Tag Archives: Parole board

There’s great news today in the case of Kelley Williams-Bolar, the Ohio mother who was convicted of a felony after allegedly misleading authorities and sending her children to a school outside her district. We just learned that Ohio Governor John Kasich granted Williams-Bolar executive clemency, reducing her convictions from felonies to misdemeanors. Gov. Kasich took this action despite the fact that Friday, the Ohio parole board made a unanimous recommendation against any form of clemency.

This is a huge victory, and it wouldn’t have happened without the activism of ColorOfChange members, and our friends at Change.org and MomsRising.org:

When we first learned of the case in February, more than 67,000 ColorOfChange members called on Gov. Kasich to take a public stand and commit to pardoning Williams-Bolar.
We delivered your signatures to Gov. Kasich’s office, along with thousands more from Change.org and MomsRising.org — more than 165,000 signatures in all. The next day, Gov. Kasich responded to the public pressure by asking the state’s parole board to review Williams-Bolar’s case.
On Friday, Ohio’s parole board finally came back with a recommendation for the Governor — to deny Williams-Bolar a pardon.
In response to the parole board’s recommendation, many of you swung into action this week, calling Gov. Kasich’s office and urging him to issue Williams-Bolar a pardon anyway. Today, Gov. Kasich announced that he would reduce Williams-Bolars felony convictions to first-degree misdemeanors.

Williams-Bolar will still be on probation and will need to complete 80 hours of community service; but she won’t have a felony conviction following her for the rest of her life, limiting her opportunities. Thanks for getting involved — without your voice, things could have turned out much differently for Kelley Williams-Bolar. You should be proud.

At ColorOfChange, we’ll continue to fight to end inequality in education and the criminal justice system, we hope you’ll continue to be there with us. Remember, our work is powered by you, our members. If you can support our work financially, in any amount, please click the link below.

http://www.colorofchange.org/donate

Thanks

and Peace,

— Rashad, James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Matt, Natasha and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
September 7th, 2011

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU—your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:

http://www.colorofchange.org/donate

Black History, ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Kelley Williams-Bolar – 2011- Black History

02/13/2024 Nativegrl77

Story of mother sentenced to jail for enrolling a child in different district, in 2011

Your voice is making a huge difference in the case of , the Ohio mother who was convicted of a felony after allegedly misleading authorities and sending her children to a school outside her district:

•Since we wrote to you about Williams-Bolar, you and more than 67,000 ColorOfChange.org members have called on Ohio Governor John Kasich to take a public stand and commit to pardoning Williams-Bolar.

•Last week, Gov. Kasich acknowledged the public outcry about the case and said he’d investigate.1 Also last week, prosecutors dropped the remaining charges in the case (for grand theft) against Williams-Bolar and her father.2

•On Monday, we went to Gov. Kasich’s office to deliver your signatures, along with thousands more from Change.org and MomsRising.org — more than 165,000 signatures in all. The petition delivery was covered by most of the major media in the state capitol.3,4,5

•On Tuesday, Gov. Kasich responded by asking the state’s parole board to review Williams-Bolar’s case.6

This an important step towards justice: before Gov. Kasich can pardon Williams-Bolar he must receive a recommendation from the parole board. To review her case and make a recommendation, the parole board had to receive a request from the governor or Williams-Bolar herself. Now that Gov. Kasich has made that request, the process for pardoning Williams-Bolar or commuting her sentence can begin.

Our voices are also having an impact beyond this particular case. By speaking out for Kelley Williams-Bolar, we’re also helping to focus the country’s attention on the conditions that put her in this situation: the lack of access to safe, quality education that so many of our children face, and the fact that it’s often rooted in economic and racial inequality.

Gov. Kasich acknowledged the public pressure that led him to take action Tuesday, saying “Many people have shared their thoughts with me in letters, email and phone calls, and I appreciate their outreach.”7

We still don’t know if the parole board will do the right thing. And we need to make sure that Gov. Kasich stays involved and committed to doing everything he can to ensure a just outcome for Kelley Williams-Bolar and her family. But we do know that they are a few steps closer to justice now, and it’s thanks in large part to the voices of ColorOfChange members and our friends at Change.org and MomsRising.org.

Thanks for getting involved. We’ll keep you posted on the case, and let you know if there are more ways you can help.

— James, Gabriel, Dani, William, Natasha and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team

February 10th, 2011

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU — your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5?akid=1890.1174326.wUnIwC&t=2

References

1. “Ohio governor weighs in on Kelley Williams-Bolar case,” Akron Beacon Journal, 2-1-11

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/720?akid=1890.1174326.wUnIwC&t=4

2. “Theft dismissed in residency case,” Akron Beacon Journal, 2-1-11

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/721?akid=1890.1174326.wUnIwC&t=6

3. “Petition to Pardon Mom,” ABC 6, 2-7-11

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/722?akid=1890.1174326.wUnIwC&t=8

4. “Kasich asked to pardon mom in school-enrollment fraud,” Columbus Dispatch, 2-8-11

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/723?akid=1890.1174326.wUnIwC&t=10

5. “Groups ask Ohio gov. to pardon district switcher,” Associated Press, 2-7-11

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/724?akid=1890.1174326.wUnIwC&t=12

6. “Kasich asks parole board to review Williams-Bolar case,” Columbus Dispatch, 2-8-11

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/725?akid=1890.1174326.wUnIwC&t=14

7. Ibid.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

I regret our verdict … Nancy Day via Change.org

09/21/2013 Nativegrl77

Sign Nancy’s Petition

Tyra Patterson was 19 years old when she was initially handed a sentence of 45 years to life for robbery and murder. I know this because I was on the jury that convicted her. But I just found out about evidence that wasn’t presented at the trial — and I believe it proves that Tyra is innocent.

