by Mary Ann McGivern
Clemency Sought for Patty Prewitt
From the Missouri Catholic Conference
Summer Update 9/9/2011:
A statewide campaign is seeking clemency from Gov. Nixon for Patty Prewitt, who has been incarcerated for 25 years for the murder of her husband Bill in 1984. Patty is serving a life plus 50-year sentence and is not eligible for parole until 2036. She has always maintained her innocence and there is much that is disturbing about her trial.
In prison, Patty is a practicing Catholic and an extraordinary person who has touched many lives. All who have known her in prison attest to her superb prison record and outstanding personal qualities.
Law students with the Community Justice Project of Georgetown Law filed a clemency petition last December with Gov. Nixon on the basis of Patty's prison's work, her extremely low likelihood of recidivism and the high cost of keeping her behind bars. That same month the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran an Op/Ed by former Reps. Bill Deeken (R-Jefferson City) and John Burnett (D-Kansas City) in support of Patty.
To mark her 25th year in prison in May, more than 500 people wrote to Gov. Nixon asking him to grant her clemency. If you would like to help Patty, you can send a letter to Gov. Jay Nixon at P.O. Box 720, Jefferson City, MO 65102, call and leave a message at 573-751-3222 or email him here.
For more information about Patty, you can visit her Web site.
