[Ppnews] Support Jalil Muntaqim's Appeal of Parole Denial!

[Political Prisoner News]

Support Jericho Co-Founder
Jalil Muntaqim's Appeal
of Parole Denial!
TO: Friends and Supporters
FR: Anthony “Jalil” Bottom
RE: Parole Appeal Letter Initiative
DT: August 2, 2006



Dear Friends and Supporters:
On August 1, 2006 , for the third time I had a 
parole board hearing at Auburn Correctional 
Facility. The parole hearing was conducted by 
Commissioners K. Ludlow, L. Lazzari and A. Croce, 
all of whom are Republicans appointed to their 
positions by Republican Governor George Pataki. 
Governor Pataki has in place an unwritten policy 
that all those convicted of violent crimes be 
denied parole. After Kathy Boudin was paroled at 
her third appearance, Governor Pataki publicly 
stated he would not have paroled her. He then 
summarily demoted the Chairman of the Div. of 
Parole, and replaced him with one of his 
Republican appointees, Mr. Robert Dennison.

In the July 20, 2006 New York Law Journal, it was 
reported that prior to Robert Dennison's 
appointment as Chairman, he functioned as a 
parole commissioner. Chairman Robert Dennison is 
presently being sued for acting outside of his 
authority while he was a commissioner. The 
lawsuit alleges that Robert Dennison, 
disapproving of two other commissioners granting 
parole to a prisoner on a panel he was serving, 
soon after met the family member of the victim. 
He suggested to the victim's family member that 
the prisoner “should die in prison,” persuading 
that family member to make a statement opposing 
the prisoner's release on parole. Then 
Commissioner Dennison conducted a new parole 
hearing after ensuring the first was rescinded, 
and denied the prisoner's release on parole. The 
prisoner is now suing Robert Dennison, but for 
this act Governor Pataki awarded Dennison the 
Chairman position of the Division of Parole.

In 2004, Mr. Waverly Jones, Jr., the son of one 
of the police officers killed in my case, met 
with then Chairman Dennison, providing a victim 
impact statement. Mr. Jones informed Chairman 
Dennison that he felt that I and my co-defendant 
had done enough time in prison, that he and his 
family had forgiven us for the crime, if in fact 
we were guilty of it, and questioned the policy 
of continuously hitting us at the parole board 
every 2 years. Subsequently, that victim impact 
statement was not provided to the parole 
commissioners conducting my 2004 parole hearing. 
I was summarily denied parole in 2004, for the 
very same reasons I was denied in 2002.

At the 2006 parole hearing, none of the three 
parole commissioners mentioned the victim impact 
statement or the many other accomplishments 
provided them as part of my institutional record. 
In fact, the commissioners were not aware that I 
had obtained both a BS in Psychology and a BA in 
Sociology from SUNY New Paltz in 1994, or that I 
received two commendations for preventing prison 
gang riots, or accomplished other vocational 
training. However, when I raised my concerns 
about the July 20, 2006 New York Law Journal 
report of the suit against Chairman Dennison and 
his failure to provide the favorable 2004 victim 
impact statement advocating my release on parole 
to the parole commissioners, the only comment was 
by Commissioner A. Croce, who asked how I got a 
copy of the transcript of the victim impact statement.

These parole denials are in direct violation of 
the legislative mandate in Executive Law §259i, 
that establishes the standard that parole 
commissioners are to consider for parole 
releases. It is obvious that the NYS parole 
system has become a political tool of nepotism by 
the Governor, where 16 commissioners are Republicans.

I am preparing my appeal of the parole denial. In 
this regards, I am asking for your support. 
Please write a protest letter to Chairman Robert 
Dennison, NYS Division of Parole, 97 Central 
Avenue , Albany, New York 12206, and demand that 
a FULL BOARD REVIEW be conducted of Anthony 
“Jalil” Bottom's August 1, 2006 parole denial. We 
need as many letters as possible to be sent 
protesting the parole denial and Governor Pataki's unwritten parole policy.

Thank you for your support.
Anthony Jalil Bottom

To read Jalil's Parole Appeal Brief, 
<http://www.freejalil.com/paroleappeal1.html>click here!

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National Jericho Movement • P.O. Box 340084 • Jamaica, NY 11434


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