Reply ID: qe4x

Hello Jamie,

I'm glad to hear from you. You should know that the American judicial system is quite peculiar. It's pliable enough to institute racism yet rigid enough to appear not so. Killers and rapists generally do not get more time than drug dealers though there are plenty of exceptions. Refer to the Bureau of Justice Statistics at the Department of Justice or any state government.

Here in Connecticut the maximum one can get for 1st degree murder is 60 years. For sexual assault it's 20. It's the same for dealing drugs. The exceptions are what you tend to hear about.

Due to the peculiar tendencies of this system I really shouldn't go into the cases I've been falsely convicted of. At any future court appearance or even a parole hearing everything I mention will be used against me every way they can. For example, just mentioning what I've been convicted of will be construed as my being boastful. One guy had his parole taken away from him after a former celly (who was free) called the parole board and lied to them. As such, the information you seek is widely available to the general public with regards to all current and former prisoners. We have almost no privacy rights (in the name of safety and security, of course).

What I will say is that I am innocent. Contrary to popular belief, most prisoners do not make this claim. Understand that prior to conviction nearly everyone plead Not Guilty. To state otherwise at any time or place will be considered a confession and used to convict you and get you the most time a judge can give, lawfully or unlawfully. It's up to you to figure it our and try to appeal the conviction/sentence. There are literally thousands of people eligible for a lesser sentence but don't know it because a court made a ruling in a particular case and no one is required to say anything to those eligible.

Jamie, feel free to ask me anything you like and I'll do my best in answering.

Sincerely,
Rich.