Jesse’s in Custody and in our Hearts

During the sentencing, Richard Dusterhoft, the Prosecutor, argued for 6 months in jail and just over $10,000 in restitution. Jesse’s attorney asked for at most 60 days in jail. Jesse spoke eloquently on his own behalf. He mentioned how much he’s learned and changed in the past year, how he wants to move on in his life and do what’s really important to him: spend time with the children in his life, his friends and family, and return to his community. He said he’s already experienced distance from his loved ones, isolation, and had time to contemplate the seriousness of the situation, all things that imprisonment is supposed to make you experience. The desire most strongly articulated was that of returning home.

For the first time in our collective court experience, Judge Flynn took a downward departure from what the prosecution recommended. She originally planned on sentencing him to 9 months, but it seem she was swayed by the massive amount of letters submitted in Jesse’s favor. Thank you so much to friends, family, and supporters for your articulate and emotional letters! They made all the difference. While appealing to authority doesn’t leave us very empowered, if we can take even a day off of a friend’s jail sentence, then we should any way we can. 5 months off is even better!

We were all nervous, sad, and scared before the sentencing. We couldn’t all fit into the courtroom, and the indimidating sherrifs, in uniform and plainclothes, took up all the standing room and rudely tried to stop us from entering. The weeks leading up to this have been stressful and emotional, and it seemed that our tension was coming to a head. But after hearing the sentence, many of us felt a weight lifted. Even though our dear friend is sitting in that terrible place, surrounded by unsympathetic guardians of law and order, we know he’s on his way home. The sentence was much less than we expected and were trying to prepare ourselves for. By no mean is this judicial stifling of our lives acceptable, but at least we know that Jesse will soon be free.

Jesse called us this late afternoon, and while disappointed not to be with his friends and family, he seems to be doing well. He is still in the downtown Ramsey County Jail, which is different than his final destination, the Ramsey County Correctional Facility, a.k.a. the Workhouse. He says he should be transported there tomorrow, so if you want to send him letters as soon as you can, he should get to the jail before your letter does. Letters are immensely important to prisoners, to combat isolation and stay engaged with the world and your loved ones. Send him letters soon and often! Use your common sense with what you write, don’t say anything that could get Jesse in trouble. Photographs can be sent (but not polaroids), and photocopies are accepted, but avoid staples. Also, items with glue, glitter, markers, or general things the jail staff might find annoying won’t be accepted. If they don’t accept mail it should be placed in Jesse’s property and he’ll get it upon his release. His address is:

Jesse Forrey

297 South Century Avenue

Maplewood, MN 55119

Other ways you can help are by donating money via paypal, check, or money order. Contact us for an address, or us the paypal link on the lefthand side of this site. Jesse also would like to read the following books, which can only be sent via a publisher such as amazon.com or powells.com

Custer Died For Your Sins – Vine Deloria

Living My Life – Emma Goldman

Any Derrick Jensen

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – Jonathon Saffran Foer

Ward Churchill

something about traditional/indigenous norwegian peoples

Mary Oliver

The Continuum Concept

The Male Herbal by Jame Green

The Ohlone Way

Having Little, Being Much by Lorraine Perlman

Conquest by Andrea Smith

and related such and such….

Please get in touch with us regarding any concerns or questions. We’re here to help Jesse and all y’all. This is a hard time for many of us but together we’ll come out much stronger for it.

I’ll leave you with some words written by Jesse on his house’s message board:

“Thank you so fucking much. I love you.”