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| Ansil Henry |  |
I am serving a 22 year sentence for a marijuana conspiracy. I am the husband of Gail, father of 21 year old Abbie and 11 year old Haley. I am also the grandfather of an infant, Hannah. If I have to serve my entire sentence, I will be in my mid-sixties when I am finally free. That of course means that Haley will grow up in a single parent home. Baby Hannah will not know her grandfather until she is 17 years old and Gail will have to do the best she can without me by her side. Abbie will be without the guidance, compassion and love of her father.
My children have become orphans of the drug war. My wife is a widow of the drug war and my granddaughter is without a grampa's knee to bounce on. All this for marijuana - a substance whose effects are far less debilitating than those of cigarettes and alcohol. This craziness has to stop. Free the non-violent offenders who are victims of the war on people- the war that is wrongly called a war on drugs.
[At Ansil's sentencing, Federal Judge Myron Bright recorded a Dissenting Opinion. You can follow this link to read the entire opinion regarding Ansil's case.]
These unwise sentencing policies which put men and women in prison for years, not only ruin lives of prisoners and often their family members, but also drain the American tax-payers of funds which can be measure in billions of dollars. In these times, the government, Congress and the President see the need to make drastic cuts in the federal budget, including budget cuts which already affect the poor, the disadvantaged and the elderly. This is the time to call a halt to the unnecessary and expensive cost of putting people in prison for a long time based on the mistaken notion that such an effort will win "The War on Drugs." - Judge Myron Bright
Children of War - Read Haley's prayer and a letter to Dad
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