To: Ed Wall, DOC secretary, Dean Stensberg, WI parole Chairman, The Wisconsin State House, The Wisconsin State Senate, and Governor Tony Evers
second chance for Tommie Thames
Petition for the release of Tommie Thames #297592
To
WI Legislators
Parole Chairman Stensberg
Doc Secretary Edward Wall
Tommie Thames was 17 years old, a juvenile, when he was waived into adult court and given a 70 year sentence for first degree reckless homicide and attempted first degree homicide. The story is bizarre and seems something only a kid would do. He and two friends were playing with guns in the basement Tommie accidentally shot his friend in the head. Tommie, afraid to go to jail, attempted to hide the body. That was 21 years ago and he is 38 now, a mature man. He has been to the parole board three times and told each time that he must serve more time because of the nature of the crime. Yet there is nothing in his conduct that warrants more time; he has a very long list of accomplishments and only 2 major tickets gotten 14 years ago. Here are some of his accomplishments: HSED, welding, vocational and production welding, food production and he has his food management license. He took the victim impact program, challenge and possibilities which had an intense restorative justice component; he took a number of reentry modules; he tries his best to influence others to make better choices than he did; he helped pack meals for the ‘Feed my hungry children”; he learned to train service dogs, to help others.
We the undersigned ask why we are holding this man. Who benefits? He made really tragic mistakes 21 years ago and has paid for them and learned. Now we need him in society and the funds saved can be used to reinstate good programming and treatment within the prison or prevention programs in the community. Prisons are stuffed to overflowing and we have over 2500 prisoners stuck like Tommie. Most are rehabilitated because they took advantage of the good programming available before Truth in Sentencing was implemented. Again, why are we holding this man? Please do what you can to see that he is released.
Tommie Thames 297592; OSCI, PO box 3310, Oshkosh, WI 54903
Send to FFUP,c/o Peg Swan,29631 Wild Rose Drive, Blue River, WI 53518; (for more info: [email protected],608-536-3993)
Campaign web:www.secondchancewi.org
Why is this important?
Tommie Thames made a big mistake as a young kid in trying to hide the body of his friend. The gun went off accidentally and he should have reported it immediately but he was a kid and knew no better. Research shows now that adolescents do not have the brain capacity to think about consequences- they are all in the now and make foolish decisions.
But why was this kid given70 years? We need him released now. He has rehabilitated himself and there is no just reason for keeping him.