Of the 18 year-end commutations approved by the Guv, only 1 white person! Surprise?

Yes, Governor Whitmer deserves thanks and congratulations for granting 18 requests for commutation at the end of the year. We haven’t seen that in recent years, and all credit is due. 

Aside from that, it’s important that we take a careful look at individual cases. And as we do, we should be ashamed of America’s justice system, which we claim is the best in the world. 

Let’s zoom in on some. 

True, John Aslin participated in an unarmed burglary 40 years ago. But the victim had a heart attack and died. He was sentenced to life without parole, and served 38 years. 

True, Jimmy Burden took part in a robbery 40 years ago. Only $16 was taken. He was sentenced to 60-100 years, and served 39. 

True, LaDon Cloud was arrested for a non-violent drug offense. He was sentenced to 40-100 years, and served 22. 

Likewise, Willie Kincaide was arrested on a similar charge. He was sentenced to life in prison, and served 27. 

True, Monika McCain took part in an unarmed robbery. The victim fell, and died later of a brain injury. She was sentenced to 26-65 years, and served 17. 

Our friend LuAnne Szenay, a victim of domestic violence, killed her husband before he killed her. She was sentenced to life without parole, and served 32 years! 

That’s just a quick glimpse at some of the 18 people who will get a second chance, thanks to the governor’s year-end grants of clemency. But these issues point to bigger problems. One of Michigan’s major problems is, in our opinion, over-sentencing. Studies show that we keep people in prison longer than almost any other state. Another is an imbalance in race and gender. Of the 18 who received commutations, 14 were black, 2 were Latinos and 1 was Native American. And in that number, 4 were women! Does something look wrong here? 

Now that the governor has granted these requests, the sentences for all 18 men and women are reduced, and they are now eligible for parole consideration. 

One of the services officered by HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS is assistance to persons behind bars who wish to file an application with the Michigan Parole Board. Among the 18 who received approval last week, we’re proud to report that 8 are clients of HFP. Those 8 men and women served a combined total of 184 years. 

For all of these, 2023 promises to be a Happy New Year!

After review, one wonders just how many of the 32,000 people in our state prisoners still belong there! 

May our prayers for the new year not only be for the incarcerated, but also for long overdue improvements in the system, as well as for racial and gender fairness!

 

 

 

Comments

Louise Reichert said…
Would also like to see a change in the perspective of the department - from punishment to true rehabilitation and assistance in making these individuals better, stronger, and motivated Returning Citizens.
December 29, 2022 at 3:57 PM
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