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Life Without Parole For Marijuana


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My father Jeff Mizanskey has been in prison for 20 years and has no possibility of parole. For non-violent, marijuana-only offenses, my father has been sentenced to die in prison because of a "three strikes" mandatory sentencing policy in the State of Missouri.

 

Dad's first offense was in 1984 when he sold an ounce to an undercover informant, and then was found to possess a half pound of marijuana when police raided his house the next day.  His next offense occurred in 1991, when he was caught in possession of a couple of ounces. But for my father's final strike in 1993, he became an easy fall guy in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana. My dad was driving a friend to a deal that turned out to be a sting operation. All of the other convicted men involved were set free years ago, but my dad was given a virtual death sentence.

 

My dad is, and always has been, a good man. He taught my brother and I all about construction and a good work ethic. He has never been violent and he is a model prisoner. And over the 20 years he has been in that little cell, he has watched as violent criminals, rapists, and murderers have "paid their debts" and left - sometimes just to return a few months later.

 

My father is 61 years old, and has been in prison since he was 41. His parents - my grandparents - have since passed. While my dad has been trapped behind bars, generations of kids and grandkids have been born into our family who have never even met the man. The State of Missouri spends roughly $22,000/year to keep him locked up. Meanwhile all my dad wants to do is be a productive part of society, work and pay taxes, be with his family. And I want my dad back.

Governor Jay Nixon is the only person who has the power to bring my dad home by granting clemency to Jeff and calling 20 years punishment enough. Please help us reach a just and reasonable end to his prison sentence by signing and sharing this petition.

 

http://www.change.org/petitions/my-dad-is-serving-life-without-parole-for-marijuana?recruiter=10489740&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

 

Edited by Wild Bill
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wow!  I have a friend who's father escaped from prison in MO, he didnt get caught untill 20 yrs after his escape, I forget what his original sentence was, but im pretty sure it was mj manufacturing and delivery!

 

When they finaly caught this man and put him back in prison to do his sentence plus what he got for breaking out, he had been living a good working mans life (in another name) and paying taxes and never had any run in with the law the whole time he was on the run, of course until they found him, that was his only run in with them,

 

long story short my buddy took up pettitions and got his father out of prison within a yr of him being put back in,

so it does work to petition governors, we all need to jump on board with this one and make MO's gov see that this man has done at least 19 1/2 yrs to much already!  He needs to be set free!

 

Good and sad find w.b!

 

It is my belief that we need to stop saying its not right to go to jail for a plant, heroin is a poppy plant, cocain comes from a plant!  There are alot of plants that should not be legal, just mj is not one of them,

 

we need to get mj off of the schedual 1 ,2 ,3 if they have to schedual it make it in the same as beer and whine, I think it should be considered less dangerious than any liquir or alcohol!

 

This is such a sad story, even if this guy did more than what we are told, like alot more mj delivery than we were told, it is insane that he is in prison for 20 yrs for anything less than murder,rape,child molestation, this is a phaqing crying shame!

 

Peace

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wow!  I have a friend who's father escaped from prison in MO, he didnt get caught untill 20 yrs after his escape, I forget what his original sentence was, but im pretty sure it was mj manufacturing and delivery!

 

When they finaly caught this man and put him back in prison to do his sentence plus what he got for breaking out, he had been living a good working mans life (in another name) and paying taxes and never had any run in with the law the whole time he was on the run, of course until they found him, that was his only run in with them,

 

long story short my buddy took up pettitions and got his father out of prison within a yr of him being put back in,

so it does work to petition governors, we all need to jump on board with this one and make MO's gov see that this man has done at least 19 1/2 yrs to much already!  He needs to be set free!

 

Good and sad find w.b!

 

It is my belief that we need to stop saying its not right to go to jail for a plant, heroin is a poppy plant, cocain comes from a plant!  There are alot of plants that should not be legal, just mj is not one of them,

 

we need to get mj off of the schedual 1 ,2 ,3 if they have to schedual it make it in the same as beer and whine, I think it should be considered less dangerious than any liquir or alcohol!

 

This is such a sad story, even if this guy did more than what we are told, like alot more mj delivery than we were told, it is insane that he is in prison for 20 yrs for anything less than murder,rape,child molestation, this is a phaqing crying shame!

 

Peace

Sorry, I have to disagree with you on that one.  There is never any reason to go to jail for a plant.  Refining it into a drug is another thing.  Peruvians eat coca leaves all the time, it's americans who prefer it refined.  You can grow poppies and i believe all of them produce an opiate if you cut them.  Still people can buy california poppy and others and there are even poppy seeds on our food.  Having or growing a plant should never end up in jail unless manufacturing and refining a drug from it TO SELL.  Mj needs no refining and anyone should be able to grow and ingest whatever they want as long as they don't go to others for it.  Just think of what an alcoholic would have to go thru to be an alcoholic if they had to brew all their own.  Nothing should be illegal if you do it for and to yourself.

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I'm on the extreme on this issue as I think no one should be put to jail for drugs of any kind.That said, if you sell something that is likely to kill or harm substantially, and know about this harm before hand, there are serious moral implications. I'm looking at you Mr. Liquor store owner  :watching:  selling to the guy that picks up the 12 pack everyday after work. But still, caveat emptor.

 

The pros of jailing hard drug offenders for society

A portion of drug offenders are also criminals of another nature - therefore less of those other crimes happening

Some drugs are taken off the street, for a moment...

Most importantly it sets an example not to be a drug offender or risk jail. That probably reduces the number of substance abuse and health problems for the populace.

 

The pros of jailing hard drug offender for offender

Sometimes the offender gets a wakeup call

Sometimes the offender is forced to be clean, and gains clarity on their life's purpose

Sometimes the offender is offered rehab treatment

 

The cons of jailing hard drug offenders for society and offender

More enforcement = higher prices = more profit for kingpins usually involved in doing other bad things

Incredibly expensive $$$ for the war and the prisons

Opportunity loss (tax dollars) since offender can't work while in jail

Further opportunity loss once offender is out of jail since much fewer opportunities are available to ex cons.

Jail is, dollar for dollar, a poor substance abuse / work reeducation treatment center

Recidivism is high, jail doesn't work, see above.

Prisoners join gangs and are given a nice lesson in human brutality, gaining their bachelors degree in criminal behaviour the first time behind bars.

 

I just think the CONS outweigh the PROS of the drug war. It's a tough call though. You could take PRISONS out of the equation for drug offenders - including dealers but especially addicts, but have it all still be illegal. That seems like a reasonable compromise to me. I can understand why prohibitionists for harder drugs think the way that they do though, no hate, just a difference of opinion. 

 

Either way the hard drug problem isn't going away ever... None of this post is related to cannabis. Weed should just be legal :bong7bp:

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