More Than 3,000 US Prisoners Locked Up for Life Without Parole for Non-Violent Cri es

By Ed Pilkington, Guardian UK

14 November 13

ACLU report chronicles thousands of ruined lives for crimes like shoplifting and possession of a crack pipe. At about 12.4 !m on 2 "anuary 1##$, %imot&y "a'k(on took a )a'ket *rom t&e +ai(on Blan'&e de!artment (tore in Ne, -rlean(, dra!ed it over &i( arm, and ,alked out o* t&e (tore ,it&out !aying *or it. .&en &e ,a( a''o(ted by a (e'urity guard, "a'k(on (aid/ 01 )u(t needed anot&er )a'ket, man.0 A *e, mont&( later "a'k(on ,a( 'onvi'ted o* (&o!li*ting and (ent to Angola !ri(on in 2oui(iana. %&at ,a( 1$ year( ago. %oday &e i( (till in'ar'erated in Angola, and ,ill (tay t&ere *or t&e re(t o* &i( natural li*e &aving been 'ondemned to die in )ail. All *or t&e t&e*t o* a )a'ket, ,ort& 314#. "a'k(on, 43, i( one o* 3,251 !ri(oner( in Ameri'a (erving li*e (enten'e( ,it& no '&an'e o* !arole *or non6violent 'rime(. 7ome, like &im, ,ere given t&e mo(t e8treme !uni(&ment (&ort o* e8e'ution *or (&o!li*ting9 one ,a( 'ondemned to die in !ri(on *or (i!&oning !etrol *rom a tru'k9 anot&er *or (tealing tool( *rom a tool (&ed9 yet anot&er *or attem!ting to 'a(& a (tolen '&e:ue. 01t &a( been very &ard *or me,0 "a'k(on ,rote to t&e Ameri'an ;ivil 2ibertie( Union <A;2U= a( !art o* it( ne, re!ort on li*e ,it&out !arole *or non6violent o**ender(. 01 kno, t&at *or my 'rime 1 &ad to do (ome time, but a li*e (enten'e *or a )a'ket value at 314#. 1 &ave met !eo!le &ere ,&o(e 'rime( are a lot badder ,it& ,ay le(( time.0 7enior o**i'ial( at Angola !ri(on re*u(ed to allo, t&e Guardian to (!eak to "a'k(on, on ground( t&at it mig&t u!(et &i( vi'tim( 6 even t&oug& &i( 'rime ,a( vi'tim6le((. But &i( (i(ter 2oretta 2umar did (!eak to t&e Guardian. 7&e (aid t&at t&e la(t time (&e talked by !&one ,it& &er brot&er &e &ad e8!re((ed de(!air. 0>e told me, ?7i(ter, t&i( &a( really broke my ba'k. 1?m ready to 'ome out.?0 2umar (aid t&at (&e *ound &er brot&er?( (enten'e in'om!re&en(ible. 0%&i( doe(n?t make (en(e to me. 1 kno, !eo!le ,&o &ave killed !eo!le, and t&ey get a le((er (enten'e. %&at doe(n?t make (en(e to me rig&t t&ere. @ou 'an take a li*e and get 14 or

