Innocent Prisoners

A letter from Alden Redfield (Doc)

Dear Lee,

I was pleased with your Castle of Hope for Lost Souls, especially when I found Eddie Greer and me
mentioned. Lee, we do appreciate prayers and encouragement. The difference is that Eddie has finished 28
years (with 592 to go) and is innocent and I'm guilty (sentenced to 15 after being threatened with life and
have finished 7 years. I am now 62.)

Personally, I feel America would be a lot better off if some 20,000 men who can be treated and reformed
(through Christ) then released. Society spends $25,000 per year for each convict so some $500,000,000
could be saved without risk to the people. A few years in jail DOES get the point across. The next 10 - 100
years just wastes money for the first time offender. But some do reoffend? Yes, so professionals do need to
examine each man.

In fact we see the "games playing" troublesome men getting out much faster than the "first timers" who never
we in trouble before. The goal seems to be to let them commit more crimes so they can be given life
sentences, without parole the next time.
Drug dealers who sell in prison are the guys I am thinking of. They brag about how they will be back in
business making thousands of dollars a week as so as they get out.

Gee they are rearrested and the papers, politicians and public say, "Look, all convicts re-offend."

Would you like a list of other innocent men who should be released other than Eddie? I've had to send most
of my notes home but here are some who come to mind. (see list)

Can I prove they are innocent? No. DNA proved one was but the jury ignored it. A doctor proved another
one was but the sheriff had sold his 100 acre farm , house and museum so they convicted him anyway and
never accounted for the money. And so on.

Lawyers and detectives could do the job but not another prisoner. Still I can send more details or locate
numbers, etc. The question is how to get people to care about the innocent or the wasted money involved.

I suggest a TV show "Free the Innocent" with profits form the advertisers and lawsuits going to help pay
legal help to free the innocent. Talk it up! What a reality show that would be.

Your friend in Christ.

Alden

Here is the list:

Eddie Greer (serving 620 years completed 28.)

Tito Rois (guilty of auto theft (5 years time) but convicted of shooting at an officer, finished 15 of 25)

Clayton Vaughn

Johnny Thomas (Beaten into confessing but his boss and time clock say he was innocent.)

Michael Vickey

Ronnie Anderson

George Morgan (Trucker in AZ when the crime occurred in MO)

Paul Baumgardner

Johnnie Mitchell ( Black but witness said the killer was white yet he has done 28 years so far)

Robert Craig

Joe Bostic

Paul Ferguson

Scott Carter (couldn't prove where he was 33 days before.)

If you know of any innocent men who do not have web pages e-mail me . These men are all in MO. Chris
Dunn is not listed but Alden did not hear about him.

Alden Redfield, #521138

Fulton Reception & Diagnostic Center
1393 Route O
PO Box 190
Fulton, MO 65251
 PROGRAM YOURSELF FOR FAILURE, OR
DECLARE VICTORY (WITH TWO CAVEATS) !
Crime brought us to prison. If it was an addiction, should we set a goal of "never re-offending" or not?
Should we aim at victory, instead of defeat? Obviously "yes" in both cases. Then we should make a self-
fullfilling prophecy: "I will NOT re-offend," adding two caveats: "with the Lord's help, and my vigilance
against any evil thoughts." We never need to "act out" our addiction again.

Coaches tell their teams, "We are Number One," and "We will win!" -before the game starts. Avis 'I tries
harder", the Marines are "the few and the proud," the army invites you to "be all you can be", Martin Luther
King, Jr., sang "We Shall Overcome!" They all "speak the future into existence." Could they be wrong?
Might they lose? Every battle has a loser, but they have chosen to be the winners. And yes, they might lose.

They do not program themselves for failure, by announcing, "We'll study the problems, concentrate on the
difficulties, discuss the obstacles, and hope not to lose, even though people think we are losers." Do the
studies. Do the concentration. Have the discussions, and then expect to win: you can live without
reoffending.

FIRST CAVEAT: Only God knows the future, and may laugh at man's plans to build bigger barns for his
riches. Yet Christ told us that by His stripes we were healed. He tells us to hope for our real future, life after
death. Our "hope" for the after-life isn't like "I hope to win a lottery, I' (futile optimism,.an expectation-of-
failure); but like I hope this parachute opens," (a life-or-death expectation of success). This corruption of the
strength of the word "hope" makes us shy away from it, and many Christians will use the synonym "know":
"I know I am saved and going to heaven." Could I be wrong? Paul constantly said to keep striving, run the
good race and endure to the end --not "once saved, always saved." Christ said, "No one can take you from
me," and might have added, but didn't, "unless you choose to leave me."
.
How does a Christian "know" he is saved or cured of an addiction? By the peace in his heart. Anyone can
make claims, so how will an outsider tell if he is lying or wrong? "By their fruits shall ye know them," is one
concept, and "Only God can judge the hearts of men," is another. They can "know" you refuse to reoffend, or
that you "hope" you won't. Either way, they may expect you to commit another crime. You can only predict
your own future and work to make it happen.

