2.01.2014

AKILI K.A. EL—AMIN's sample letter to Parole Board


To: Wisconsin Parole Commission

       ATI'N: Danielle LaCost

       3099 East Washington Avenue

       Post Office Box 7960

      Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7960



RE: AKILI K.A. EL—AMIN, Offender #203201

Commissioner LaCost,

I am writing this letter in support of the releasing of Akili K.A. El—Amin, Offender #203201, on discretionary parole for the following reasons:

1) Akili was 16 years old when he went along with his older brother and the victim, Christopher was shot to death.

2) Although Akili himself admits that he bore some responsibility for going along with his older brother when the crime was committed, he was not the one who actually shot the victim, Christopher, even by his brother's own admission.

3) Akili has demonstrated for quite a long time now that he has been rehabilitated and has reformed his ways of thinking, acting, and feeling which has been well—documented in his program completions, overall Institution Adjustment, as well as in his work evaluations that he has received from various D.O.C. staff members.

4) Lastly, even the United States Supreme Court Justices has recently ruled that: "Because juveniles have diminished culpability and greater prospects for reform, they are less deserving of the most severe punishments. There are three significant gaps between juveniles and adults. FIRST, children have a lack of maturity and an undeveloped sense of responsibility leading to recklessness, impulsivity, and heedless risk—taking. SECOND, children are more vulnerable to negative influences and outside pressures, including from their family and peers, they have limited control over their own environment and lack the ability to extricate themselves from horrific, crime—producing settings. And THIRD, a child's character is not as "well formed" as an adult's; his traits are "less fixed" and his actions less likely to be evidence of irretrievable depravity." —Miller v. Alabama, 132 S.Ct.

In conclusion, I support the release of Akili El-Amin because I believe in second chances --- especially for individuals like him who in their youth made poor emotional and irrational decisions. I support his release because I truly believe that he has changed and that he has a lot to offer today's society in terms of mentorship to the many misguided inner-city youths since he once was just like them.

With that being said, I greatly appreciate you considering this request and I thank you in advance for your time and consideration regarding this matter.

Sincerely,

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