Alabama Army veteran serving life for stealing $9 in 1982 wants sentence reconsidered: 'I ain't giving up'
A man from Alabama, who is 62 now, has reportedly spent the last 38 years of his life in prison for stealing $9 in 1982. Willie Simmons was convicted of first degree robbery and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole in the state.
Simmons, an Army veteran who became addicted to drugs while stationed overseas, was reportedly prosecuted under Alabama's habitual offender law in 1982 because he has three prior convictions. He was sentenced to life in prison when he was 25 and has not had a single visitor since 2005, according to journalist Beth Shelburne. His sister, who was his sole visitor, died that year.
The veteran is reportedly incarcerated at William C Holman Correctional Facility in Alabama, which is one of the most violent prisons in the country. The 62-year-old is studying for his General Educational Development tests (GED) and "tries to stay away from the wild bunch". Simmons became sober 18 years ago in prison despite being surrounded by drugs in the facility, the reporter said.
He also admitted to being high on drugs when he stole the $9 that landed him a life sentence. "I was just trying to get me a quick fix," he explained while recalling that his trial lasted 25 minutes and his appointed attorney did not call any witnesses. In his case the prosecutors did not offer him a plea deal despite all of his prior offenses being nonviolent.
Shelburne, who says she is not arguing for Simmons' innocence, said that she feels he has paid for his crime. "It sickens me to think about how many other people are warehoused in prison, forgotten,” she tweeted. “When tough on crime people say everyone in prison deserves to be there, think of Mr Simmons. We should be ashamed of laws that categorically throw people away in the name of safety. We should question anyone who supports Alabama's habitual offender law. It needs to go.”
Simmons, over the years, has filed multiple appeals without a lawyer. However, all of them have been denied. He hopes that Alabama authorities will one day reconsider the sentence given to him: "Yes, I've been hoping and praying on it. I ain't giving up," according to AL.com.