Sister's kidney donation condition of Miss. parole

[djgaryb11]

Sister's kidney donation condition of Miss. parole

By HOLBROOK MOHR
The Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. — For 16 years, sisters Jamie and Gladys Scott have shared a life behind bars for their part in an $11 armed robbery. To share freedom, they must also share a kidney.

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour suspended the sisters' life sentences on Wednesday, but 36-year-old Gladys Scott's release is contingent on her giving a kidney to Jamie, her 38-year-old sister, who requires daily dialysis.

The sisters were convicted in 1994 of leading two men into an ambush in central Mississippi the year before. Three teenagers hit each man in the head with a shotgun and took their wallets — making off with only $11, court records said.

Jamie and Gladys Scott were each convicted of two counts of armed robbery and sentenced to two life sentences.

"I think it's a victory," said the sisters' attorney, Chokwe Lumumba. "I talked to Gladys and she's elated about the news. I'm sure Jamie is, too."

Civil rights advocates have for years called for their release, saying the sentences were excessive. Those demands gained traction when Barbour asked the Mississippi Parole Board to take another look at the case.

The Scott sisters are eligible for parole in 2014, but Barbour said prison officials no longer think they are a threat to society and Jamie's medical condition is costing the state a lot of money.

Lumumba said he has no problem with the governor requiring Gladys to offer up her organ because "Gladys actually volunteered that as part of her petition."

Lumumba said it's not clear what caused the kidney failure, but it's likely a combination of different illnesses over the years.

Barbour spokesman Dan Turner told The Associated Press that Jamie Scott was released because she needs the transplant. He said Gladys Scott will be released if she agrees to donate her kidney because of the significant risk and recovery time.

"She wanted to do it," Turner said. "That wasn't something we introduced."

Barbour is a Republican in his second term who has been mentioned as a possible presidential contender in 2012. He said the parole board agreed with the indefinite suspension of their sentences, which is different from a pardon or commutation because it comes with conditions.

An "indefinite suspension of sentence" can be reversed if the conditions are not followed, but those requirements are usually things like meeting with a parole officer.

The Scott sisters have received significant public support from advocacy groups, including the NAACP, which called for their release. Hundreds of people marched through downtown Jackson from the state capital to the governor's mansion in September, chanting in unison that the women should be freed.

Still, their release won't be immediate.

Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps said late Wednesday that he had not received the order. He also said the women want to live with relatives in Florida, which requires approval from officials in that state.

In general, that process takes 45 days.

Mississippi NAACP President Derrick Johnson said the Scott sisters' release will be "a great victory for the state of Mississippi for two individuals who received an excessive sentence" and he has no problem with the kidney donation requirement because Gladys Scott volunteered.

"I think it's encouraging that she's willing to share a kidney so her sister can have a better quality life," Johnson said.

National NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous said the pardon represents the good that can come with the power of governors to commute sentences.

The organization worked to try to persuade Barbour who ended up agreeing that the sisters "did not deserve to spend one more day in prison," Jealous said.

"It's again proof that when people get engaged, keep the faith, we can win," Jealous said.

Barbour has used his power sparingly to free prisoners over the years, but some of his decisions have created a backlash.

Barbour outraged the family and friends of Jean Elizabeth Gillies, a University of Mississippi student who was raped, sodomized and strangled in 1986, when he granted a suspended sentence for her killer, Douglas Hodgkin.

He also angered others by granting a similar release to Michael Graham, who was serving a life sentence for murdering his ex-wife in 1989.

Both men had worked as prison trusties — prisoners who earn privileges through good behavior — at the governor's mansion, a tradition in Mississippi that dates back generations. Mississippi governors have often granted the trusties early releases.

