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President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
 For
fifty-one years, I said to the world, "I can do it."
Even though I walked with crutches and a leg brace because of
polio, I was editor of the college newspaper and was vice-president
of my fraternity. I married, taught high school English, adopted
two children, was promoted to district curriculum coordinator,
and was a high school principal. In 1997, my doctor and three
other physicians diagnosed Post Polio Syndrome, and I was forced
to retire from a job I loved. I thought my world had fallen apart,
but it wasn't until a year ago that I realized that my permanent
disability was insignificant. A year ago, our son was sentenced
to Yankton, SD Federal Prison Camp because of a drug law violation.
A low-level, non-violent, first-time offender, he was given
110 months. His sentence was not much less than a man who had
already "done time" and was far from being a low-level
offender, but he had names and stories that he could trade to
reduce his sentence. Our son was a "low man on the totem
pole" and had nothing to give to obtain relief. Was this
the intent of the lawmakers who passed the legislation under
which our son was sentenced, to the Mandatory Minimum Sentencing
Laws?
During the past year, our son has completed a college course
and is enrolled in two others. He is involved with the Choices
program, works with the chapel's music department, regularly
attends mass, has attended two inmates' baptisms, reads and writes
letters for an inmate whose English language proficiency is lacking,
attends and has conducted weekly NA meetings, and has been accepted
as a participant in the DAP (Drug Assistance Program) prior to
his release. But, because of the "no parole for federal
prisoners" law, all of those activities must be their own
reward; they will not be even considered for a supervised release.
I am no longer able to walk with my crutches for any distance
and must use a wheelchair. Many of the activities that I once
was able to perform have been lost to me. My son is sorely missed.
I could certainly use his assistance as I did during the time
after he was sentenced and he self-surrendered, exactly one year
ago on St Valentine's Day.
Monthly we travel to Yankton from our home in Council Bluffs,
nearly a three-hour drive. We see that our son is not the person
he was before he went to five weeks of drug treatment and then
to prison. He has taken back his life. Drugs no longer control
him. Still he must spend his time in a federal prison camp, as
my wife and I struggle to maintain some semblance of the life
we once knew.
Mr. President, I urge your support of proposals to reinstate
parole for federal prisoners, to repeal the Mandatory Minimum
Sentencing law, and to remember your statement that the War on
Drugs was "the worst public policy failure of the 1990s."
I read in the newspaper that you have plans to reduce the use
of illegal drugs by 25% over the next five years. I applaud your
efforts, but I plead for the thousands and thousands of men and
women who are incarcerated at the present time. Can't you do
something to speed up the process so that they can return to
society, stay clean, and contribute to our country rather than
costing millions of dollars each year?
In a time when our country is suffering economically, we continue
to devote so many, many dollars to keeping men and women behind
bars; men and women who were perhaps misguided but have now been
rehabilitated and are ready to resume their responsible places
in the world. They have been punished. Let them get on with living.
A majority of Americans are in agreement that far, far too
many men and women are serving lengthy sentences. They have said
that alternatives to incarceration must be found.
You speak often of compassion. My son and his family are begging
for compassion from a government that cares about all of its
citizens.
Sincerely, Lawrence J. Schulenberg
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