Please take action by sending letters to Governor Greg Abbott and other officials, sending e-mails, and making phone calls to demand that Roberto is moved out of administrative confinement to the federal jail system.

I am writing to you today to ask that you consider the case of Roberto Vera Jr.

Roberto was sentenced to 30 years in prison in Texas, and has been moved to serve his sentence at the Polunsky Unit. He has been denied his rights as a human being and is being punished unfairly for his crimes. I am asking that he be moved to federal custody so that he can be treated justly and fairly under federal law, as well as request that his attorney be replaced with a new one.

Robert's attorney died during trial, meaning he was unable to provide adequate representation. This has led to a violation of his rights, unfair sentencing and harsh punishment for what was merely a crime committed by a man under duress. In addition, his appointed attorney did not do adequate investigation of his history and repeatedly stated that they were not interested in a trial; this lack of research led to an unfair sentence and harsh treatment. There are many grounds for appeal, but someone in custody cannot pay the legal fees for proper representation in Appellate Court. These can range from $10K-$25K. Organizations have been contacted for pro bono services, but he has yet to receive help of any kind. He was ultimately ordered to serve his sentence at the Polunsky Unit. This is known as not only the harshest compound in the state, but also one of the top 10 harshest compounds in the nation. The crime does not match the punishment.

The state should be held responsible for these injustices against Robert, but instead they have refused repeated requests from him and his family members for help with legal matters - especially the transfer of custody to federal. This is not a big ask. He was first sentenced with federal and his sentencing is set to run concurrent. The standard is that he return to federal custody after state sentencing, but his requests have been ignored.