“Only one thing’s sadder than remembering you were once free, and that’s forgetting you were once free.” –Leonard Peltier
This weekend I made the 850 mile trip from the Nation’s Capitol to the sprawling Coleman Federal Correction Complex in Wildwood Florida to visit a man who has been in Federal custody for more than half of his life – Leonard Peltier. As I wound my way past barbed wire and concrete, the words above weighed heavy on my mind.
Peltier’s case brings together many disparate themes that wind their way through the larger criminal justice system: the role of human rights principles in addressing the crisis of mass incarceration, the responsibility of the the Judicial and Executive branches to address decades-old cases, questions of mercy and compassion for an aging population of incarcerated people, and finally deep contradictions in the perceived nature and purpose of the U.S. prison system itself – whether it is meant to correct and rehabilitate or simply to punish.
One central truth remains, however – at the center of such lofty questions, a 71 year–old man spends his days in a Maximum Security prison facing the real prospect of dying behind bars, struggling until the end to prove his innocence. Tweets can never capture the impact of sitting with another person who has spent four decades refusing to forget freedom, but that can serve as an urgent reminder: justice so long delayed has a human cost. It is time for Leonard Peltier to come home.
Tomorrow I'm visiting U.S. Prisoner #LeonardPeltier; Today, I'm thinking abt how a person survives 4 decades of injustice #FreePeltier2016
President Obama committed 2 leaving legacy of #criminaljustice reform. He shouldn't overlook decades old cases like Peltier #FreePeltier2016
— Jasmine M Heiss (@JasminitaMH) May 6, 2016
Had the incredible privilege of dinner w Lenny Foster who's been visiting #LeonardPeltier for longer than I've been alive. #FreePeltier2016
— Jasmine M Heiss (@JasminitaMH) May 7, 2016
Lenny is ready to retire from a lifetime of activism. It's time to bring his friend #LeonardPeltier home. #FreePeltier2016
— Jasmine M Heiss (@JasminitaMH) May 7, 2016
USP Coleman, where #LeonardPeltier is incarcerated, nearly 2k miles from his home at Pine Ridge pic.twitter.com/A4Js1ABis7
— Jasmine M Heiss (@JasminitaMH) May 7, 2016
Leonard is 71. He has an abdominal aortic aneurysm & told me that he is in pain *all of the time.* Will Obama let him die b/h barbed wire?
— Jasmine M Heiss (@JasminitaMH) May 7, 2016
Leaving w/ #LeonardPeltier's words on my mind: "If I don't get clemency, I'm going to die here – & not of old age" pic.twitter.com/3tu7Rw5ky3
— Jasmine M Heiss (@JasminitaMH) May 7, 2016
Parting photo before I head out of Wildwood (until next time) – #FreeLeonardPeltier #FreePeltier2016 #ClemencyNow pic.twitter.com/1ZPRLtunVG
— Jasmine M Heiss (@JasminitaMH) May 7, 2016
Time is of the essence, and we need your voice. Take Action and call on President Obama to grant Leonard Peltier clemency on humanitarian grounds and in the interests of justice.
This post first appeared on Human Rights Now | The Amnesty International USA, please read the originial post: here
