My brother has recently been indicted on conspiracy charges. He is currently doing state time and was supposed to come home later this year. Seeing this web site with so many others such as myself has made me sit here with tears streaming down my face. I work all day then come home and research stuff for him. They say he is gonna get a 10 yr. mandatory. I am at a loss........

This is a letter I have been sending out to Representatives and to Senators. If you would like to copy and paste it please be my guest. I would certainly appreciate it and so would my little bro.

Representative Ray LaHood
United States House of Representatives
1424 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative LaHood,

On January 12, 2005, the United States Supreme Court ruled that a key
component of the federal criminal sentencing guidelines is
unconstitutional. Now it's up to you and other Members of Congress to decide whether
to pursue meaningful sentencing reform -- as many states have done --
or more costly and unfair sentencing policies.

I am writing to urge you to consider alternatives to incarceration of
nonviolent drug offenders that embrace reason, compassion and justice.
Advancing alternatives to incarceration involves the diversion of
certain nonviolent drug offenders from prison to drug treatment -- offering
compassionate options in public policy that bring about obvious fiscal
advantages.

A growing number of judges, scholars and practitioners have questioned
the wisdom of federal mandatory sentencing laws. Many cases have
demonstrated that mandatory sentences often result in expensive and unjust
incarceration. The Supreme Court decision on sentencing presents Congress
with an opportunity to reform the complex, rigid and harsh federal
sentencing system.

I encourage you to consider three key issues in regard to any
legislative action in this area:

1. In order to create a sensible, long-term sentencing policy, Congress
should avoid the temptation to create a "quick fix". There is no real
quick fix, and avoiding important issues could have unintended negative
consequences. A proposal to allow much longer sentences while retaining
current restrictions on judicial discretion to mitigate punishment (the
so-called "Bowman fix") should be rejected.

2. In order that punishments fit the crimes committed, Congress must
closely evaluate the past 20 years of sentencing policy and the broader
implications of these policies. Mandatory minimum sentences and other
problems, like the abhorrent crack/powder cocaine sentencing discrepancy,
should be fixed in the process.

3. Congress should adopt sentencing alternatives -- like California's
Proposition 36 -- that divert people convicted of nonviolent drug
offenses into treatment instead of prison.

In closing, I urge you to work toward meaningful sentencing reform.
Congress must strike an appropriate balance among competing goals, and
must do so carefully and with meaningful participation from all of the
affected parties -- including the judiciary; the Sentencing Commission;
criminal justice practitioners (including community and institutional
corrections); academic experts; victims; and the public at large. It would
be a grave mistake to pass sentencing legislation without a careful
analysis of the current state of federal sentencing, the growing problems
surrounding the federal criminal-justice and prison systems, and the
implications that will flow from a legislative response to the Court's
decisions.

Sincerely,

Welcome to the PTO Siblings Forum Miss My Brother- I am glad you found us! You will find lots of support here- it really helps knowing you are not going through this alone. I am very sorry to hear about your brother and I certainly understand how you must be feeling. Looking forward to reading more of your posts.

That's a great letter, Miss My Brother! I wrote this letter, too - if anyone wants to copy from it, etc. I sent it everywhere.


Dear_____________,
(this can be representative, senator, governor, bureau of prisons, etc.)

Good day, and thank you for serving the citizens of the United States of America. I do appreciate your commitment and passion. However, I write to you as one of the 12 million citizens who have a loved one in the prison system. There are aproximately 2.2 million people in our prison systems - both state and federal. Almost every one of them has at least 6 friends or relatives who are affected by their imprisonment. That's 12 million citizens.
Given the recent Supreme Court decisions, as well as the United States Sentencing Commission's report and findings, I would like to urge you to work toward a more humane and effective sentencing system.
As brought forth in the USSC report, there are severe disparities in the sentencing system at this time. There is also the total lack of preparation for a prisoner to return to the society from whence he/she came. If our goal is to only punish those who break the law, then there is no purpose for a sentencing commission - or sentencing guidelines. If we are to come together as a nation and embrace the challenge of effectively solving our issues as regards the justice and sentencing systems - not to mention the overcrowding in our jails and prisons, and the mounting costs of keeping non-violent offenders for years and years in prisons and jails - then we are bound to consider alternatives to jail and prison time. We are bound to consider the implementation of effective programs that provide incarcerated persons with the tools to return to society and become productive, thereby reducing the high recidivism rate.
I implore you as a representative of our system, to work with other agencies and representatives to solve this serious problem of these great United States.
Thank you and have a great day!

____________________________
sign your name and make sure an address is on it

best of luck in everything you can do!
mary

:o Sorry, I did not mean to sound like I wrote that letter. I copied it from Drug Alliance and sent it everywhere.
I have been a member for almost 24 hours and I gotta say it still brings tears to my eyes just roaming around.
Thank you for the replies:thumbsup: . It feels so good to know people care.
I loved the letter you wrote and plan to send it around too.
I got a reply from my letter today and it readsL:

DEar Gina:
Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns with legislation regarding mandatory minimum sentences. I appreciate the opportunity to respond.

In the 108th Congress, H>R> 5103, the Justice in Sentencing Act of 2004, was introduced by Representative Maxine Waters on September 15,2004. This legislation, which was referred to the Judiciary Committee, sought to repeal mandatory minimum sentencing for certain crimes. There were no hearings on this legislation during the 108th Congress.

The federal guidelines regarding minimum sentences are intended to eliminate unwarranted sentencing disparity for the production and distribution of illegal drugs. an alarmingly increasing problem in rural America. I find it important to balance my responsibility to keep the streets safe withe guaranteeing fair treatment of thaoe who break our laws. Shaould any legislation on hthis matter be introduced diuring the 109th Congress, I will be certain to keep your experience in mind.

Thank you for writing on this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me again with other concerns or thoughts

Sincerely,
Ray LaHood
Member of Congress



Well...... I certainly do wish to address concerns. I used to be a complete addict and lived only for it. I served my time,(5 years =2.5) did work release and came home clean. It didnt take 20 years. If they decide to come at me with a indictment I will get life. My brother feels they are not done with me. I have been clean for almost 3 years. I struggle with work and worry. What is thier point????? I really do not understand why they want to take so many lives. These guys are padding their pockets at the expence of lives. Do they not know that there is a God?? I am rambling, I better close.:p Does this guy really beleive he is keepin the streets safe? I dont buy it.