[News] Protest Theresa Cruz's Parole Denial!!!

[News at freedomarchives.org]

From: "Diana Block" <dianablock2046 at hotmail.com>

Greetings all,
Many of you have asked what can be done in response to the outrageous 
denial of parole for Theresa Cruz for the seventh time.  After consulting 
with her attorney, we have put together a sample letter (attached and 
below) which can be faxed to the Board of Prison Terms with copies sent to 
Senators Burton, Kuehl and Vasconcellos.  Please feel free to put the 
message into your own words.  Theresa will also be proceeding with a court 
appeal of her parole denial.

I also want to let all of Theresa's supporters know that her mother, 
Theresa Azochar, has been diagnosed with liver cancer.  Theresa Azochar has 
been a tireless fighter in support of her daughter's freedom and that of 
many other incarcerated survivors of domestic violence.  The family is 
trying to raise funds to provide Theresa Azochar with alternative therapies 
which her HMO will not provide.  Please make checks payable to "Theresa 
Azochar Cancer Fund" and mail to:

A. Martinez
c/o Theresa Azochar
P.O. Box 1086
Alpine, CA  91903

Thanks to all of you for your ongoing support of Theresa Cruz and her family!

Margarita Perez, Chair
Board of Prison Terms
1515 K St., Suite 600
Sacramento, CA  95814
FAX# - 916-445-5242

Re:  Theresa Cruz, #W-40058

Dear Ms. Perez:

I want to express my outrage at the denial of parole to Theresa Cruz at her 
last Board hearing on October 21, 2004.  There is no possible justification 
for refusing to release Ms. Cruz. This decision simply exposes the 
continuing and obvious arbitrariness and injustice of the Parole Board's 
proceedings!

At her hearing, Ms. Cruz presented a clear release plan, offers of 
employment and letters of reference from prison staff.  She had over four 
hundred community letters written in support of her release.  She had a 
letter strongly supporting release from the victim of her offense.  She 
also had a letter in support of her release from Senator Sheila 
Kuehl.  Yet, she was denied parole for the seventh time!

Commissioner Angele who presided over the hearing had little to say to 
explain his denial.  He pointed to her psychiatric evaluation as the reason 
for denial, but the conclusion of the psychiatric evaluation was that Ms. 
Cruz would "NO LONGER RESORT TO ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOR OR SEEK OUT THE 
CRIMINAL ELEMENT WITHIN SOCIETY, SHOULD SHE BE PAROLED", a statement which 
clearly indicates that she is ready for release.

Commissioner Angele also cited her original commitment offense as a reason 
for denial.  Let me remind you that Theresa Cruz was heavily medicated on a 
prescription drug Xanax at the time of the offense, and the victim of the 
offense made a full recovery from all of his injuries.  She has now served
over thirteen years for this offense and was eligible for parole seven 
years ago.  The victim now supports her release.  Under parole guidelines, 
how can the original offense still be used to deny her freedom?

Ms. Cruz has four children and four grandchildren with whom she has managed 
to maintain close ties despite her incarceration.  They are eagerly 
awaiting her return home.    She is considered an exemplary prisoner by the 
prison staff (who have written many laudatory chronos on her behalf which 
were read into the record by her attorney), and she has fulfilled all 
directions given to her at past parole hearings to satisfy the Parole 
Board's requirements for release.

When the Parole Board repeatedly denies someone like Theresa Cruz release, 
you lose all credibility in the public eye.  I urge you in the strongest 
possible terms to reverse this illogical decision and parole Theresa Cruz 
immediately!

Sincerely,



Cc:     Senator John Burton             415-557-1252 (fax)
         Senator Sheila Kuehl            916-324-4823 (fax)
         Senator John Vasconcellos       916-324-0283 (fax)





The Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
www.freedomarchives.org 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20041110/05977f3d/attachment.htm>