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Spencer Adams

#19160-039

 

Hello, I am 19160-039, formerly known as Spencer Adams. When I was 20 years old, a "friend" of mine called me and asked if he could buy some LSD. The next day he came to where I was staying and I sold it to him. He was working for the government and was wired. The DEA immediately arrested my girlfriend and me. I was sentenced to 120 months (10) years and my girlfriend received 3 years probation and a $5,000 fine for being with me.

I have two children, a little girl and boy who now are growing up without a father. I've been in prison for three years now, have lost my girlfriend, my van, my guitar and my dog . . . I still have my children though, but they are a 15 hour drive away and I don't get to visit with them at all anymore. It costs too much for them to come this far.

I am what is called a "first-time, nonviolent offender" and because I wouldn't become an informant as my so-called friend had become, I was slammed with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for a "consensual crime" between two adults.

I guess some would say I was lucky that they didn't take more from me - but I say that they took all I had because I can no longer be a father to my children.

There are so many things I don't understand about our government. They make laws and then don't follow them. In 1993 they passed amendment 488 which said to treat each dose of LSD as .4 mg. I was sentenced in January of 1995, but they did not sentence me by dose, but included the weight of the paper. I was charged with almost 18 times what I had actually possessed.

Prison is not a place of rehabilitation. I want to get my life back, but since they took the Pell grants out of the Federal prison system, I'm not able to get an education so that I can better myself and provide for my children when I get out.

I hope that those who read this will take heed. The federal government plays for keeps and they don't care about any of us in prison - no matter what race, color or age! We are nothing more than cattle to them. Wake up brothers and sisters! Make a difference now before it is too late.

Spencer was released from prison in September, 2006

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