Friday, December 31, 2010

Exiled Mainers, Governor Paul LePage and the Right of Return

Angus King and John Baldacci each approved the exiling of dozens of Mainer inmates to prisons in other states. This banishing - far from contacts with family and community to a distant location - may be done to protect a prisoner from retaliation for cooperating with authority. But in other and perhaps most cases, it is done to punish a prisoner for irritating the staff, or for exercising grievance complaints successfully or for other non-lifesaving measures. 

As dozens of Mainers and their families have found out, it is a cruel, isolating form of punishment, with no right of return to Maine state prison to finish their sentences. Instead he or she is regarded with suspicion as an outsider and because of the expense, rarely visited by family and friends.  I have corresponded with several of these exiles and their tales of  pain and horror visited upon them for being "from Away" are truly awful.  How can we countenance this 'punishment within a punishment'?  

The exiled Mainers listed below need to be offered the Right of Return. Not all will want to return. Not all that want to, should be. But we must not let the incoming LePage administration continue the practice by the Department of Corrections  to punitively imprisoned Mainers and their families by forced exile for non-safety reasons.
 
Here is a list of "Out of Population" i.e. Exiled, Maine State Prison Inmates, UPDATED in part 11/10/2010
("Date Out"= when originally exiled or last moved.
Name / Inmate ID# / Physical Location / Date Out / Custody Level / Projected Release Dates

Baker, Herman (45467)    New Hampshire  05/01/2009     Close    4/29/2033
Haberski, Steven Douglas (202)  New Hampshire 05/01/2009 Close 5/26/2031   2/9/2021   
Moontri Pornchai  Nmn (2987) New Hampshire 05/01/2009  Close  2/10/2022  1/17/2022     
Robinson, Malcolm  (37554) New Hampshire   05/01/2009  Close    12/23/2038  11/11/2038
Smith, Joell  (2347) New Hampshire    05/012009 Close    12/31/9999    
 
Kim, Souen (39549) Massachusetts    05/01/2009 Close    4/3/2015   3/4/2015    
Lavoie  Robert R (2047)  Massachusetts New Hampshire  05/01/2009 4/13/2010. Close 6/9/2014  7/28/2014

Boles, Daniel Joseph (1661) Connecticut 09292008     Close    7/11/2018    4/30/2018   
Thongsavanh,Brandon M. (18214)  Connecticut 05/01/2009    Close    6/20/2062    
Gary, Tyrell Lance (104314) Connecticut 04/15/2009m Minimum 4/15/2009 
Shortsleeves, John F (452) Connecticut 05012009     Close 12/31/9999    
 
Simpson, Jeffrey Edward  (25945) Pennsylvania 05/01/2005     close 2/9/2029      4/9/2029
Fuller, Joel Keith (174)   Pennsylvania 05/01/2009 Close 12/31/9999   
 
Miller Derek Alvin (88077) New Jersey  02/17/2009 Medium 3/27/2012   9/28/2011  
Brown, Deane Rowland  (4059)   New Jersey  11/13/06  Close    4/13/2034    4/10/2034  
Ruiz, Wanda Ivette (99692) New Jersey 02/17/09 Medium  1/31/2012
 
Rankin, William David (3434)    Delaware    06/05/2009 Medium    12/25/2012    12/7/2012   
 
Heath, Carl W. (18882) Maryland 05/01/2009   Close 5/4/2044   1/27/2045 
Linton, Jonathan Carl (1796) Maryland 05/01/2009 Medium 8/24/2010  
    
Belanger, Arthur Daniel, 15118  Florida 09/17/09 Close  10/3/2053
Heath, Smokey Douglas (2336)   Florida  05/01/2009  Close 9/18/2040     8/17/2040

Condon, John Nmn (2425)   Texas 05/01/2009  Close    12/31/9999       
Hanaman, Mary Margaret (48924) Colorado  01/31/2007 Medium 1/15/2038   12/2/2037
Harper, Patricia Gege  (3110) California 08/24/1995 Close 6/11/2019  5/15/2019
 
Harris, Robert Lee (1943) Federal. 05/01/2009   Medium 8/26/2015    1/2/2014
Schoff, Steven Ray (13464) [withheld]   12/20/2006 Close 9/13/2024  7/24/2024
Watland, Gary Douglas (85372) Federal.   01/09/2008 Close    7/7/2064     7/23/2064