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<div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><b><i>NOW IS THE
TIME TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!<br>
</i></b></div>
Dear Friends,<br><br>
<br><br>
My name is Alexis Miles and I have </font><tt>taken over the task of
keeping everyone informed on the status of Veronza's appeal before the
U.S. Parole Commission while Monty Levenson is helping our lead attorney
with the legal brief in preparation for the October 5th</sup>
hearing.<br><br>
</tt><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3> <br><br>
We are coming to the end of a very long road and need your help.
</font><tt>On October 5th</sup> the U.S. Parole Commission will meet for
what may be the last time to vote on Veronza’s petition for mandatory
parole. He has been recommended for parole on several occasions only to
have his release rescinded literally at the very last moment due to
political pressure placed on the Commission by law enforcement agencies.
At his last hearing the full Commission met and voted to uphold Veronza’s
right to parole, tacitly rejecting the unfounded accusations levied
against Veronza by law enforcement agencies opposed to his
release.<br><br>
<br><br>
Now the U.S. Attorney General has intervened in a blatantly illegal
manner and convinced the Commission to change its procedural rules and
revote on Veronza’s petition. In this process the rule of law has been
subverted by the very agencies mandated by the U.S. Constitution to
uphold it. USPC Commissioners are being pressed to change their votes. In
the meanwhile, Veronza has completed his required 30-year sentence plus
16 months of illegal detention and still remains incarcerated.<br><br>
<br><br>
We have initiated this letter writing campaign
</tt><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>to help counter the false and
distorted image of him presented by the Fraternal Order of Police, FBI
and others. </font><tt>It is critical that we present a clear picture of
Veronza’s exceptional character to the Commission.
</tt><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>Please join us in writing to
the U.S. Parole Commission to express support for Veronza's release on
mandatory parole.<br><br>
<br><br>
<b>WHAT TO SAY: Please do not refer to Veronza as a political
prisoner or attempt to address the fairness of his original conviction.
This is not the concern of the U.S. Parole Commission and will only work
against him. This is the time to talk about Veronza’s character,
exemplary behavior and social skills. <br><br>
<br><br>
The Commission is concerned with two things: (1) Veronza’s behavior
while in prison, and (2) whether he will be a “threat to society” if he
is released. To be effective, our letters must address these
concerns. Therefore, please frame your letter in a positive light
and emphasize the following points: <br><br>
</b>
<ul>
<li>Veronza’s institutional adjustment has been exceptional. He is a
model prisoner with no violations or incident reports in over 20 years.
<li>He has used his time productively. His accomplishments while in
prison include earning an Associate of Arts degree, becoming an
accomplished musician, and mastering several hands-on healing techniques.
Many inmates have benefited from his work with healing meditation.
<li>He has engaged in many positive works during his incarceration. He
founded the All-Faith Meditation Group and established a chess
club. He has taught reading and problem solving skills to learning
disabled prisoners.
<li>He developed positive relationships with many prison administrators
and officials who consider him a role model and mentor for other
inmates. Prison unit managers and case managers have testified on
Veronza’s behalf at his parole hearings—a very rare occurrence. Here are
some of the things they have to said:
</ul><br>
<b>· </b>" ….<b> this is
exceptional that the inmate could conduct himself in an institution in
such a manner as not to even receive an incident report. Incident reports
are very easy to get and he has set the standard for not getting any
incident reports.”<br><br>
</b>· “Mr. Bowers has been someone
that we've counted on to handle our most difficult students….Mr. Bowers
has been a role model in the unit…. I have always heard him be very
respectful, very appropriate to staff and inmates.”<br><br>
· “Without Mr. Bowers drive and hard
work, the Chess Club would not be the high caliber organization it is
now. He deserves to be recognized for his efforts to improve himself and
to aid others.” <br><br>
· “Veronza Bowers, Jr.'s
contributions to the operations and programs of this institution's
Recreation Department have been both numerous and significant…. Mr.
Bowers can be depended upon to willingly and cheerfully perform any extra
task which the staff of this department might ask of him.”
<ul>
<li>Veronza has strong support among his family and friends who are eager
to assist him in his readjustment to the outside world. He has a job
awaiting as a paralegal upon his release.
<li>Because of his solid spiritual foundation, self-discipline and
maturity, it is very likely that he will be successful in life on the
outside and that he will benefit society.
<li>Veronza’s suitability for parole was extensively evaluated by an
independent, professional agency. The evaluation was conducted by
Mr. Hans J. Solvag, Clinical Director of the Augustus Institute, who is a
licensed clinical social worker. Mr. Solvag’s report stated that
Veronza does not have a value system typical of that found in criminal
populations and that he does not harbor a corrupt or criminally-oriented
style of thinking.
