Two men who’ve been in state prisons since they were teenagers could soon be free thanks to the efforts of a church in Lexington and students at Washington and Lee's law school. The Virginia Capital Case Clearinghouse and Defense Clinic identifies inmates who deserve a second chance, represents them in requests for parole, and then members of Grace Episcopal develop a “home plan." Sandy Hausman has that story.
Before Virginia releases inmates who are eligible for parole, they must have a plan spelling out where they will live and work, how they will get food and clothing and who will assist them in adjusting to life on the outside.
David Gates, a member of Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington, thought he and his fellow parishioners could help by offering support for a couple of men who’ve been locked up for more than 30 years.
“They were teenagers, and now they’re 58 and 60 years old,” he explains.
The men are represented by a law student at Washington & Lee University. She spoke with one of them after his parole board interview.
“He said it was the best interview that he’d ever had," Gates says. "They talked about the program here in Lexington, and she could hear the smile and the excitement in his voice.”
Assuming they get parole, Gates says the church will assure the men have food, clothes and transportation to jobs at a nearby truck stop. Housing, he adds, might have been a problem.
“I had one complex tell me we can’t take anybody who’s been incarcerated until they’ve lived without any problems for eight years," he recalls. "I said, ‘Where do they live during those eight years?’”
But they found a two-bedroom apartment and will help these returning citizens to pay the rent in a town where apartments can easily cost $1,000 a month or more.