I recently heard a recording of the 911 call that was placed the night of the crime and was shocked to discover that it was Tyra who called to help the victim. I also found out that Tyra’s co-defendants have stepped forward and said that Tyra was not connected to the crime. They even passed polygraph tests asserting her innocence.

If I had known about this evidence during the trial, I never would have voted to convict Tyra. And now that I do, I’m working to right this injustice by convincing the Governor to commute her sentence.

I started a petition on Change.org asking the Ohio Parole Board and Governor Kasich to pardon Tyra by commuting her sentence. Click here to sign my petition, and help me right this wrong.

During the trial, my gut told me that Tyra had just found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. But her attorney barely put up a defense, and with the most important evidence left out of the trial, the other jurors and I felt like we had no choice but to convict. I have lost many nights of sleep over Tyra’s case, and I’m grateful that I now have the opportunity and the evidence to help set an innocent young woman free.

I know that Change.org petitions have successfully encouraged Governor Kasich to pardon prisoners before, like Kelley Williams-Bolar, a mom who was jailed for trying to get her kids to a safer school. I believe that if enough people sign my petition, Governor Kasich and the Ohio Parole Board will allow Tyra to come home. I want to be there when Tyra gets to leave prison as an innocent woman, knowing I did my part to make that happen. And I can’t do it without your help.

Join me in standing up for Tyra by signing my petition asking Governor Kasich and the Ohio Parole Board to review Tyra’s case and commute her sentence. Click here to sign.

Thank you for your help.

Nancy Day Ohio

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Free Donald

02/20/2013 Nativegrl77

Release my boyfriend and soup kitchen manager Donald Perry, in prison since August for offering a ride to a homeless man.

Sign My Petition

In 2011, my boyfriend Donald Perry — a manager at a soup kitchen and homeless outreach center in western Massachusetts — was pulled over and arrested. His crime? He gave a ride to a homeless man who, though Donald didn’t know it, had stolen items with him including an iPad.

When the man realized the police were using GPS to track the iPad to Donald’s car, he fled — leaving Donald to be arrested. But although Donald was acquitted by a jury in July, he is still in prison seven months later.

At the time of his arrest, Donald was on parole for a robbery he committed 30 years ago. But since then, Donald has been one of the Parole Board‘s great success stories — especially because of his tireless service to the homeless. Donald isn’t a danger to society — he’s a loving father, grandfather, partner and public servant. He should be home with me, not in prison.

I started a petition on Change.org calling on the Massachusetts Parole Board to release Donald immediately. Please click here to sign my petition now.

When Donald first told me he was on parole, I wanted to cut the relationship off. But he won me over with his commitment to serving those in need and his boundless love for his children and grandchildren. We were working hard and we were happy — we were even planning our next vacation together.

As of today, Donald has been in prison for 17 months. He is surrounded by men who feel hopeless and in some cases are mentally ill and physically dangerous. It is terrifying that a hearing next month could decide whether or not he goes home — or stays in prison for years to come even though a jury acquitted him.

We’ve been so touched by the outpouring of support for Donald from our community that we’re ready to open up to the possibility that many more people around the country could stand with us to call on the Parole Board to let Donald come home. If thousands of people sign my petition, I think we have a real chance the Parole Board will listen.

Please click here to sign my petition and call on the Massachusetts Parole Board to free my boyfriend and committed public servant Donald Perry now.

Thank you.

Elaine Arsenault
Montague, Massachusetts

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

2 Facebook pages that shouldn’t exist …Shelby Knox, Change.org

09/15/2011 Nativegrl77

Facebook says that hate speech and incitements to violence are banned and will be removed from their site. So why are they maintaining a page called “Riding Your Girlfriend Softly Cause You Don’t Want to Wake Her Up”? And another page about “throwing bricks at sluts” that includes a photo gallery of portraits asking “Bang or Brick”?

There has even been an organized effort to use Facebook’s own reporting system to flag these and other pages that encourage rape and violence against women so they’ll be taken down. But Facebook hasn’t done a thing.

Now, Change.org member John Raines is going straight to the top. He started a petition on Change.org telling Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to take down these pages and take a stronger stand against violence against women.

Will you sign John’s petition to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg? Sign on, and tell Facebook to remove pages promoting rape and violence against women now.

When 1 in 3 American women will be sexually abused and/or assaulted in her lifetime, pages like these — and the reactions they elicit — are downright scary. Tens of thousands of people have “liked” these pages. Some people even use them as platforms to share rape fantasies and receive explicit tactics for how to carry them out.

John has seen the devastating impact of sexual violence and rape firsthand, on his own family. That’s why he created this petition on Change.org to get Facebook to enforce its existing policies and to make it clear that content promoting rape and violence against women violates Facebook’s Terms of Service and won’t be tolerated.

Please sign John’s petition. Tell Facebook to stop providing a platform to promote rape and violence against women.

Thanks for being a change-maker,

– Shelby and the Change.org team

P.S. The Troy Davis petition that we emailed you about earlier this week is being delivered to the Parole Board today with more than 230,000 signatures from Change.org members, in advance of Troy’s final hearing on Monday. We’ll keep you updated.