[Ppnews] Letter from Jalil Muntaqim to Supporters

[Political Prisoner News]

To: Friends and Supporters
Fr: A. Jalil Bottom
Re: Parole Denial
Dt: November 19, 2009

On 11/17/09, I sat before the parole board 
comprised of Parole Commissioner Ludlow and 
Commissioner Hagerty, also in the room were 
facility parole officers A.J. Ruters and M. 
Saben, with a stenographer recording the 
proceedings.  Commissioner Ludlow conducted the 
hearing, reviewing my parole folder and the 
record, placing no emphasis on any specific 
area.  I, of course, emphasized all of my 
achievements, the tremendous level of supporters 
in the country, including a victim impact 
statement urging my release on parole, letters 
from 2 San Francisco Supervisors, a letter from 
NYC councilman, and a letter from the Honorable 
Archbishop Desmond Tutu supporting my release on 
parole.  There were many letters from people of 
different walks of life extolling my achievements 
and exclaiming their support for my 
release.  More importantly and extraordinary 
was  the letter from Waverly Jones Jr., the son 
of the victim in this case on behalf of his 
family telling the parole board his family 
forgave me and stated there could be no closure 
for his family until I am released from prison.

The parole board ignored the overwhelming support 
from the community for my release, and denied me parole.

I have come to the conclusion after this, my 
fourth parole appearance, with essentially the 
same reasons for denying me parole, that the 
parole system is not a fair and impartial 
decision making body. It is a political 
institution with a law enforcement agenda. 
Because it has a law enforcement agenda the 
parole board is incapable of being fair and 
impartial in cases where a police officer’s death is involved.

Therefore, in order to win release from prison on 
parole it is necessary that progressive 
supporters understand how this institutional 
government bureaucracy operates in its self 
interest.  As a bureaucratic body part of the 
Executive government, it is beholden to the 
governor’s office and the state legislature.  The 
judiciary generally supports the law enforcement 
agenda of the parole board.  As an example, NYS 
appellate Division for the Third Department 
recently affirmed the decision of NYS Division of 
Parole rescinding the original granting of parole 
to a prisoner in a 1974 killing of a prisoner 
after the PBA demonstrated their dissatisfaction 
of the parole board’s original decision. The PBA 
actively persuaded the victim’s survivor to file 
a late negative impact statement.  The court 
ruled the importance of the victim impact 
statement compelled a reversal of the original 
granting of release.  Here, we find an obvious 
“double standard,” where a positive victim impact 
statement was filed in my behalf and it was 
ignored or disregarded because the victim’s 
family is also Black and considered less 
important in comparison to the self-interest of 
the law enforcement agenda.  For this “double 
standard” to be rectified and to effect a 
reversal of the parole decision it will be necessary to do the following:

1.    We need to organize a coalition of 
progressive folks willing and able to concentrate on this issue.

2.    The religious / faith based community must 
be brought on board in support of Archbishop 
Desmond Tutu’s position on humanitarian grounds after 38 years in prison.

3.    Elected officials must be challenged for 
their refusal and failure to intervene and oppose 
special interest groups of the PBA’s overwhelming 
influence over the parole board—circumventing 
court established sentences- and the 
rehabilitative achievements of prisoners. 
Specific elected officials must be targeted and 
urged to take a public stand against the practices of the parole board.

4.    Governor Patterson must be told his choice 
of parole chairman and commissioners must reflect the desires of the community.

The four above points are specific objectives 
that need to be addressed in a uniform and 
deliberate determination to effectuate change. If 
there is not a significant increase in support 
demanding my/our release, it will only be because 
progressives continue to do the same things or 
nothing expecting different results.  Instead 
they need to change their practices directly in 
response to the objective political reality of 
institutional repression and racism endemic of 
the NYS prison and parole system.

As I process the appeal of the parole denial, 
letters directed to both Gov. Patterson and NYS 
Division of Parole Chair Andrea Evans must 
continue. However, these letters need to be more 
demanding and poignant.  For example, Governor 
Patterson needs to be told in no uncertain terms, 
that because of his failure to release former BPP 
members, and his failure to monitor and correct 
the NYS Division of Parole adherence to former 
Gov. Pataki’s parole policy denying release to 
A-1 felons despite their rehabilitative 
achievements, the progressive community will not 
support his bid for re-election.

Governor Patterson needs to receive hundreds of 
letters, faxes & phone calls making this 
point--adamantly campaigning against him unless 
he becomes responsive to the progressive 
community’s desires and demands. This position 
must be held in every borough through NYC, and 
other elected officials should be taken to task 
on this issue.  Furthermore, a campaign should be 
directed to elected officials, especially State 
legislators, demanding the resignation of the 
Chairwoman of the NYS Parole Board for continuing 
the former Gov. Pataki’s parole policies and for 
succumbing to the PBA’s pressure and 
propaganda.  We need to demand the resignation of 
Andrea Evans, further demanding the appointment 
of a chairperson reflecting the desires of our community.

This is “Power Politics” that will require the 
powers that be take notice--and the strength of 
the initiative will ultimately yield our success.

Yours in Struggle for Freedom

Jalil



Freedom Archives
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San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

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