My Pen Pal and I had planned to get together in June for a couple of days in Florida. It's about an 8000 mile trip each way for me and the cost would have been up around $2000 -$2500 by the time it was all in. Now, the money isn't the problem...I would normally spend that and more on a good holiday...the problem is that my Pen Pal is eligible for some form of early release. She has done seven years on an eight year stretch. Florida did away with parole in 1983 but replaced it...kind of...with a couple of other ways to get out early. And thats where the problem arises.

Florida politicians run on election planks that come down hard on crime and those that commit them...even those who don't. Like they want to pass a law to hang jay-walkers!
So when it comes to early release mechanisms they keep them well hidden from public view, as complicated as they can for inmates to apply for and keep the success rate for applications as low as possible. In short, it is an incredibly complex process.

I have been researching the issue on the Net for a month now and am no closer to findng a workable plan that will see her released early than when I started. Half the stuff I can't even find! I know it exists...they just have it so well hidden...I can't find it!

So I talked with my Pen Pal yesterday and through a lot of disappointment and tears we decide to spend the "visiting money" on lawyers and legal research to see if we can secure her early release. At the end of the day it may be a terrible waste of money...but we have to try!

But money alone isn't going to get the job done. We need a good dose of WAP POWER!!!

From coming here for a while I know that some of you are super-sleuths on the Internet when it comes to digging up prison and inmate related information. So I am asking that, if you have the time, could you please see what you can find on any of the following:

1. Clemency applications and rate of success in Florida.

2. Commutation of sentence in Florida.

3. Interstate Compact agreement on the movement of inmates between Florida and Kentucky.

There is an old saying used by lawyers, "If you don't know the answer, don't ask the question". We want to be a position where we have enough information to go to the lawyers with a plan(s) and then pay them to tell us whether or not they will work, and what changes we need to make. Throwing money at lawyers to do research is akin to trying to fill a bottomless pit. We want to be in a position where all we need the lawyers to do is prepare briefs, documents, etc. and present them.

For what it is worth...my Pen Pal entered prison seven years ago a brutal, violent, drug addicted prostitute. In seven years she has taken every self-help and therapy program available to her; she got her GED so she could get into an 'apprenticeship like' program in the optical lab, where she has been very successful. She has worked very hard to get her real life back and has earned the right to prove herself on the outside.

Anything you can do in the way of research and information will be greatly appreciated by both of us.

Thanks.

Tom

__________________
An eye for an eye and soon the whole world is blind!

Hi post your email I wil send you some stuff...

Tom - hope everythign goes well for your pp - try looking at
https://fpc.state.fl.us/Clemency.htm

If I've just got myself into trouble with the mods for posting that, sorry, I don't have Tom's e mail addy, but if that's the price I pay for helping his pp then so be it.

Ian UK

Hey Tom...I got the same one as Water (Ian), plus several more;

http://www.cjpf.org/clemency/Florida.tml

http://www.Irc.state.ky.us/KRS/439-00/561.PDF

http://www.lawsource.com/also/usa.cgi?usi&fl

Hope these help...good luck

html <at the end on the first one, sorry

good luck tom ...pia

tcf...

please e-mail me at lyndsey at sunlink dot com. There is a man from another site that can help you. Put WAP in the subject so i dont delete it as spam. This person only works with florida law and has had good success doing so. He only charges for what needs to be charged for... not for his own personal time and work. The areas you mentioned, i've seen success from him for others.

Lynn

Thanks everybody! I knew I could count on you to help.

I'll be in touch soon to those who want emails.

Thanks again.

Tom

__________________
An eye for an eye and soon the whole world is blind!

Tom, I spent $3,500 on a lawyer to help an inmate get out sooner and I think it did more harm than good, because the board resented the intrusion. He got out,( a couple of years later) but is back in jail again...a waste of time,money,effort.

Thanks CET. Can always count on you for the goods!

I am thinking now that it is best to hire someone with experience to put the necessary paperwork together in the way the authorities want it....then have my Pen Pal present it. I think once she gets before a hearing panel she will do fine....but her low education level makes it tough for her to wade through the paperwork.

My sense is it will be hard for her to make it on the outside but she has a strong support network so I think the odds are at least 50/50...which is higher than most have.

Thanks for your input...I really respect and appreciate it.

Tom

__________________
An eye for an eye and soon the whole world is blind!