Greetings. For those of us who want to write letters to the Board of Pardons and Parole, the addresses are below. Please be mindful that James Allridge has caused pain and suffering for Brian Clendennen's family that most of us cannot presume to know, and this should be acknowledged in our letters. In supporting a commutation for James, we are not seeking to minimize the magnitude of the tragedy for the Clendennen family. Our letters need not be lengthy, they should simply explain why we feel James' death sentence should be commuted to life. The letters should be specifically about James and not contain general condemnations of the death penalty or challenges to the morality of the State of Texas or board members (this will only alienate the reader). Remember that our audience (the BPP) reviews about 20 to 40 of these cases a year and votes to allow the overwhelming majority of executions. So, our letters should address what it is about James that has convinced us that he should receive a commutation. Please forward this information to any and all of your contacts that you feel would like to support this action. Here are some of the facts that will be contained in his clemency petition. By tomorrow, I hope to post a link to his clemency petition. (source: Nancy Bailey, TCADP) **************************** * James has accepted responsibility for his actions and is genuinely sorry for what he did. * S.O. Woods, former Chairman of the Classification Committee for TDCJ-ID and a thirty-year veteran of the Texas prison system, has thoroughly reviewed James' records from his 19 years of incarceration and concluded that James poses no threat to prison staff or other prisoners and would adapt well to general population. Mr. Woods has not taken a position one way or the other regarding James' request for clemency, he has simply reviewed James' records and offered an expert opinion that James is not a dangerous prisoner. * Two former death row prison guards support James' request for clemency. The first says that James is a model inmate, has probably saved the lives of guards, and would be a good example for other general population prisoners. According this guard, James -- who seeks only a life sentence -- has rehabilitated himself enough to be let back into society. The second guard states that James is a model inmate who never gave the prison staff or other inmates any trouble. According to the second guard, James would be no threat if his death sentenced is commuted. * 4 of the jurors who sat on his jury believe James' sentence should be commuted based on his rehabilitation and good conduct in prison. * On death row, James has been a calming influence on other prisoners and a productive member of the prison community. James is an asset to the prison community because he helps the younger inmates adjust to prison and be both productive and non-violent. * Even in prison, James remains a valued family member and friend to many. He has also produced beautiful art. * Rehabilitation, traditionally, is a basis for commuting a death sentence to life. Earlier this year, the State of Georgia commuted the death sentence of Willie James Hall based on his excellent behavior in prison. "A DeKalb County jury gave Hall the death sentence for the 1988 stabbing of his estranged wife, Thelma Carlisle Hall, in a Clarkston apartment. The savage knife attack was recorded while she was on the telephone with a 911 dispatcher," according to the 01/27/04 edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Mr. Allridge's case closely parallels Mr. Hall's. In both, members of the jury supported the commutation and both had no criminal record before the murder. * Based on interviews with those who knew him, James was a good, hardworking young man with a bright future. However, he idolized his older brother Ronald. Ronald suffered from untreated mental illness from a very early age and throughout his life, and he killed a school classmate when he was 15. Because James idolized his older brother, he was blind to the fact that his loyalty to, and confidence in, his brother was misplaced. Those that knew James well consistently report that it was James' unwavering devotion to his brother that led him into a dark period following Ronald's release from prison during which he and his brother committed serious crimes, a period that was otherwise out of character for James. Again, James accepts full responsibility for Brian Clendennen's death, this information is offered only to explain what led to the crime. Ideally, letters should arrive between August 16th and 20th. Here are the addresses for the board members and the Governor: Rissie Owens, Board Presiding Officer 1300 11th St., Suite 520 P.O. Box 599 Huntsville, TX 77342-0599 936-291-8367 Fax Elvis Hightower, Board Member 1300 11th St., Suite 520 P.O. Box 599 Huntsville, TX 77342-0599 936-291-8367 Fax Jose L. Aliseda, Board Member 1111 West Lacy St. Palestine, TX 75801 903-723-1441 Fax Linda Garcia, Board Member 1212 N. Velasco, Suite 201 Angleton, TX 77515 979-849-8741 Fax Charles Aycock, Board Member 5809 S. Western, Suite 237 Amarillo, TX 79110 806-358-6455 Fax Juanita Gonzalez, Board Member 3408 S. State Hwy. 36 Gatesville, TX 76528 254-865-2629 Fax Honorable Rick Perry Governor, State of Texas Office of the Governor P.O. Box 12428 Austin, Texas 78711-2428 (512) 463-1849 Fax
