WASHINGTON, D.C. — FWD.us released Parole Stories: Najee, Amy, and ML, the final video in its story series,“‘They Just Denied Me’: Parole Stories and Case Studies.” This installment focuses on Missouri’s parole system and highlights the systemic barriers that make parole release extremely difficult to obtain in Missouri. 

This new video features Najee, Amy, and ML – three women who have navigated Missouri’s parole system and whose experiences with the Missouri Parole Board shed light on why so many incarcerated people in Missouri remain in prison well past their parole eligibility date. While each woman’s circumstances are distinct, a clear pattern emerges from their parole interviews: the system fails to meaningfully assess who a person is today. Instead, it continues to weigh unchangeable aspects of their past at the expense of demonstrated rehabilitation, growth, and a record of good behavior. 

“Najee, Amy, and ML’s experiences illustrate a fundamental flaw with the parole process, where decisions are too often anchored in the past rather than in who people have become. Too many people remain incarcerated long after they have demonstrated they are prepared to return home, and their families and communities are worse off for it,” said Felicity Rose, Vice President of Criminal Justice Research and Policy at FWD.us. 

 

FWD.us urges the Missouri legislature to prioritize parole reforms, including expanding early release opportunities by passing the Missouri Survivors’ Justice bills  (HBs 1872 and 3541), broadening access to elder and medical parole, and adopting a mandatory good time credit system that would allow people to earn their way out directly. The legislature should also explore additional options, such as expanding presumptive grid releases, as recommended by the Governor’s Parole Working Group. These reforms are especially critical now, as recent policy changes to minimum time served requirements are projected to dramatically increase the state’s prison population without improving public safety. 

“These stories underscore a problem our community has raised for years. Parole is not a genuine pathway home in Missouri. Najee, Amy, and ML represent so many Missourians who have done the work to change, and yet the parole system fails to acknowledge their transformation. Missouri deserves a fair and effective parole system that recognizes change and provides second chances. The legislature must act this session to pass the Missouri Survivors’ Justice bills and expand opportunities for people to come home,” said Sheena Rogers, Executive Director, Show Me Justice for All. 

Parole Stories: Najee, Amy, and ML is the third video in a story series and case study examining parole policies and practices in Missouri, Mississippi, and New York.