Edwin Jay Hutchison
CDCR Number: P-68859
Housing Unit: 2-N-79L
CSP-SQ/One Main Street
San Quentin, CA 94964

September 29, 2013

"Human beings are the only creatures who are able to behave irrationally in the name of reason..."
- Quote by: Ashley Montagu

Hello world,

The above quote brings to my mind a good topic: What about all the forgotten men and women that "Prop. 36 - the Three Strikes Reform Act of California" - does not consider?

On November 6, 2012, the people of the state of California voted to amend the state's "Three Strikes Law" in order to 1.) save taxpayer dollars, and 2.) give the courts to ability to "re-sentence non-violent, non-serious three-strikers" to prison terms lesser than the mandatory 25-YEARS-TO-LIFE.

So now that "Prop. 36" has been passed by the state's voters and all the ballyhoo and apprehension over the release of "non-violent, non-serious three-strikers" is coming to an end, what about the over 7,500 "three-strikers" with non-violent, but "SERIOUS" offenses who do not qualify for relief? I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't all "felonies" SERIOUS? What about us? There are still far too many individuals for whom "Prop. 36" will not affect (like me) and in my humble opinion, I feel much more additional labor is required in our society's current criminal justice system and the outrageous sentencing guidelines in order to accomplish any significant and efficient reform of the "Three Strikes Laws".

As I am a political prisoner of this law, on January 28, 2000, I was convicted and sentenced to THIRTY (30) YEARS-TO-LIFE for a non-violent, no weapons involved, with no physical injuries inflicted 2nd-degree robbery of a fast food restaurant. I was highly intoxicated on the drug "crack-cocaine" during the commission of this crime. I offer this as no excuse for my actions, it's just the FACTS. However, I do take full accountability for my negative acts on the night of April 21, 1999 and I do deserve some form of punishment; however, when I was sentenced under this law, in actuality, I was sentenced to "capital punishment" as the three strikes law for me is a "DEATH SENTENCE IN SLOW MOTION".

Interestingly enough, I was sentenced under this law while this was only my SECOND felony conviction, ever! Hence, I am NOT the type of individual for whom this law was originally designed for; which was, MURDERERS, CHILD MOLESTERS, RAPISTS, CAREER OFFENDERS, and other DANGEROUS CRIMINALS. Prior to my arrest in 1999, before my addiction to drugs and alcohol derailed my life, I was employed at Boeing Aerospace Corporation as a COMPUTER SUPPORT TECHNICIAN. I had a wife, supported two children, had a home, cars, etc., and to any outside observer they would've thought that I lived "a wonderful and good life". Yet, in truth, I endured many internal struggles beginning in childhood that were never addressed, and these "issues" exacerbated themselves then manifested into me developing an alcohol and drug addiction as a means of coping with the realities of my life.

As a result, my current conviction, as mentioned, was an act of desperation while I was under the highly-addictive influence of "crack-cocaine", and I can honestly say that if it wasn't for me abusing that drug, I would NOT be sitting here in this tiny cell at San Quentin State Prison. Please understand, I do take full accountability and complete responsibility for my actions and I accept the consequences thereof; but my question is a simple one: Are the people of the state of California really "SAFER" by locking me away for the rest of my life because I stole money from a fast foods restaurant? While "high on crack-cocaine"? I fully admit that my behavior on the night of March 21, 1999 when I committed this "grand theft" was so wrong in so many ways, without a doubt, and I do deserve some form of penalty, but how can anyone justify me receiving a prison term GREATER THAN A FIRST-DEGREE MURDERER? I have a 30-years-to-life sentence and if the laws don't change, my reality is plain and clear, I WILL DIE IN PRISON...

Nevertheless, I am not the only one who must face this "reality". As mentioned, there are currently over 7,500 prisoners in California who are serving "capital punishment" prison terms in the form of "death sentences in slow motion" since 1994. The most ludicrous fact about this is that over 57% of these are NON-VIOLENT, but "serious" three-strikers, who must serve a MANDATORY 25 YEARS before they will even be eligible for parole! What is even more incredible to me is how the people of the state of California seemed to have developed "selective amnesia" to the fact that their hard-earned taxpayer dollars are being funnelled into the California prison industrial complex at an alarming rate. Where is your monies going?

Prime example, I am 53 years old and have been diagnosed by the state as a "chronic care" inmate. Meaning that I've been designated as a "geriatric prisoners with special medical needs", concerns and treatments that alone, by myself, will cost the state's taxpayers an average of about $138,000 PER YEAR for the next 17 years.

Let's do the math! The "CDCR" currently has over 21,000 prisoners over the age of 50, so at my rate this will cost the taxpayers approximately close to $28,980,000,000 per year! Does this make any sense to you?

Conversely, the governor wants more funds for a failed "REALIGNMENT PLAN" ($315 MILLION) in order to ease the prison's overcrowding problems while he (Gov. Jerry Brown) wants to cut higher education and endangering K-12 funding for public schools. All of which will do nothing to solve the prison perplexities within this state.

For California's taxpayers to foolishly invest so much money to keep someone like me imprisoned FOR LIFE, is preposterous. Ask yourself, are these taxpayers really getting their money's worth? With all their hard-earned taxpayer dollars spent, has "public safety" improved? The taxpayers' dollars are funding a $6 BILLION dollar "CDCR" annual budget, yet, the "CDCR" leads the nation with a rate of recidivism hovering around 70%, while violent crime has dropped at a far greater rate in other "non-three-strikes" states in this country. Why is that?

Wake up, people! With so much taxpayers' dollars being siphoned away from California's educational and social programs in order to advocate and finance a prison system which neither promotes nor improves public safety, and does nothing to fully "rehabilitate" prisoners, is a "recipe for creating havoc", and makes no common sense at all.

It's time for law-makers, policy-makers, and the taxpayers of the state of California to take a real hard and serious look at how to save this state's money and consequently devise a more desirable plan for "public safety" by permitting more resource to be appropriated towards education instead of building more prisons.

I offer this SOLUTION, not only for myself, but for the other non-violent 7,500+ "three-strikers". Not only am I striving to overturn my conviction, my sentence, and my conditions here in prison, I am seeking one important thing... JUSTICE!!! I am 53 YEARS OLD, with ONE (1) PRIOR felony conviction stemming from a 1989 "plea bargain" deal! My current conviction is a "non-violent" crime; however, here I will sit until the year 2027 or until I die!

WHERE IS THE JUSTICE IN THAT?!

Truly, California's three strikes law is a failed experiment and it is time for the people in this state to realize that this law was enacted and based upon flawed data and analysis, illogical correlations to the truth, and evidence supported by "FEAR". Every day, I am reminded of the inequity and fundamental unfairness of this law, and how this life imprisonment has affected my family, friends, my neighbors, and my life.

When will the people of the state of California seek to FULLY amend the injustice of the three strikes laws and make the necessary changes in this law that will bring "equality" in accordance with the law?

It's time to bring all "non-violent" three-strikers home...

Peace...

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