Passing it on

I only just heard about this and what I know is pretty much limited to what's here, but I thought it worth passing on.

Veronza Bowers was a member of the Black Panther Party who was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of murdering a US Park Ranger, a crime of which he still maintains his innocence.

After a September 12, 2000, parole hearing, the regional parole examiner recommended parole, but the following February the National Parole Commission declared without explanation it saw "no new and relevant information" and so overturned the regional examiner's action.

This, however, is where it turns from frustrating toward outrageous: On April 7, 2004, Bowers had been in federal prison for 30 years. By federal law, once someone has been in prison for 30 years, they must be granted parole unless the National Parole Commission makes a positive finding based on credible evidence that the person has failed to adapt to the rules of the prison or is likely to commit crimes if released.

Despite having made no such finding and despite having granted a waiver of a final parole hearing, just 18 hours before Bowers' scheduled release the NPC rescinded the waiver and ordered that Bowers continue to be held. According to his supporters, even the officials at the prison were shocked by the order.

A suit has been filed against the NPC, but in the current atmosphere of fear of any sort of - or even history of - radicalism, even on the part of someone who has supposedly become a "model" prisoner, the result is hard to predict.

So far, the support group is not asking for any action except letters of support to him and/or his attorney. If you want to get the addresses or more details, there is a website at www.veronza.org.