Washblog

By Theresa Matheson

How does a person get sentenced to 777 years, 77 months, and 77 days? Ask Jackie Fletcher. She is neither a sexual predator or a murderer. Jackie committed three second degree robberies. No one was physically injured. How can she receive comparable sentences to killers like Ted Bundy, Gary Ridgeway, and Robert Yates?

The Three Strikes initiative promised to put away "the worst of the worst," but instead has given life sentences to low level offenders. At the time of Jackie's sentencing, the judge stated that the justice system (specifically the probation department) had failed Jackie and that the law left the judge no choice but to sentence her to Life Without the Possibility of Parole.

No choice? What is wrong with this picture

Jackie came from a broken, abusive home; her father a convict, her mother an alcoholic. She was never taught to study or go to school. Instead, she was taught to hustle and "make money." But despite her upbringing and her life sentence, Jackie is an extraordinary woman who lives the adage: "Be the Change." Right now Jackie uses her time in prison to help other inmates. She has pioneered the first inmate-facilitated programs at Washington Corrections Center in Purdy. Now each woman who is sentenced to prison goes through an orientation with Jackie and other model inmates who share their experiences to encourage and impart hope to those newly sentenced. Jackie also started a series of workshops (also inmate facilitated) that teach important skills such as communication, how to develop dreams and goals, and how to create your own self image.

Jackie believes that coming to prison has changed her life for the better. She always says that she deserved to go to prison, that she committed the crime, and that she takes responsibility for her actions. But doesn't the punishment have to fit the crime? Jackie has served twice the maximum sentence for second degree robbery. The real crime is that she is still in prison.

MORE FROM JACKIE AND THERESA

After receiving this story for publication, I followed up with a few questions to Jackie and Theresa.  With permission, I'm including excerpts of their responses here. On my question about the author's name, Theresa responded:

"My name is Theresa Matheson and I am the author of the mini-biography for Jackie Fletcher.... If you need to publish my name, that is alright. But I wrote it for Jackie because I believe in her and because she is my friend. I would do almost anything for her. I don't need or want any credit. So do whatever you think is best.

"I wanted to tell you that Jackie is an extraordinary woman. I have been here a number of years and she has been an inspiration and a really good friend to me. What is amazing is that she truly "grows where she is planted." She has had a hard time and a raw deal, but you would never know it to talk to her. It breaks my heart to know that I will have to leave her here.

"Jackie is a phenomenal speaker and a remarkable woman. There are many times when I might not have made it if it wasn't for her supporting me. I seem to be rambling, but I really cannot articulate what Jackie means to me. If there is any way that I can help, I would be more than willing. Just let me know."

On my request for clarification on what the judge said (Snohomish Superior Court Judge Linda Krese) and whether her remarks were published anywhere, Jackie replied:

"The judge said to me during my sentencing, July 13, 1996, At this time, the law leaves me no choice but to give you Life Without the Possibility of Parole. Then she looked right at me and said, sorry this system has failed you. Then she said I had 30 days to file an appeal, so please do so. I don't remember a whole lot of things in life, especially those days. But I guarantee you, those were her exact words. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was the day I died on the inside and have been creating a new me ever since. I know the Everett Herald ran a bunch of articles? Maybe you could check?"

"About the facilitator's orientation programs. You are right there have been inmate facilitators for years. But usually they help out other programs -- like AVP (Alternatives to Violence), Peace Talk, Freedom Projects, etc. In fact over the years they also had facilitators for (programs on) HIV and transmitted diseases. However, here at Washington Corrections Center for Women, I had a dream, like 8 years ago, about doing our own program. So I got together with our Superintendent at the time and a few other ladies and put together a proposal. It was for a group called EESS, Education and Encourage Support Systems. It's a 3-hour orientation run by 4 inmates. However, it took 6 months and a team of women to do this. We had a teacher and mental health area superiors (that) we ran the research by. It was incredibly real, raw, and down-to-earth. Then we branched off into a mom's group months later. We encourage (the participants) in every way to change and give them hope that it's possible... We let them know it's about changing their thinking and behavior and choices, responsibility, and consequences. Put that all together and they are motivated to begin a new life.  The seeds are planted.

"Then that worked out so well that we eventually just needed more. The girls wrote us letters and kited (note: "kites" are notes that inmates pass to DOC employees, often to correctional officers from their cells -- to be relayed to officials or departments within the prison.) to have more stuff like that. So once again we created a team of 7. We took classes, did leadership school, etc. We even do team building and constantly do growth building things. We met on Saturday nights and put together a workshop. We called it 'Finding Your Voice'. We taught and facilitated communication and listening skills, hopes & dreams, and goals and self-esteem exercises. You would just have to go to one to experience the magic. It's 7 hours long -- Saturday.

"Then we made another one. It's an advanced program called "Create Your Own Image"... The women get the opportunity to use everything they have ever learned and experienced. They then put the plan of action into order. It's more than amazing to watch. It's just a blessing right before your very eyes. I have been doing the orientations for about 5 years now (and) the workshops for about 3 or 4 years. The last workshop was in 2008.

"I believe we are the only institution that has done that and also are trusted to be alone in the room with the girls. We do have a boss who works for DOC -- and she stays out in the gym office and allows us our privacy. That's another miracle. The orientations are run by us as well. There are always officers close by, but not actually in the same room.

I don't know what other prisons have and do. I've just been told by other staff that we're the only prison who allows that... It's just a lot of trust and respect involved in what we do and we're privileged for those opportunities."

Theresa Matheson also provided more details about the workshops:

The inmate programs are the first of their kind. Unsupervised, from inmates by inmates, and the curriculum was developed by us. Jackie's group talks about real inmate things like fighting, sex, and how to do time. Every week she opens her heart and shares her pain and her joy with these women. She uses her life sentence to give the women hope. So many times I have heard the women say, "If Jackie can do it so can I. I can change." She's down to earth, real, and sometimes raw. But she does not want what happened to her to happen to anyone else. She is the ultimate, extreme lesson on how bad choices can take your life.

"Jackie is "the mastermind of change" by having the dream and believing that it could happen, our former Superintendent Belinda Stewart and the former Community Partnership Coordinator Dee Crocker took a chance and did the unprecedented, let inmates facilitate other inmates without any staff in the room supervising."