Two decades, Jeff Mizanskey made a mistake - caught in a sting with friends who were trying to purchase a small amount of marijuana, breaking Missouri law. No one was hurt, but, because it was his third minor crime involving marijuana, an unjust law forced Jeff into life in prison without parole.
21 years later, he is still in jail. The more you read, the worse it sounds:
Jeff was busted in 1984 for selling an ounce of pot to an undercover cop and again in 1991 for possession of more than 35 grams of marijuana, got life without parole. He had never before done prison time, never had a violent offense, and his pot convictions did not have aggravating factors, such as involving minors or an illegal firearm. But none of that mattered because of an archaic Missouri law.
America has changed since 1993. Possession was a crime everywhere 21 years ago, today, more than 20 states have reformed their laws to either decriminalize or outright legalize marijuana. Thanks to great reporting by Riverfront Times.
Jeff has more than paid his dues to society. Sign our petition and ask Missouri Governor Jay Nixon to pardon and release him immediately. It is time for him to have his freedom back.
Dear Honorable Govenor Jay Nixon,
I request that you free Jeff Mizanskey, in prison for 21 years now for non-violent marijuana charges. America has changed in the past two decades, and Jeff has more than paid for his crimes. Moreover, the cost of keeping him in prison for the rest of his life is a burden on Missouri.
Please pardon Jeff Mizanskey and restore justice to Missouri.
Sincerely,
Update #19 years ago
You are incredible - we've nearly hit 15,000 signatures!
I want to sent this petition to Gov. Nixon so that he knows that we want Jeff Mizanskey freed immediately. But first, I want to gather as many signatures as possible so we have the biggest impact.
Will you send this petition to your friends, post on Facebook and Twitter? The more who sign, the more likely that Jeff will be freed and that justice is restored in his case. 21 years is too long, let's not let him wait any longer!