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http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/sisters-kidney-donation-condition-790669.html


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[greg10]

This could have happened perhaps only in Mississippi.
"The sisters were convicted of robbing at gunpoint two men driving them to a nightclub in Forest, north Mississippi, in 1993. (No one was hurt and the two sisters got away with $11)  They had no prior criminal record. Each was sentenced to two life terms.
Supporters of the Scotts including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People questioned the role the women played in the crime and said the fact they are black played a role in the judge's decision to impose such harsh sentences.
"The presiding judge in the trial, Judge Marcus Gordon, has a history of racially biased rulings and even the prosecutor of the case" became an advocate for the sisters, said NAACP president Benjamin Jealous in a statement.
The sisters were eligible for parole in 2014. A release date will be determined by the state's Department of Corrections.

A condition of Gladys Scott's release is that she donate a kidney to her sister in an operation that should be performed urgently, the statement said, adding that Gladys had agreed to be a kidney donor for her sister, who requires dialysis."

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6BT1WB20101230

Judge Marcus Gordon

[Sax-O-Trix]

Florida would be stupid to take these two on as parolees because of their future medical/living/welfare/penal system costs.  Mississippi may be a bit smarter than some think...

[Poppylicious]

I think it's wonderful that she wants to donate a kidney to her sister, but it shouldn't be a condition of early release ... the only thing I can focus on is why on earth they got such long sentences for the crime they committed! 

*sigh*

[greg10]

Marcus Gordon is the same judge that presided over the trial of one-time Ku Klux Klan leader Edgar Ray Killen, who he sentenced to 60 years for masterminding the 1964 murders of three civil rights workers in Mississippi, 20 years for each murder.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4124258.stm

[cariad]

Greg, is that the case that Mississippi Burning was based on?

The only thing I remember about that film was it's lovely opening scene in which Gene Hackman poses the old riddle to his partner: What has four eyes but cannot see?

[jbeany]

Oh, the facts get worse if you know more of them.  There was no evidence linking the women to the crime except the testimony of the kids who did it - who all testified to get lower sentences as part of their plea deals.

So what happens if she gets rejected as a donor for health reasons, I wonder?

[greg10]

Yes, Mississippi Burning was loosely based on the murder of the civil rights workers.

"Those Three are On My Mind"[2] (Pete Seeger) was written to commemorate the three workers.
The Simon & Garfunkel song "He Was My Brother" was dedicated to Goodman.
Meridian (1976), a novel by Alice Walker, dealt with issues of the civil rights era.
The case was the basis (loosely) of the feature film Mississippi Burning (1988). Goodman is portrayed in the film by actor Rick Zieff and simply identified as "Passenger" in the film credits."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Goodman

[paris]

I agree with jbeany about being  rejected.   We all know that just because you say you want to donate, doesn't mean you actually can.  What a mess this case is. Seems like they shouldn't be there to begin with.    It will be interesting to see what happens.

[Bill Peckham]

It is very hard to see past the sentence to think about the deal.


What if it wasn't such a trivial crime? Typically this wouldn't get both the donor and the recipient out of jail. I think the transplant angle is meant to distract from the facts of their imprisonment.

[Jean]

the details of this case shown so far are really dumb. However, it also sounds as if the surgery will be done before they are released, therefore, once again, being done on the taxpayers dime. I have often thought about robbing a bank, so I could get a transplant if I needed it.

[okarol]

After seeing the press conference of Jamie and Gladys Scott it's apparent that one who needs a transplant is very obese, and would mostly likely NOT pass the evaluation for a kidney recipient. So saying they are required to transplant in one year is a really naive and uneducated sentence by the judge.
Jamie and Gladys Scott at press conference http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/scott-sisters-speak-after-release-from-prison/6s4tm9h

[DrMoskowitz]

Jamie's ESRD due to hypertension was completely preventable (1,2). Gladys shouldn't have to give up her kidney. After all, her family has hypertension and ESRD genes, and Gladys is at high risk of losing kidney function in the future.

References
1:  Moskowitz DW. From pharmacogenomics to improved patient outcomes: angiotensin I-converting enzyme as an example. Diabetes Technol Ther. 2002;4(4):519-32.
PMID: 12396747. (http://www.genomed.com/pdf/diabetes.technology.therapeutics.pdf).
2. http://tinyurl.com/healthcrime