[Ppnews] Veronza Bowers, Jr. Update

[Political Prisoner News]

Dear Friends,

Sorry to be out of touch with you for so long. As most of you know, 
Veronza's "final" hearing on his petition for mandatory parole was 
held on October 6, 2005. All five-members members of the U.S. Parole 
Commission convened in Washington, D.C. due to intervention in the 
case by Attorney General, Albert Gonzales. At his request the 
Commission reconsidered its two previous decisions, both of which 
granted Veronza release on mandatory parole after serving a 
full-sentence of 30 years plus 18 months of detention beyond his 
mandatory release date. There is no precedent and no rule permitting 
intervention by the Attorney General in this case. Yet, the very 
highest parole authority in the nation, yielding to pressure from the 
Bush administration, changed its rules and agreed to meet for a third 
time to decide Veronza's fate.

This case has been given extremely high priority by the 
administration in response to a request by the Fraternal Order of 
Police (the largest police lobby in the nation) to keep Veronza 
imprisoned for life in spite of having served his full sentence and 
being a model prisoner with an spotless record for the past 21 years. 
As mentioned, the FOP enlisted the aide of U.S. Attorney General who 
intervened directly through the head of the criminal division, Alice 
Fisher. Not surprisingly, by politicizing the case and throwing the 
full power of the Department of Justice, the Bush administration was 
able to strong-arm the Parole Commission to reverse its two prior 
decisions granting Veronza parole. In doing so, it abandoned its 
commitment to fairness and impartiality in favor a partisan political agenda.

During the six-weeks prior to the December hearing I worked very 
closely with Bryan Gaynor, Veronza's lead attorney, to formulate 
strategy and help write numerous responses to legal briefs responding 
the AG's arguments. After the decision was handed down, I had assumed 
everyone would be informed, but many of you have written to say you 
did not receive notice. Please accept my apologies for this lapse in 
communication.

In its December 6th decision, the U.S. Parole Commission reversed its 
previous decisions based on a narrow interpretation of the statue 
governing mandatory parole. It was decided that Veronza violated 
"serious" institutional rules during his incarceration, was a "threat 
to society" and likely to re-offend if released from prison. This 
conclusion is in direct contradiction to the opinion of prison 
administrators and unit managers who worked hand-in-hand with 
Veronza, a highly-respected authority on prison recidivism who 
subjected him to rigorous psychological testing, prominent attorneys, 
seasoned parole examiners and a member of the U.S. Congress all of 
whom testified on-the-record at numerous hearings supporting 
Veronza's petition for parole.

I will avoid going into all the details involved in this most recent 
round of events. (For more information and updates, please go to 
Veronza's web site at http://veronza.org) I do, however, want to 
emphasize that this reversal is clearly a violation of the U.S. 
Parole Commission's own rules and regulations and in blatant 
disregard to Veronza's civil and human rights guaranteed by the 
Constitution. Unfortunately, Veronza is only one of over six million 
Americans caught in the Never Neverland of our country's 
Prison-Industrial Complex. The reality is that the rule of law in 
this nation is being overwritten and subverted by the very 
individuals and agencies sworn to uphold it. Indeed, one does not 
have to go to Iraq to witness gross violations of human rights and 
prison abuse. It's happening right here in our own back yard. Through 
my involvement in Veronza's case, I have gotten a close-up look at 
how things work in 21st-century America and fear greatly for our 
vulnerable democracy.

Is this the last word on the matter? No! Are we giving up? Absolutely 
not! We are not retreating from our goal of having Veronza returned 
to the loving arms of his family and friends any more than Nelson 
Mandela's supporters gave up during his 27 years of incarceration in 
apartheid South African prisons.

What next?

Since the official "notice of action" as it relates to the USPC 
decision is devoid of any meaningful content, we have sent the 
Commission a demand under the Freedom of Information Act for the 
complete transcript of the October 6th hearing along with all related 
written materials to determine the basis on which their reversal was 
rendered. Once we have this information in hand, there is yet another 
"final" reconsideration to be submitted to the Commission requesting 
that it reinstate its original decision. Once "all administrative 
remedy" has been exhausted, we will consider, yet again, suing the 
USPC in federal court. In all honesty, we are looking ahead to years 
of work and thousands of dollars to bring closure to this issue and 
gain Veronza the freedom he so clearly deserves. I speak on behalf of 
Veronza's friends, family and supports in letting you know we are 
totally committed to this vision and will not rest until it is realized.

Once more, I apologize to those of you who have been left out of the 
loop. Your generosity and support over the years has been awesome and 
deeply appreciated. I spoke with Veronza a few days ago and he asked 
me to tell you that he is doing well under the circumstances and 
sends his love and sincere thanks to all of you. I promise keep you 
better posted in the future as the case evolves.

All the best,

Monty

PS If you prefer not to receive these updates, please let me know and 
I will remove your name from the list.

-- 

http://www.veronza.org



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