Following the April 1993 disturbance at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, five men were
sentenced to death and many others to long terms of imprisonment for what was alleged to be their roles.
Prosecutors concede that there was very little evidence and convictions were based mostly on the testimony of prison informants.
Some informants,
who do not dispute that they took part in assaults and murders at Lucasville, have been paroled, because of their testimony.
Many of those convicted, as a result of the April 1993 events at Lucasville, have been in solitary confinement for
almost 15 years.
Therefore, the undersigned ask Governor Strickland to appoint a Special Commission to investigate the Lucasville uprising.
The following ask you to consider the death sentences and extended sentences of those involved in the Lucasville Prison disturbance by appointing an independent commission.
The evidence for their alleged malfeasance is spurious at best. The informants, who created the majority of the case, benefited greatly from their testimony. This causes doubt in the citizens of this state, country and world. An independent commission could ensure justice is applied to this very special circumstance, and by these means, restore faith in our systems for punishing wrongdoing.
