Missouri: Man Serving Life for Pot, Asks Public to Write Letters to Gov. Nixon

How's that war on drugs Governor Nixon?

- Jeff Mizanskey wants you to write the governor.

The only person in Missouri serving a life without parole sentence for nonviolent, marijuana-only charges, Mizanskey says he is overwhelmed by all the attention his case has received over the past year, which included nationwide coverage and a Change.org petition with nearly 500,000 signatures asking Governor Jay Nixon to give clemency to the 61-year-old prisoner.

But Mizanskey is still in the same place he has been in for the past 21 years. So he called Daily RFT to ask readers for a favor: Write Nixon a letter. Here's Mizanskey's official statement:

Hello to everyone out there. Thank you all for your help, signing the petition, and making calls to the governor. I appreciate the concern and help. Unfortunately, I am still in prison, but I have some good news and some bad. Good news first: I just found out last week that I'm going to be a great grandpa sometime this year. I just pray I can be there for my great grandchild. As you all know, I could not be there for my grandkids. With all of your help, that's possible.

Now the bad news: I've been sitting in prison going on 21 years for a nonviolent crime. I still have not heard much of anything from the governor. I was told by Tony [Nenninger], my lawyer, that he talked to one of the governor's men and was told that there have been around 1,000 calls and about 100 letters since, as well as 470,000 signatures on the petition.

Thank you all for what you have done. Unfortunately, Tony also told me that the governor pays more attention to letters most of all. So now I have to come back to you all and ask for more help. If you can find a few minutes to send a short letter to the governor, I know it would help. I don't have anyone else to ask but all of you. Thank you all again. Please write and call the governor.

I'd also like to give a special thanks to Show-Me Cannabis - especially John Payne and Amber Langston, Tony Nenninger, my son Chris, brother Mike, and everybody else who has helped.

For those who would like to contact Nixon, here's his info:

Office of Governor Jay Nixon
P.O. Box 720
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: (573) 751-3222

Mizanskey tells us that life in prison hasn't changed much since his story went viral on the Daily RFT blog last year. He has received a few more letters and had a few visits from reporters.

"Food's gotten worse. But you can survive if you hold your nose when you eat it," Mizanskey jokes.

But that's about it. The former building contractor still does what he's been doing for most of the time he has been locked up: working 38 hours a week building furniture for the Missouri Department of Corrections and training new prisoners on the job -- something he takes pride in doing.

(Source)