1$ year(. >e take( a )a'ket ,ort& 314# and ,ill (tay in )ail *orever. >e didn?t kill t&e )a'ketA0 %&e A;2U?( re!ort, A 2iving Beat&, '&roni'le( t&e t&ou(and( o* live( ruined and *amilie( de(troyed by t&e modern !&enomenon o* (enten'ing !eo!le to die be&ind bar( *or non6violent o**en'e(. 1t note( t&at 'ontrary to t&e e8!e'tation t&at (u'& a &ar(& !enalty ,ould be meted out only to t&e mo(t (eriou( o**ender(, !eo!le &ave been 'aug&t in t&i( brutal tra! *or (ometime( t&e mo(t !etty 'au(e(. Conald .a(&ington, 45, i( al(o (erving li*e ,it&out !arole in Angola, in &i( 'a(e *or (&o!li*ting t,o +i'&ael "ordan )er(ey( *rom a Doot A'tion (!ort(,ear (tore in 7&reve!ort, 2oui(iana, in 2 4. .a(&ington in(i(ted at trial t&at t&e )er(ey( ,ere redu'ed in a (ale to 344 ea'& 6 ,&i'& meant t&at t&eir 'ombined value ,a( belo, t&e 31 needed to 'la((i*y t&e t&e*t a( a *elony9 t&e !ro(e'ution di(agreed, 'laiming t&ey ,ere on (ale *or 3$ ea'&, t&u( (ur!a((ing t&e 31 *elony minimum and o!ening &im u! to a (enten'e o* li*e ,it&out !arole. 01 *elt a( t&oug& (omebody &ad )u(t taken t&e li*e out o* my body,0 .a(&ington ,rote to t&e A;2U about t&e moment &e learnt &i( *ate. 01 (eriou(ly *elt re)e'ted, negle'ted, (tabbed rig&t t&roug& my &eart.0 >e added/ 01t?( a very lonely ,orld, (eem( t&at nobody 'are(. @ou?re never ever returning ba'k into (o'iety. And ,&atever you &ad or e(tabli(&ed, it( no, u(ele((, be'au(e you?re being buried alive at (lo, !a'e.0 2oui(iana, ,&ere bot& .a(&ington and "a'k(on are &eld, i( one o* nine (tate( ,&ere !ri(oner( are (erving li*e ,it&out !arole (enten'e( *or non6violent o**en'e( <ot&er (tate( ,it& &ig& number( are Alabama, Dlorida, +i((i((i!!i, -kla&oma and 7out& ;arolina=. An over,&elming !ro!ortion o* t&o(e (enten'e( 6 a( many a( #5E in 2oui(iana 6 ,ere mandatory/ in ot&er ,ord( )udge( &ad no di('retion but to im!o(e t&e (,ingeing !enaltie(. %&e ,arden o* Angola !ri(on, Burl ;ain, &a( (!oken out in *ort&rig&t term( again(t a (y(tem t&at mandate( !uni(&ment ,it&out any '&an'e o* re&abilitation. >e told t&e A;2U/ 01t?( ridi'ulou(, be'au(e t&e name o* our bu(ine(( i( ?'orre'tion(? 6 to 'orre't deviant be&aviour. 1* 1?m a (u''e((*ul ,arden and 1 do my )ob and ,e 'orre't t&e deviant be&aviour, t&en ,e (&ould &ave a !arole &earing. 1 need to kee! !redator( in t&e(e big old !ri(on(, not dying old men.0 %&e toll i( not 'on*ined to t&e (tate level/ mo(t o* t&o(e non6violent inmate( &eld on li*e ,it&out !arole (enten'e( ,ere given t&eir !uni(&ment( by t&e *ederal government. +ore t&an 2, o* t&e 3,251 individual( tra'ked do,n on t&e(e (enten'e( by t&e

