Revive the Federal Parole System
by Sundiata Acoli, January 2006

Under the present system most federal prisoners must serve 85% of their sentences before being released. Almost no provisions exist for federal prisoners to earn early release thru good behavior, superior work performance, outstanding achievements and the like. A federal prisoner sentenced to 10 years today must serve 8 1/2 years before being released; one sentenced to 20 years must serve 17 years before release, no if, ands or buts.

Under the old Federal Parole System all first-offenders were eligible for parole after serving 1/3, or 33%, of their sentence. Also, most were actually paroled after completing 1/3 of their sentence and all reached *mandatory release* upon serving 2/3, or 67%, of their sentence. A federal prisoner sentenced to 10 years under the old laws was usually paroled after doing 3 1/3 years and reached mandatory release at 6 2/3 years; one sentenced to 20 years was normally paroled after 6 2/3 years, or mandatorily released after 13 1/3 years.

Now Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL) has introduced to the House, HR 3072, a bill To Revive the System of Parole for Federal Prisoners. In order to get this bill passed he needs the support of other congresspersons nationwide.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Write and/or call *your* Congressperson (*contact info provided below) and urge him/her to "co-sponsor HR 3072, a bill *To Revive the System of Parole for Federal Prisoners*," so that:

1) Your family member, loved one or friend in the federal prison may be released early and reunited with you earlier;

and/or

2) Billions of tax dollars being spent to confine mostly non-violent drug offenders can be saved or diverted to better and proven methods of solving drug abuse and addiction problems;

and/or

3) A safer society can be built by promoting rehabilitation, shorter incarceration times for deserving prisoners, relief of dangerous prison overcrowding, prohibition of another wasteful and futile spree of prison-building and promotion of a better use of public funds to strengthen needed social programs;

and/or

4) Whatever other reasons you feel the old Federal Parole System should be reviewed.

After you write and/or call your Congressperson, get your family members and friends to write/call their Congressperson.

*To get your Congresspersons address(es) and telephone numbers access http://www.visi.com/juan/congress and click on *your* state; it will give you all contact info for your Congressperson. Write your Congressperson at her/his local office. It will reach him/her faster. Letters to his/her Washington D.C. address will be delayed several months while being checked for anthrax.

Learn more about brilliant mathematician and heroic revolutionary Sundiata Acoli at www.assatashakur.org and write to him at:

Sundiata Acoli, 39794-066
P.O. Box 3000
USP Allenwood, White Deer, PA 17887