Willie Simmons has been in prison 38 years 9 months & 15 days for a single $9 robbery & 3 property crimes. 1 year ago he shared his story and despite global outrage over his punishment, Willie remains locked up. I spoke to him recently & he asked me to pass along a message. 1/11

Willie is thankful for the outpouring of support over the last year, including 1500 letters from all over the world. "A whole heap of 'em," he said, laughing. "I know it’s a blessing from God above." He's sorry he hasn't responded to everyone, but he's read all the letters. 2/11

Willie made several new friends who he now calls for encouragement. They give him hope but after 38 years, he's tired. “To tell you the truth, I’ve been feeling kinda shaky," he told me. "I don’t want to get myself too high just to be disappointed on down the road.” 3/11

Willie has been let down by the courts so many times. All of his appeals have been summarily denied. This narrative I found in a "pre-sentence investigation" sums up how the system views people like Willie as disposable, irredeemable. He was 24 then, today he is 63. 4/11

Other documents I've found tell of the violence Willie has experienced in prison. In 2006, as another appeal wound through court, a man assaulted Willie with a 5 lb weight. Willie learned the court denied that appeal "during convalescence," while in solitary confinement. 5/11

Willie got life without parole under Alabama's habitual felony offender law. Hundreds of others like him are warehoused in prison with no hope of release for robberies, burglaries or drug cases, many with no physical injury. The law needs to go. 6/11
https://action.aclu.org/petition/al-repealhfoa

Millions of people around the world have followed Willie's case & signed petitions supporting his freedom, yet lawmakers & @GovernorKayIvey have done nothing to address this failed policy. Instead she wants to build 3 new privately owned mega-prisons. 7/11 https://justiceforwilliesimmons.org/ 

Willie has avoided getting COVID, but others at Holman prison have not been as lucky. @ALCorrections decommissioned most of Holman earlier this year, but Willie remains in the only open dorm with 150 other men who also have terminal sentences. 37 of them have gotten COVID. 8/11

Willie feels pretty good and walks the prison yard as much as possible. But even with so few people, Holman still has issues. Last month someone stole items from his box, including his shoes, while he was at breakfast. He didn't report it bc he didn't want "more trouble." 9/11

Willie stays focused on what he wants to do if he gets out of prison. “I want to find me a nice wife and settle down, go to church and do the good Lord’s will, I reckon,” he told me. And I pray he gets to do all those things. Maybe 2021 is the year we make this right. 10/11

A final note: to learn more about Alabama's habitual offender law and other men & women it has thrown away, you can check out this piece I published with @thedailybeast earlier this year. 11/11 https://www.thedailybeast.com/alabamas-merciless-habitual-offender-law-threw-away-the-least-among-us