https://betweenthebars.org/blogs/518/librado-clemena-jr
Reply ID: d26x

Librado Clemena Jr. J-94579
Valley State Prison
P.O. Box 92 B4-18-3L
Chowchilla, CA 93610-0092

February 16, 2014

Hi jrowan!

What's going on? Wow! I really do apologize for not responding to your response on my post: "Just a Shout Out to All Bloggers!" back in March 2012. I have no excuse or anything else to say, but I totally had misplaced your response and added your envelope to the rest of my mail as if I had already answered it. See, periodically, I will browse through all of my mail and get rid of the old-old stuff and I'll be damned, there I see your envelope and nothing is written on the outside of it. I have a habit of writing the date on the outside of the envelope once I've answered it. Wow, I don't even know where to begin. I feel so bad for not answering your reply. We're almost two years from the date I received it.

Anyways, I find it very interesting that you said you're pro-rehabilitation rather than incarceration. For me, that is all I can do in my spare time. I am always in some self-help group/program or I'm submitting proposals to implement new groups/programs here in the prison. I believe in helping those who seek and desire change in their lives. As I was told many times before, "Nobody can change an individual, but themselves!" and as my twelve step sponsor shared with me many times, "You will change or you will not change, the choice is yours!" Doesn't this make so much sense?

You remember what I wrote in my post back then, right? About the millions of dollars the government spends on incarcerating non-violent people? Look, that was practically two years ago and still today, the local government is continuously refusing to abide by federal court orders to decrease the inmate population here in California due to overcrowding! I have mutual feelings with you about incarcerating those who require and need to be imprisoned, but for heinous acts of crime.

However, here in California, we have been going through so many changes with overcrowding prisons that the Department of Corrections has been under federal receivership for quite some time, and if you were to ask if there has been any improvement? The answer would be, "I think NOT!" We continue to experience the news that there are still inmates suffering and dying at the hands of irresponsible medical staff or outright does not care about incarcerated human beings! (Browse www.cdcr.gov.org or Los Angels Times and Sacramento Bee February 4, 2014. You will find some interesting news about California's penal system).

Jrowan, I am one of California's Third Strike offenders. I've been incarcerated for the past twenty years for a first degree residential burglary that I DID NOT commit! I am guilty of purchasing stolen items from a couple of individuals, and shame on me for doing this. But for a non-license prosecutor to find me guilty of the actual crime, that is injustice! Yes, I said non-licensed prosecutor because I received some documents from the California State Bar Association informing me they have no record of Carolyn N. Peck being licensed to practice law in this state. Imagine that.

I have attempted to contact attorneys and law firms to see if I can get some assistance on this. You know what they want: something I don't have—the financial means to hire private investigators and so on...

However, I am at peace with myself in understanding the circumstances of my case and what have you. I have accepted the fact that this life term that I'm serving is for a reason, and you know what that is? For all the bad that I've ever done in my past, I am paying my dues now and I'm comfortable with that. It's just how I see it today. I feel when it is time for Librado to be released from prison, then it'll happen, whether it be on the expected release date by the prison board or if the laws change, etc.

What is your opinion on the California prison system—if you are aware of the turmoil CDCR has been going through along with the federal courts? It is so interesting to hear those from the outside world on their perspective of what's been occurring, and it gives those of us in here a better idea of the voters' minds.

I say this to say look when the Three Strike Law was passed in California back in 1994. It was ONLY meant to for VIOLENT CRIMES because of Richard Allen Davis kidnapping and murdering Polly Klaas, which he had been recently paroled from prison. The bill was initially put out to the public that it would only pertain to those who are repeated violent offenders (i.e. murderers, rapists, and child molesters), which once the local government manipulated the voters to pass the bill into law, the verbiage was completely changed to affect anyone whether they committed a violent and/or heinous crime or not. And now the local government wants to complain about the recent rulings from the federal courts!

The courts have ordered back in 2009 for the CDCR to decrease its population and, since then, there has been nothing but extension after extension. The most recent order by the three judge panel granting a two-year extension to the CDCR to comply with their orders. I wish those of us who have in the past violated court orders were given exceptional treatment that has been provided to CDCR and the Governor of California! Someone with some common sense needs to step up and make CDCR abide by the laws set forth!

Jrowan, I will close on this note because I can go on and on, but I don't want to bore you with prison stuff. Therefore, I hope to hear from you soon, now that you have my direct address at the top of the page. Take good care and I patiently await your interesting reply.

Gratefully at peace,
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Librado Clemens, Jr.