Pollard Petition

In your own words, please write a letter to the President regarding Jonathan Pollard's incarceration, using this draft as a starting point.  You can mail it, or fax it to 202-486-2461. You can also call the White House, at 202-456-1111. Thank you!


If you'd like to write to Jonathan, here's his address:
Jonathan Pollard
FCI Buttner
POB 1000
Butner, NC 27509-1000


[Date]


President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington D.C. 20500


Dear President Bush,

As a person devoted to decency and democracy, please take a moment of your busy schedule to pardon Jonathan Pollard.

He is now in his twentieth year of life imprisonment.  Pollard acknowledged his guilt. Upon encouragement and agreement with Federal Prosecution, he entered into a plea bargain agreement. The usual sentence for the crime of passing classified information to an ally is 2-4years.

Upon the intrusion of the Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger the presiding judge ignored the plea bargain agreement and sentenced Jonathan Pollard to life imprisonment without parole.  The statment submitted by Mr. Weinberger has never been available to Pollard's attorneys for study nor response.

As a citizen and average person in the street, I must wonder: Why such a harsh sentence, including seven years in solitary confinement?

Contrast Pollard's sentence with these:

  • Robert Kim, a Korean-American citizen who passed classified information to South Korea. His nine-year sentence just ended after serving seven years.  
  • Michael Schwartz, a professional Naval officer ,who passed classified information to Saudi Arabia. He received a dishonorable discharge and no prison time.
  • Michael Walker, convicted of spying for the Soviet Union, was released after 15 years of a 25 year sentence.  
  • Richard Miller, convicted of spying for the Soviet Unio,n was released after 6 years of a 20-year sentence.  
  • Clayton Lonetree convicted of spying for the Soviet Union was released after 9 years of a 25-year sentence.
The issue is clear and easy to understand. Why was Jonathan Pollard's sentence different? Israel?

Pollard is now 50 years old. He is not well. Kindly let him go home to find peace, recover his health, and together with his long-supporting wife, Esther, find a way of becoming a useful and productive member of society.


Sincerely,