SECOND CAVEAT: Addicts have often promised, "I'll never drink again!" And then failed. Substitute for
"drink" your personal addiction: smoking, anger, violence, sexual offenses, gambling, drugs, exceeding speed
limits, shoplifting. If we cannot change our bad behavior without incarceration, medication, or therapy, then
we need those aids. But just as some addicts CAN stop smoking (and have no more desire for tobacco), or
over-eaters CAN lose weight (and not regain it), we CAN change and live without reoffending. But --and it
is a serious "but" -- alcoholics have found that one step in the wrong direction, one sip of one drink, and they
WILL be lost again. We need to stop "stinking thinking", get help, learn how to avoid temptations, change
our priorities, understand our weaknesses, and avoid the "slippery slopes".

Have you studied, changed, and overcome other addictions? If you have lost weight, stopped smoking,
controlled anger and cursing, or refused to gamble any more, you have demonstrated you can win, and will
try to win again. However, "The Price of Freedom is Eternal Vigilance'" --forget that, and you'll be in trouble.

Doctors, family, parole boards, and the public quite rightly want to judge us and our future behavior. So we
can either declare, "Gee, it'd be nice if I didn't re-offend, but I probably will," or "No, I won't re-offend, with
(1) God's help and (2) personal vigilance." The only proof we can offer is the way we live.

Could I re-offend? Any man alive can fail at whatever he tries to do, but if he doesn't try, he's already
failed. We must remember the two warnings when we promise to never re-offend. Just as singing "We Shall
Overcome" isn't an instant answer, it is the right step, in the right direction. I will be vigilant, and with the
Lord's help, will never re-offend.
May 27, 2003

Dear Friend of Taxpayers:

Is the Department of Corrections a "Cash Cow" for the people of Missouri, or a "White Elephant"? Does it
make money "or give so much protection that it is worth the hundreds of millions it costs? Or is it
consuming far more than it is worth, yet protected by holy myths about its importance? In the last 20 years,
the prison population has increased from 7,500 to 30,000. Do you feel four times safer?

If you live in one of the 21 towns which have prisons, you may be thrilled. Millions of dollars pour in for
salaries of corrections officers and "square people" (cooks, teachers, administrators, medical personnel, etc.).
Money f lows in to motels, gas stations and restaurants as hundreds of visitors come to visit their loved ones.
Real estate prices boom, sales tax collections increase --there is joy in Mudville every day for towns with
prisons. That is why Jefferson City has 3 prisons! Ask Bonne Terre about how well the system works.

At least one southeastern county sheriff has discovered a way to make the state prison system pay his own
bills. He charges each offender with as many crimes (per single incident) as possible, and makes sure
everyone will be incarcerated at least two years. Then they will be shipped off to be housed at state expense,
rather than being held for less than a year in his county jail. See? He saves his county money, removes all
offenders as long as possible, and says the 'crime rate' is falling.

On the other hand, in you live in those hundreds of towns without prisons, perhaps you've noticed that taxes
keep going up, gambling is bringing in millions, the Tobacco Settlement will bring in a billion ...yet there is
less money for education, senior citizens, health care and local needs. Where did your tax dollars disappear
to?

The Missouri Department of Corrections seems to be the only growth industry left in our state. Its budget can
increase, despite the cut-backs for children's education and senior citizens' medicine. Why? Because
politicians and prosecutors can get reelected and promoted if they're 'tough on crime'.

Want to save money? Only incarcerate for decades those who are truly dangerous.

(A) Studies show that 10-15% of inmates were innocent of the crimes, like Mr. Amrine who has just been
cleared after 10 years on death row.

(B) Men and women who have served 10 or 20 or 30 years are usually very different people than they were
when they offended decades ago. Probably 20-30% of prisoners have served 'long enough' to be released.
without endangering the citizens of Missouri. But some are dangerous, and consideration should be given
case-by-case.

(C) Technical parole violators may form another 10% or so of Missouri's prison population. Instead of a six-
month reminder to behave, they are told to finish their sentences --often many years! One man was holding
his dying grandfather's hand in the hospital. Yeah, he missed seeing his parole officer on time. Another
argued with his wife over which channel to watch, and a neighbor called the police, who found the" couple
peacefully watching TV. Nothing was wrong. While another man was on parole, a crime occurred and the
prosecutor blamed him. He was instantly returned to prison. Now the prosecutor says they proved someone
else did the crime, and the man here was never involved in any way... but the 'justice system' won't let him
out, needing months of "paperwork" first.

Want to save $35 per day, per person? That may not sound like much, but it is some $12,000 each year. If just
3,000 technical violators were released, the State would save $36,000.000. Each year! If you let out some
innocent and "long enough" prisoners, you'd save a hundred million dollars yearly.
Can Missouri afford to change its economy from manufacturing and agriculture to warehousing prisoners?
Obviously they preferred warehousing to education for your children or attracting businesses to provide
productive work in. small towns.
But who pays all the bills for prisons? You taxpayers. Keep prisons for those who need them, but send the
rest home! You need to decide if the Department of Corrections is a "cash cow" or a white elephant" for you.

Yours truly,
DOC 521138
Alden Redfield

ps. I don't want personal publicity, but any mail sent to DOC 521138 will come to me.