Taxpayers – It’s Your Money! Keeping battered women behind bars costs big bucks!

Do you know it costs Michigan taxpayers approximately $36,000 a year for my incarceration at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility?

Over $500,000 of taxpayer money has been spent over the past 14 years to incarcerate me. If I remain incarcerated until death as the Parole Board intends, the total cost to taxpayers for my incarceration will exceed one million dollars!

Why is this imperative for you to know? I’m not a criminal as stated by the former prison psychologist, Nels Thompson, “Nancy Seaman is a non-violent person who, if released from prison, would pose no threat of violence to the community. She would be a productive, responsible citizen.” Nels Thompson worked in the prison. He continues to advocate for justice on my behalf and told the Michigan Parole Board and Governor Snyder via film and letters that I premeditated how to safely leave my husband, not how to kill him.

Statistics have proven again and again that women are in the most danger when they are trying to leave their abusive partner. I was in fear of my life in May 2004 when I killed my abusive husband while defending myself against his final assault on my life.

I have submitted four commutations while in prison. My fourth one was denied by the Parole Board on February 14, 2018. They didn’t interview me, order a psychological evaluation, or conduct a public hearing. They gave no deference to the state and federal court decisions by three judges that twice overturned my verdict. No credit was given for the law-abiding life I once led or my exemplary prison record. A mountain of support letters and over 800 petition signatures failed to soften their hearts. Unfortunately, because of their lack of knowledge of domestic violence and battered women’s syndrome, they have very few insights about how 31 years of domestic abuse affected my mind and behavior that tragic day.

Self-defense should not be a crime, but Michigan law treats it as if it were. Until the laws change or commutations are granted to rectify the injustice, battered women like me will languish in prison for decades until death claims our lives, burdening Michigan taxpayers with the cost.

Please contact Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and let your voices be heard.

A grant of commutation will not only rectify an injustice and save my life but will save many tax dollars as well.

Thank you for your compassion.

Nancy Seaman – April 2018