All prisoners have been convicted of crimes, some petty and some heinous. They all have one thing in common: A serious lack of sincere rehabilitation efforts. Many are locked in their cells 24 hours/day, and the Light Deprivation alone puts them on a slippery slope towards recidivism. This excites those those that are building Privatized Prisons and can always use more customers. Let's let inmates see the light of day, get trained in a skill they can use to become taxpayers instead of deficit-stretchers, and STOP the pathetic War on Drugs. Then we will be addressing the deficit in multiple ways and minimizing the overcrowding that leads to Private Prison Profiteering. WWJD? Think it through.

McConnell, Boehner, and Cantor signed the Norquest pledge to never raise taxes and as a congressman or senator, it is their oath that America is first, never a pledge. Mitch McConnell explained that "the single most important thing he wanted to achieve was for President Obama to be a one-term president," the most important thing is the improvement of the United States of America that is in a depression, not to make the president a one term president. Obstructionism, they were for projects and after the president is for them they are against them if it will in any way benefit the presidents rating even if it would have benefited the United States of America. The actions from these three members for signing the Norquest pledge and obstructionism must be brought to light so that no members of congress or senate ever put pledges or obstructionism before their oath they took for their office.

Family and friends of Jerome DeVon Wilson, (THE ICEBERG MOVEMENT), are gathering signatures on this petition structured to request that his matter, Harris County cause #925,625, be looked into. The public has an interest in this case in that it involves a public official, and society at large should put the 'big eye' on Harris County's criminal justice system yet again to prevent it from continuing to be the conviction mill that boasts the record for the most state prisons (over 100), and the most wrongfully convicted people released to date, all in the same breath. On April 14, 2004, after his 2.5 day trial, and in the presence of his family, Jerome asked his attorney James Leitner TBA # 12187900 to forward his investigative work product from his case to him and Mr. Leitner agreed. In the week of June 8th 2005, Jerome returned to the Harris County Jail for a hearing on his appeal and he called Leitner to refresh his request and Leitner again agreed and said that he would have it to the jail w/in a week. Jerome stayed in the jail for (3) weeks and went back to prison on June 29, 2005. Finally on June 29, 2006 Jerome made his third request for the file and on August 1st 2006 Leitner claimed he had sent the file upon Jerome's 2005 request to him at the Harris County Jail. In short, after 3 requests to Leitner, finally the file conveniently vanished. After 3 requests, logic won't allow us to contribute the disappearance of these vital records to coincidence. Further, in Leitner's 2006 response he told Jerome he would try to locate his previous private investigator James Jackson, and out of good faith Jerome allowed him the opportunity without grieving him because he offered a solution, yet one year later, Leitner had duped Jerome once again by having him stand by idly while time for grieving elapsed. Leitner was Jerome's trial lawyer from January 24, 2003 until he was convicted on April 14, 2004 after a capital murder trial that had only began on April 12, 2004! Jerome had filed a grievance with the State Bar of Texas against Leitner assigned 18012036974 on November 11, 2003 for lying to him and negligence in handling his case. We find it troubling that Leitner hasn't tried to right his wrong. As in Weiss vs. Commission For Lawyer discipline 981 S.W.2d 8 "… attorney, in handling of client's case, knowingly failed to surrender papers to which client was entitled and that his failure prejudiced client." Leitner's actions are an obstruction to the administration of justice. In September of 2006 Mr. Mack Dykes contacted the Harris County Jail as well as Leitner and then made a sworn affidavit pertaining to this matter. It became clear to Jerome upon receipt of the affidavit that professional misconduct had taken place. Leitner had attempted to send Mr. Dykes on a wild goose chase by telling him to go to the 3rd floor of the courthouse to request Leitners work product from the case... while knowing that the critical information that is needed can only come from him or his P.I. Mr. Jackson - which is why he told Jerome in the 2006 missive "I will try to find him and find out if he has any old files that would have the results of his investigation on your case in them." in the first place. Also,no competent attorney would send an entire capital murder file w/out return receipt and certification. It's both irresponsible and unprofessional - if it was an. accident. If the file disappeared on purpose, then the action rises to an ethical question. The fact of the matter is that legal mail at the jail has to be opened by the offender and is logged in like every other correctional facility in the country. Not only that but had the mail been deemed undeliverable... it would've been "RTS” RETURN TO SENDER. To suggest that the mail room would've allowed the package to sit w/out returning it is irrational. In August 2007 Jerome sent Mr. Leitner a copy of the letter he'd sent in 2006 when Leitner responded with the letter saying he would look for Mr. Jackson. Leitner's response was that "nothing has changed.” He should've been able to at least tell Jerome the status of Mr. Jackson... Mr. Jackson doesn't have it: Mr. Jackson has passed... some type of info. It doesn't add up that while Leitner was representing Jerome he told him that him and Jackson had worked together for many years, starting in the District Attorney's office, and were so close that Mr. Jackson was in fact, his children's godfather. All of a sudden in 2006 he says Jackson"has long since retired" and he had to try to find him. Jerome had just went to trial in mid-2004 so he couldn't have retired so long ago (at that 'time) that he was beyond being located. During this time, unbeknownst to Jerome, Leitner was planning to run for Harris County District Attorney. Although he lost his bid, he ended up being the head Assistant District Attorney to Patricia Lykos. Jerome, being housed in a prison in Amarillo,Texas with a capital life sentence, didn't find this out until 2011. Family and friends (THE ICEBERG MOVEMENT) sent 8 letters fashioned like this petition to the District Attorney's office, as well as Jerome himself, which was received by certified mail w/ return receipt on April 09, 2012, yet as sure as it is election year , no one from that office responded to any of the missives. We find it alarming that an attorney capable of withholding exculpatory evidence as defense counsel, could hold such a high position in the District Attorney's office without undermining the confidence of the public. If he was unethical at worse: incompetent at best, with Jerome's capital murder file, what standards could he meet as a prosecutor over 1000's of defendant's favorable evidence? Further adding to the peculiarity of the file disappearing is the fact that Leitner, knowing what the contents of the file were, never took it upon himself to offer an affidavit stating that he was a witness to the things in the file that Jerome needed to bring to...

