To: Dean Stensberg, Parole Chairman, Edward Wall, DOC Secretary, The Wisconsin State House, and The Wisconsin State Senate

Petition to let Scott Howard go home to his famly

Scott Howard 164177
OSCI,P.O. 3310 Oshkosh WI. 54903

We, the undersigned, petition for the release of Scott Howard.
Scott Howard was 29 years old when he was arrested and is now 59 years old. He was convicted of First degree Murder, Arson, Theft, Endangering Safety, Fraudulent Insurance Claim and subsequently pleaded guilty on an unrelated case to Threats to Injure and False Imprisonment and was sentenced to Life plus 29 years 9 months.
Under “old law” he became eligible for parole in 1997 and has had 10 parole hearings and waived the eleventh. At each hearing he was denied for the same reasons of "Unreasonable risk to society" and "Have not served enough time for punishment". Both his codefendants have been released. He has taken every program he can and met all requirements. His list of completed programs and course covers an entire 8X11 page.
This is a case, again, of deciding whether we believe that people change. Our answer is a resounding “YES”. No matter how heinous his crime was 30 years ago, in 1985, this man is no danger now and his family needs him back. They have backed him at every step of this long prison process and the heartbreak in their stories is palpable. Here is a bit of his mother’s letter:
"We have always been a close, loving family and as his parents we have suffered great loss, deep painful loss and Scott's absence has been very difficult for us to accept and we miss him every day. We are at an age we need our son's help around our house. Both of us had heart surgery 2 years ago and have not been able to travel back to Wisconsin to visit him. We are 86 years of age and need more help in getting around. Scott has no one close enough to visit him, which is heart breaking for him to be so alone.
We raised his daughter who is 40 now, we have watched how the absence of her father has greatly affected her life. Her mother was not present in her life either. As a family unit we gave her a good family life. She was affected emotionally. She went through her share of problems; her son, Scott's grandson, has a dysfunctional mental problem and would benefit from his grandfathers help."

Besides the incredible heartbreak to so many, why are we wasting money keeping this man in prison when those funds are needed so desperately elsewhere. We do not agree with this incarceration and demand he be given his freedom as soon as possible.

Why is this important?

I am proud to call this man my daddy! It is outrageous that with all his accomplishments and no conduct related issues while incarcerated that they continue to keep him from me and my family. Both of the men that my dad were tried with have been paroled out of the State of Wisconsin. Why is my dad still there? He hasn’t caught any other cases and has been a model prisoner. He has taken classes to better himself and has held continuous jobs so that he can continue to grow his skills. He is currently learning to work on engines; small 2 stroke engines as well as big diesel engines. Everything he does in there, he does to better himself so that he has a future when he comes home. You have had him for 30 years. Please let me have him for the next 30.
I, my son, my family and my dad have suffered long enough. It’s time for him to come home and start his life over and be the father and grandfather that he hasn’t had the chance to be. I was 9 years old when my dad was taken from me. I will be 40 in August. My son (my dad's only grandchild) is now 21. He has seen his grandpa once in his whole life.
The one thing that my Grandparents want to see in their last years is for their son to come home. Please give my dad the opportunity to spend those last few years with his parents.