A Father's Hopes
by Alan Miller

In 1998, when my son Jonathan was 15, he accidentally killed a schoolmate with a punch to the head. He was convicted of murder and is serving a life sentence. We have sought all avenues to have this conviction overturned, but to no avail.

The Georgia Department of Correction continues to maintain Jonathan on ‘close security’ status. This status is based on a mathematical equation determined by the type of conviction and the age when a crime is committed. The younger you are, when you commit a crime, the higher the security threat level you are given. Jon will be due for a security status review in a few weeks. This will be his first chance to receive a reduced security level. We understand that this is rarely given on the first state review but we are hopeful, since his record is clear of any violations.

On May 2nd Jonathan completed five and one half years in custody. Without a miracle, he must complete eight and one half more years of incarceration before he can be reviewed for parole. Jonathan, the person, is doing well. He has made a home for himself. He doesn’t remember what it was like being free. Since he was only fifteen when incarcerated, Jonathan has never known what it is like to be a free adult. This leaves him very little with which to compare in his current surroundings. I believe this helps him to accept his situation and really try to make the best of every day. He is currently housed at Phillips State Prison in Buford, Georgia.

Trying to help Jonathan educate and train himself has been problematic since the state of Georgia offers no courses or training at his current facility. We discovered “Professional Career Development Institute” in Norcross, Georgia which appears to be the only one offering courses that can be completed without a computer or telephone. We purchased the materials for a Diploma in Small Business Management. This is expected to take Jon six to nine months to complete. He has done very well on his first three tests. We are considering additional diploma courses and possibly an Associate Degree in Business Management for him.

In our last update, we were waiting for the United States Supreme Court to review Jonathan’s case. Unfortunately, they declined to review it. The Court seemed reluctant to get involved in a juvenile murder case since the D.C. sniper juvenile case was about to go to trial and did not want do anything that might taint that trial. By that denial, however, we are allowed one year to file a Federal Habeas Corpus. Attorneys L. David Wolfe and Mark Yurachek have worked hard to file the best possible appeal within the given deadline. So, now we wait and pray.

We don’t know where this will lead or how long before we receive an answer. In the mean time, Jonathan tries to make every day count. We should too!

Please remember to pray for Jonathan and his family.

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