The war on drugs has been going since the sixties and the only thing it has accomplished is violence and corruption. I believe we should focus on addiction. Treatment is far cheaper than incarceration.

In Maryland and many other states if a citizen has ever been convicted of a felony no matter how small or how long ago many of that citizens right are restricted. The only appeal available is to the governor who does not sign pardons. Well maybe once in a blue moon. After 10, 20, or 30 years of having a clean record and having contributed to society a citizen should be able to apply for pardon to a judge or more local representative who would by established criteria grant or reject the application.

In 2010, my then nine year-old child came forward with information of sexual abuse which occurred at the hands of her father. Children and Youth found her father guilty of penetration (this was pre the change in the definition of rape), in August of 2010. He was initially charged with three criminal aggravated sexual assault counts, and held in state prison for over a year, as the new charges were a violation of his probation (he was on parole out of NV for drug trafficking, unbeknownst to me). However, the DA dropped the sex charges in Sept. 2011, because as they told me, "he had passed a lie detector test." Now, since his release from prison in Dec. 2011, I have had to pay $5,000 (my house tax monies) to legally keep my child from her rapist. $2500 was for the lawyer to file and attend the pfa hearing (pfa=restraining order), and another $2500 for when he filed an appeal on the PFA (even though he only filed the appeal and never actually went through with doing his end of the paperwork). My issue is this, if the State of Pennsylvania's Children and Youth found this man guilty of penetration (rape in my book, and also as defined by the Admin's new definition of rape), why is there even any discussion of him still having any rights to my child? Why must I pay to fight for what has been proven true? And what about parents who don't have the money for lawyers? Not to mention, all the atate would thus offer my child, protection wise, was a maximum of a three-year PFA (which we were lucky to get as it's up the the sitting judge's discretion). So that means, as it stands now, in three more years, my child must once again, go through another whole day in court, testifying about what this monster had done to her. It's simply not fair. Not only is it not fair to her, but it's not fair for the other children in similar situations. I would not want to see any other parent have to fight so hard for what is their child's God given right, a right of savoring their innocence. For children, and even adults, to come forward with such horrific events is challenging to say the least, and I feel it is nothing more then a punishment for the state to force them to relive their horrific events every several years, especially when their own state's Children and Youth found the child credible and the perpetrator's, guilty, of committing the act(s). Please help me continue in protecting my own child, as well as the many others' in the same situation in the state of Pennsylvania. Thank you and God bless

Our sentencing for drug and property crimes is out of control and strips away any meaningful rehabilitative chances from our fellow human beings who are afflicted with addiction issues. We are creating a society of people with records who can't find life sustaining employment, housing or success when they have served their time, further eroding our communnities.

I believe it is unethical and inhumane to ship Vermont inmates out of Vermont where they will no longer even have the limited contact with their loved ones, children, spouses and support networks that they have access to n Vermont. My son is my only child and has been shipped to KY where I lack to funds to visit or even pay for phone calls. I have had cancer in the past two years and this is extremely difficult.

The need for transparency and truth.........Most every one I know is willing to show THEIR GRADES....SHOW THEIR PASSPORTS.....it is only fair our leader do the same....not too much to ask....

My petition is about how everyday common people who have committed misdemeanors, even those committed as long as ten years ago and was dismissed. They are being denied the right to work and getting an apartment, because employers and apartment managers run a criminal background check and will not hire them or allow them to move into decent housing, even though the past offense or charge was a misdemeanor and dismissed by the courts. Young productive adults, are being denied their right of a chance to obtain employment and decent housing, because of past mistakes of many years gone by. Employers will not hire them and they desperately want and need jobs to support themselves and their families!

When Clint Eastwood delivered his "Prime Time" speech, he made more news for "talking to an empty chair" than his "Racist Lynching gesture" to President Obama. The Producers of the GOP convention did a great job of editing out his "Racist Lynching Gesture" but my DVR caught it. http://youtu.be/XRnRN69LK-c?hd=1 I am asking you to watch this video and demand Clint Eastwood apologize to President Obama and for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan to stand up against RACISM and not condone it like they have with their SILENCE!! Sign this petition so we can send a message to Clint, Paul, and Mitt. Racism is not acceptable in any form.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Desmond Tutu has called on the International Criminal Court to prosecute George W. Bush and Tony Blair for war crimes, for their actions in precipitating the Iraq war. The Iraq war "has destabilized and polarized the world to a greater extent than any other conflict in history," wrote Tutu, "Those responsible for this suffering and loss of life should be treading the same path as some of their African and Asian peers who have been made to answer for their actions in the Hague.