A;2U are being &eld in t&e *ederal (y(tem. -verall, t&e A;2U &a( 'al'ulated t&at ta8!ayer( !ay an additional 31.5bn to kee! t&e !ri(oner( lo'ked u! *or t&e re(t o* t&eir live(. ?1t doe(n?t &ave to be t&i( ,ay? Until t&e early 1#F (, li*e ,it&out !arole (enten'e( ,ere virtually unkno,n. But t&ey e8!loded a( !art o* ,&at t&e A;2U 'all( Ameri'a?( 0late6t,entiet&6'entury ob(e((ion ,it& ma(( in'ar'eration and e8treme, in&umane !enaltie(.0 %&e re!ort?( aut&or "enni*er %urner (tate( t&at today, t&e U7 i( 0virtually alone in it( ,illingne(( to (enten'e non6violent o**ender( to die be&ind bar(.0 2i*e ,it&out !arole *or non6violent (enten'e( &a( been ruled a violation o* &uman rig&t( by t&e Euro!ean ;ourt o* >uman Cig&t(. %&e UK i( one o* only t,o 'ountrie( in Euro!e t&at (till mete( out t&e !enalty at all, and even t&en only in 4# 'a(e( o* murder. Even ,it&in Ameri'a?( (tarkly ra'ially6'&arged !enal (y(tem, t&e di(!aritie( in non6 violent li*e ,it&out !arole are (tunning. About $4E o* t&e !ri(oner( identi*ied nation,ide by t&e A;2U are A*ri'an Ameri'an. 1n 2oui(iana, t&at !ro!ortion ri(e( to #1E, in'luding "a'k(on and .a(&ington ,&o are bot& bla'k. %&e U7 &a( t&e &ig&e(t in'ar'eration rate in t&e ,orld, ,it& 2.3 million !eo!le no, in 'u(tody, ,it& t&e ,ar on drug( a'ting a( t&e overriding !u(&6*a'tor. -* t&e !ri(oner( (erving li*e ,it&out !arole *or non6violent o**en'e( nation,ide, t&e A;2U e(timate( t&at almo(t 5 E ,ere *or drug6related 'rime(. Again, t&e o**en'e( involved 'an be (tartlingly !etty. Brug 'a(e( itemi(ed in t&e re!ort in'lude a man (enten'ed to die in !ri(on *or &aving been *ound in !o((e((ion o* a 'ra'k !i!e9 an o**ender ,it& a bottle 'a! t&at 'ontained a tra'e o* &eroin t&at ,a( too (mall to mea(ure9 a !ri(oner arre(ted ,it& a tra'e amount o* 'o'aine in t&eir !o'ket too tiny to (ee ,it& t&e naked eye9 a man ,&o a'ted a( a go6bet,een in a (ale to an under'over !oli'e o**i'er o* mari)uana 6 (treet value 31 . Brug( are !re(ent in t&e ba'kground o* %imot&y "a'k(on?( 'a(e too. >e ,a( &ig& ,&en &e ,ent to t&e +ai(on Blan'&e (tore, and &e (ay( t&at a( a re(ult &e (&o!li*ted 0,it&out t&inking0. Parado8i'ally, like many o* t&e ot&er !ri(oner( on (imilar !enaltie(, t&e *ir(t time &e ,a( o**ered drug treatment ,a( a*ter &e &ad already been 'ondemned to (!end t&e re(t o* &i( li*e in )ail. %&e t&e*t o* t&e 314# )a'ket, taken in i(olation, 'arrie( today a (i86mont& )ail term. 1t ,a( 'ombined at "a'k(on?( (enten'ing &earing ,it& &i( !reviou( 'onvi'tion( 6 all *or non6violent 'rime( in'luding a robbery in ,&i'& &e took 321$ 6 t&at broug&t &im

under 2oui(iana?( brutal 0*our6(trike(0 la, by ,&i'& it be'ame mandatory *or &im to be lo'ked u! and t&e key t&ro,n a,ay. %&e A;2U 'on'lude( t&at it doe( not &ave to be t&i( ,ay 6 (uitable alternative( are readily at &and, in'luding (&orter !ri(on term( and t&e !rovi(ion o* drug treatment and mental &ealt& (ervi'e(. %&e organi(ation 'all( on ;ongre((, t&e -bama admini(tration and (tate legi(lature( to end t&e im!o(ition o* mandatory li*e ,it&out !arole *or non6 violent o**ender( and to re:uire re6(enten'ing &earing( *or all t&o(e already 'aug&t in t&i( )udi'ial bla'k &ole. A *e, mont&( a*ter %imot&y "a'k(on ,a( !ut a,ay *or li*e, a 2oui(iana a!!eal( 'ourt revie,ed t&e 'a(e and *ound it 0e8'e((ive0, 0ina!!ro!riate0 and 0a !rime e8am!le o* an un)u(t re(ult0. Be('ribing "a'k(on a( a 0!etty t&ie*0, t&e 'ourt t&re, out t&e (enten'e. %&e *ollo,ing year, in 1##5, t&e (tate?( (u!reme 'ourt gave a *inal ruling. 0%&i( (enten'e i( 'on(titutionally e8'e((ive in t&at it i( gro((ly out o* !ro!ortion to t&e (eriou(ne(( o* t&e o**en'e,0 'on'luded "udge Bernette "o&n(on. >o,ever, (&e *ound t&at t&e (tate?( *our (trike( la, t&at mandate( li*e ,it&out !arole 'ould only be overturned in rare in(tan'e(, and a( a re(ult (&e rein(tated t&e (enten'e 6 !utting "a'k(on ba'k in(ide &i( 'ell until t&e day &e die(. 01 am mu'& older and 1 &ave learned a lot about my(el*,0 "a'k(on ,rote to t&e A;2U *rom t&at 'ell. 01 am (orry *or t&e 'rime t&at 1 did, and 1 am a '&anged man.0 "a'k(on e8!re((ed a &o!e t&at &e ,ould be granted &i( *reedom ,&en &e ,a( (till young enoug& to make (omet&ing o* &i( li*e and 0&el! ot&er(0. But, barring a re*orm o* t&e la,, t&e day o* &i( relea(e ,ill never 'ome.