As the headline says, we have reached 255 signatures. This is a great milestone but it can only be that. We need this number be seen multiplying a dozen times over. At 500 we will be sharing a few words from Don himself as he continues to express his endless gratitude for all of the help. Another way that you can help is sending a letter to the Michigan Governor. Nearly 17 years ago this photo was taken with Don, Dianne and his great grandson, Help us bring him home so he can be a part of that young mans life along with the rest of his family. 

Here is an example of a letter that was recently sent to the State of Michigan. Write your own and send it out! 

Governor Gretchen Whitmer
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, Michigan 48909

and to 

Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, Michigan 48909

"""

Governor Whitmer and LT. Governor Gilchrist

I am writing you as a (Mother, Aunt, etc) constituent and Tax Payer of Michigan.

Our state is facing many problems such as deteriorating roadways, bridges, contaminated water, under funded educational systems and the least talked about subject “Prisons”.

During the Blanchard and Engler eras the prison system in Michigan ballooned out of control, costing me and many other Michigan tax payers hundreds of millions of dollars due to the Blanchard/Englar “Lock em up and throw away the key” strategy.

That strategy has not helped our State. We are driving on interstate highways that are full of potholes that wreck our vehicles and cost your constituents more money, interstate bridges that are falling apart and are dangerous to drive over or under, coupled with an education system that fails our children.

The “lock em up and throw away the key” strategy has not worked. Michigan's crime rate has not changed all that much. “Short Term” prisoners are released and most of them come back 2,3, and 4 times. While we keep our first degree murderers for decades upon decades in prison. Speaking from a statistical standpoint, these are the prisoners who should be released after having served 20,30, or even 40 years. The states first degree murders seldom, if ever, re-commit a violent crime. Their recidivism rate is one half of one percent.

The state currently spends approximately thirty six thousand one hundred five ($36,105) dollars per year to house a prisoner and there are approximately thirty eight thousand six hundred seventy eight (36,678) prisoners which comes to an approximately 1.4 billion dollars a year to house. Michigan's prisons are ranked first in three categories: having the oldest prison population, they serve the longest sentences, and the most prisoners per capita per state.

I know of two Michigan Department of Corrections MDOC prisoners, John English #174718, who has served over 39 years and Donald hall #120513, who has served over 46 years. Both are serving sentences for first degree murder. Combined, English and Hall have served 79 years and have cost me and other taxpayers $2,695,000.00, Excluding any medical procedures etc. etc. There are approximately 1258 prisoners serving first degree murder in Michigan, costing the taxpayers $45,420,090.00 per year. Isnt it time to look at these prisoners and give them a second chance?

The parole board has personally interviewed both English and Hall, along with reviewing their files many times in the past three or four decades and the result has always been “denied” or “no merit”. The parole board never gives any explanation for these denials or even explains what English or Hall must do to receive a favorable decision from them.

I have taken the liberty to enclose a formerly used MDOC policy directive (PD-D WA 45.12) along with two commutation and long term guidelines grids used in the 80s on prisoners serving first degree murder. The MDOC issued these to English #174718 and Hall #120513 which recommended that English served 22 years and that Hall served 30 years English is now 18 years past this MDOC recommendation and Hall is 16 years past his MDOC recommendation. Isn't it time to look at these prisoners and give them a second chance?

One way of curtailing The ever expanding MDOC budget so there is funding for our forsaken highways, bridges, contaminated water, and education system, would be to reinstate the use of the MDOC policy directive (PD-D WA 45.12) and reissue the grids to reduce prison population so together we can “ fix the damn roads “ by cutting the prison budget.

I would like to point out that the crimes of English #174718 , and Hall #120513 committed are no more heinous than many second degree murderers sentenced to life whose MDOC parole board has been releasing in droves through the public hearing process in fact the details and circumstances of many first degree murders pale in comparison to those of second degree murderers serving life sentences who have been released back into our community .

Governor Whitmer, you are a former prosecutor and know that the only difference between first degree murder and a second degree murder conviction is a pretrial plea deal that a prosecuting attorney approved of. I thank you for your time and consideration in reading this letter please feel free to contact me.
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