAVE TO DO THE RIGHT THING. I STILL HAVE TO GO ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF MAKING THE PAROLE BOARD SEE ME AS SOMETHING WORTHY OF LEAVING THIS HELL HOLE. AND I WILL.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU ALL.

YOURS TRULY,

ARTHUR