Alabama Man’s 38 Year Prison Stint for Stealing $9 Draws Viral Outcry: ‘Unconscionable and Immoral’ Sentence
Beth Shelburn, a reporter for Birmingham, AL Fox station WBRC, has drawn massive online attention in the last two days to the story of an Alabama man who spent most of his life in prison after being sentenced for his theft of $9.
Shelburn published an extensive Twitter thread of her conversation with Willie Simmons, an inmate of the Holman Correctional Facility who was sentenced to life in prison for wrestling a man to the ground and stealing his wallet containing $9. Shelburn explained that Simmons was prosecuted as habitual offender in 1982 because he was previously convicted for grand larceny and receiving stolen property. He’s spent the past 38 years behind bars.
THREAD: Today I talked to Willie Simmons, who has spent the last 38 years in prison for stealing $9. He was convicted of 1st degree robbery & sentenced to life without parole in 1982, prosecuted under Alabama’s habitual offender law because he had 3 prior convictions. 1/12 pic.twitter.com/s5BNK2Ejyd
— Beth Shelburne (@bshelburne) December 22, 2019
Simmons told Shelburn he was on drugs when the $9 theft happened, and that he “was using hard drugs when he committed his crimes.”
“I was just trying to get me a quick fix, Simmons said. “It was all stupid. I was messed up.”
Simmons says he sobered up in prison and is currently trying to stay away from “the wild bunch” while he works on obtaining his GED. Simmons said he sees people at his prison doing drugs all the time, but remains clean and “I’d like to tell people about how bad drugs are” once he’s released.
Mr. Simmons is incarcerated at Holman, one of the most violent prisons in the country. He is studying for his GED and “tries to stay away from the wild bunch.” He got sober in prison 18 years ago, despite being surrounded by drugs. “I just talked to God about it,” he said. 4/12
— Beth Shelburne (@bshelburne) December 22, 2019
Even though Shelburn said Simmons hasn’t received a disciplinary citation in a decade, the two of them presented a lamentable series of events from the legal process behind Simmons’ incarceration.
Simmons said his robbery trial lasted 25 minutes and his appointed attorney called no witnesses at the time. “Prosecutors did not offer him a plea deal, even though all of his prior offenses were nonviolent,” Shelburn wrote. “They kept saying we’ll do our best to keep you off the streets for good.”
He remembers his trial lasting 25 minutes and his appointed attorney calling no witnesses. Prosecutors did not offer him a plea deal, even though all of his prior offenses were nonviolent. “They kept saying we’ll do our best to keep you off the streets for good,” he said. 6/12
— Beth Shelburne (@bshelburne) December 22, 2019
Shelburn reported that Simmons repeatedly appealed his case, but was denied each time, and state lawmakers altered the Habitual Offender Law in 2014 so now it’s impossible for him to try again.
Shelburn concluded by arguing that it’s unfair Simmons has been imprisoned for so long, that he deserves another chance after all these years, and that the Habitual Offenders Law “needs to go.”
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. 12/12
— Beth Shelburne (@bshelburne) December 22, 2019
The thread received major traction on Twitter, with many commentators shocked by Simmons’ case and saying it highlights deep flaws in the justice system:
The sex offender registry contains literally thousands of convicted child molesters who are only on the registry because they were let out of prison in this first place. Meanwhile this man stole a wallet and was sentenced to life behind bars. Absolutely unconscionable and immoral https://t.co/xMudBg5d3e
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) December 22, 2019
Read this heartbreaking thread & multiply it by tens of thousands. https://t.co/6hqJIXo8jJ
— David Roberts (@drvox) December 22, 2019
38 years for stealing $9?
As you read this thread think about these questions:
•How many more have had their lives stolen like this?
•How much money was wasted on this that could’ve been spent on education?
•How will you vote in 2020 to change this status quo? https://t.co/dYS9lDPVM3— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) December 22, 2019
Tell me again about how the system isn’t designed to destroy black lives in America https://t.co/LphNE8xBsM
— john r stanton (@dcbigjohn) December 22, 2019
Ridiculous. So much injustice in world. https://t.co/59j05pBtgX
— Tai Lopez (@tailopez) December 22, 2019
This breaks my heart. https://t.co/mgRg7npOZS
— Luke Baines (@LukeBaines) December 22, 2019
$9.
38 years in prison FOR NINE DOLLARS.
This country is broken. https://t.co/o1xDJslm1z
— Geraldine (@everywhereist) December 22, 2019
This case is heartbreaking. ?Alabama has made some changes to their Habitual Felony Offender Laws but they weren’t retroactive- I hope @GovernorKayIvey will consider commuting Willie Simmons and others who have been sentenced under this draconian law and seen no relief. https://t.co/mnHEOspNxX
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) December 22, 2019
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