<li>The Clinical Director also reported that <b>the overwhelming majority
of Veronza’s confinement was without violation while replete with
pro-social accomplishment.</b> He stated that should Veronza
be granted parole, he would in all likelihood continue to engage in a
lifestyle that is respectful of himself and others. In other words,
Veronza is pro-social, not anti-social.
<li>Tell the Commissioners who you are and how long you have known
Veronza.
<li>If you have had direct contact with Veronza, talk about your
impressions of him and his positive impact on you and your life.
</ul><br>
<br><br>
It is best to speak in your own voice and to speak from your heart.
If you need help getting started, review the letters of support on
Veronza’s website, <a href="http://www.veronza.org/">www.veronza.org</a>,
or see the sample letter below. <br><br>
<br><br>
<b>Time is of the essence, so please write or, better yet, FAX your
letter to the Commission as soon as possible. Please use letterhead, if
possible. <br><br>
<br><br>
Fax or mail your letter to: <br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
U.S. Parole Commission<br><br>
Chairman Edward Reilly, Jr.<br><br>
</b>Cranston J. Mitchell<br><br>
Deborah A. Spagnoli<br><br>
Issac Fulwood<br><br>
Patricia Cushwa<br>
<b>5550 Friendship Boulevard, Suite 420<br>
Chevy Chase, MD 20815-7286<br>
FAX: (301) 492-5307 <br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
For added impact, Cc your letter to:<br><br>
<br><br>
Alberto Gonzales<br>
U.S. Attorney General<br>
U.S. Department of Justice<br>
950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW<br>
</b>Washington, DC 20530-0001<br><br>
<b> <br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
Thank-you for your continued help and support! Please share a copy
of your letter with us by e-mailing it to
<a href="mailto:veronzab@yahoo.com">veronzab@yahoo.com</a>.
<br><br>
<br><br>
Sincerely,<br><br>
<br><br>
The Freedom Team<br><br>
<br><br>
</b></font><tt>If you prefer not to receive these updates, please let me
know and I will remove your name from the list. <br><br>
</tt><div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><b><u>
Sample Letter<br><br>
</u></b></div>
[Date]<br><br>
<b> <br><br>
U.S. Parole Commission<br><br>
Chairman Edward Reilly, Jr.<br><br>
</b>Cranston J. Mitchell<br><br>
Deborah A. Spagnoli<br><br>
Issac Fulwood<br><br>
Patricia Cushwa<br>
<b>5550 Friendship Boulevard, Suite 420<br>
Chevy Chase, MD 20815-7286<br>
FAX: (301) 492-5307 <br><br>
<br><br>
</b> <br><br>
Re: Support for the Mandatory Parole of Veronza Bowers,
Jr.<br><br>
Dear U.S. Parole Commission,<br><br>
Veronza Bowers, Jr. is living proof that the American prison system can
and does work. In the 30-plus years of his confinement, Veronza has
become a model prisoner. He has used his time well and is an
accomplished musician, author and practitioner of hands-on healing
arts.<br><br>
His parole petitions have been strongly supported by numerous prison
officials and administrators who have worked closely with him and who
speak highly of him as a mentor and role model for younger
prisoners. Those who have worked with him agree that he is a living
example for what we hope other prisoners can achieve. <br><br>
While it is true that criminal behavior should be punished, it is also
true that rehabilitated prisoners should be released when they reach
parole eligibility or serve their sentence. Mr. Bowers, who is
clearly rehabilitated, has served more than 20 years beyond his initial
parole eligibility. In fact, he has completed a full 30-year term
and was scheduled for mandatory release on April 7, 2004. Yet, over
a year later, he is still in prison. <br><br>
Mr. Bowers is not a threat to society. A December 14, 2004 forensic
assessment stated that<b> “…Mr. Bowers, should he be granted parole,
would in all likelihood continue to engage in a lifestyle that is
respectful of himself and others.”<br><br>
</b>Mr. Bowers has an extensive network of family and friends outside of
prison who are anxious to aid his reintegration into society as a
productive citizen. He has a solid structure in place to help
ensure his success in the outside world, including a job, a home and many
supporters. <br><br>
In this case, the prison system has fulfilled its mission to protect
society and to rehabilitate inmates. I therefore urge you to remain
steadfast in upholding your decision to approve Veronza Bowers, Jr.’s
petition for mandatory parole.<br><br>
Sincerely,<br><br>
[Signature]<br><br>
[Insert your address if you are not using letterhead]<br><br>
<b> <br><br>
Cc: <br><br>
Alberto Gonzales<br>
U.S. Attorney General<br>
U.S. Department of Justice<br>
950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW<br>
</b>Washington, DC 20530-0001<br>
</font><x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
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Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
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