Man Is Serving Life Imprisonment For Stealing $9 In 1982

Dec 30, 2019 by apost team

Being sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole is the most significant punishment that one can receive in the United States outside of the death penalty. This type of sentence is generally believed to be only for those who have committed the most horrific of crimes. Murder is one example that immediately pops to mind. What did Willie Simmons do to cause prosecutors to want to "keep (him) off the streets for good"? He stole $9.

According to the Washington Examiner, Willie Simmons, 62, had grown up amidst a poor background in Enterprise, Ala., a city of 27,000 that's 180 miles southeast of Birmingham. When he was in high school, he started getting involved with drugs and ended up dropping out when he was 16.

The man told Beth Shelburne in a December 2019 interview documented in a twitter thread that his drug use was "real bad" and had led to his getting involved with more and more dangerous drugs as time passed.

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In the years that followed, Willie started experiencing trouble with the law, being sentenced once for grand larceny and twice for receiving stolen property. The former conviction occurred in 1979 while it's not clear when the other two crimes had been committed. He estimates that he served about a year in prison for each of the crimes. However, nothing prepared Willie for the punishment that was to come.

In 1982, Willie was high on drugs and looking to secure funds for a "quick fix" when he wrestled a man to the ground and grabbed his wallet, which contained $9. He didn't get far, however, as police officers were able to apprehend and arrest him a few blocks away.

The issue that would change his life forever was that Alabama has a habitual offender law, which meant that he could be sentenced to a punishment that far exceeded what each of his crimes would incur on their own. And prosecutors were showing no leniency as they did not offer him a plea deal, not caring that his prior offenses had all been nonviolent. He also didn't receive much help from his appointed lawyer, who didn't call any witnesses in a trial that lasted 25 minutes and has kept him locked up ever since.

Willie's been imprisoned at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Ala., 120 miles west of Enterprise and 50 miles northeast of Mobile. It has a reputation for being one of the nation's most violent. However, he's done his best to not be involved with that group, trying to "stay away from the wild bunch." Willie also eradicated drugs from his life 18 years ago even though he was and continues to be surrounded by them in prison. Why did he do so? "I just talked to God about it." He's also been free of disciplinary citations for the past 10 years.

As he makes his way through his life, he's been keeping hope that he will be released one day. Throughout the years, he filed numerous appeals without the help of a lawyer. Every single one was turned down. Five years ago, even that option was removed by lawmakers. Also, even though the state has made alterations to its habitual felony offender laws, those changes are not retroactive.

Sadly, Willie's situation is an especially lonely one. The last person to visit him was his sister, but she died in 2005. He said that he's got nobody outside of Holman to talk to and that he sometimes feels like he's "lost in outer space." However, it's hopeful that he received some good wishes from those who heard of his story thanks to his interview with Beth, especially since that interview had been released just a few days prior to Christmas. Many are also doing what they can to hopefully free him one day.

If he does receive an opportunity to live on the outside again, Willie says that he hopes to "settle down with a woman and do God's will." He would also share how dangerous drugs are, something that he's seen firsthand at Holman as well as experienced himself. Will his release ever happen? He hopes so. "I ain't giving up."

What thoughts came to mind when you heard Willie's story? What are your opinions? Do you think that receiving harsh punishments due to accumulating offenses is a good policy, that it helps society become safer? Should people like Willie be made free despite being handed a punishment that was legal and mandated at the time of his sentence.