Hope and Prayer
11-15-12

To all of my friends and family, I'm mailing in a real positive post this week. This morning I read some legal material that gave me some light at the end of my prison tunnel. Here is the gist of what I read. The governor of GA, Jerry Brown, said that in 2013 he wants to shut down 10 state prisons. He wants to allow all inmates with life sentences half time. So if you work you can get half of your sentence knocked off. It will save millions of dollars. Everyone who knows me knows that I'm a realist, so if this half time thing happens then I'll be so very very pleased, but I will not set myself up for a failure. Never count your chickens before they hatch. What this would mean for me is I will actually get out of prison. For now, though, I have 68 years to life to do; I'm on my 19th yr. Please pray for the government to give all of us lifers half time. Lord knows I've learned my lesson. Is this hope for me? I guess so. But what I really need is for a good attorney to come visit me and tell me that he will represent me in a court of law. The half time thing would be a real miracle. I never have any good luck, so if I do get a parole date and get out, it will be by the grace of God. I truly believe that I will get out some day, when only God knows.

Here is one of the things about being a lifer, you sit behind these walls years after years and you have no hope of parole. Since I have got to CMC, I have watched several lifers parole. So now I'm starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. Hope is alive and prayer has always been there. These lifers I've watched get out have all had 25 to 30 yrs in. I'm on yr 19. In this 19th yr I've gained hope. This governor Jerry Brown is actually a good governor. He's the only gov of CA that I have ever seen allow lifers to go home. I still don't want to get my hopes up just to get the big let down so I won't discuss this any longer. I'll keep everyone posted on my chances at a parole date. I could use everyone's prayers. I have a few things I need to do today, I'll write more later.

Donnie

I'm enclosing a name/address of someone who will know 4 sure if lifers are gonna get half time in 2013 or is it just another rumor that citizens make up on the Internet, type it and send it to prisoners to drive us crazy. Sounds like a move a guard would pull just to get kicks out of it.

Jean Weiss
Office of the Ombudsman
1515 "S" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

Respectfully

Donnie