When Jeff Mizanskey was sentenced in 1996, his third strike, he only had one thing to look forward to: a lifetime in prison. His rap sheet wasn't violent, he had never sold cannabis to minors, and by all accounts was seen as a low risk of any violent offenses at that moment or in the future.
Under Missouri's 3 strike system, though, he would face the rest of his life in prison for dealing small amounts of weed, something many violent offenders were able to avoid.
Today, Jeff Mizanskey walked out of prison for the first time a freed man.
Documentaries about Jeff's case tell the story:
And after years of campaigning, more than 400k individuals signed petitions to release Jeff Mizanskey, and finally, today, their goal is realized.
http://www.abc17news.com/...
After 21 years in prison, Representative Paul Fitzwater said Mizanskey has served his time.
"I think we have an obligation to make sure that citizens are held accountable for their actions, but we also have an obligation to ensure justice is served and in this case the punishment does not fit the crime," said Representative Paul Fitzwater.
Governor Nixon had commuted his
sentence in May, and now, finally, Jeff Mizanskey will go home.
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