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This Man Has Been In Prison For The Past 38 Years Since He Was Sentenced To Life For Stealing $9 In 1982

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Back in 1977, the Alabama Legislature passed the Habitual Felony Offender Act to crack down on repeat criminals. According to the Department of Corrections, at that time, the prison population was 3,455. After a decade, this number skyrocketed to 13,541. And fast-forward to 2014 – the number of prisoners has increased by 840 percent, to 32,467.

Investigative journalist Beth Shelburne recently shared the story of a man currently imprisoned in one of Alabama’s most notorious prisons. She talked to Willie Simmons – a man who got a life sentence without parole – to shed light on the injustice created by the “habitual offender” laws.

More info: Twitter

This Man Has Been In Prison For The Past 38 Years Since He Was Sentenced To Life For Stealing $9 In 1982

Image credits: bshelburne

“Today I talked to Willie Simmons, who has spent the last 38 years in prison for stealing $9,” Beth began her Twitter thread. Willie Simmons is a man from the small town of Enterprise, Alabama. He got into hard drugs when he was just a teenager. When he was 25, “the state said he should die in prison.”

This Man Has Been In Prison For The Past 38 Years Since He Was Sentenced To Life For Stealing $9 In 1982

Image credits: bshelburne

This Man Has Been In Prison For The Past 38 Years Since He Was Sentenced To Life For Stealing $9 In 1982

Image credits: bshelburne

This Man Has Been In Prison For The Past 38 Years Since He Was Sentenced To Life For Stealing $9 In 1982

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Image credits: bshelburne

Willie was convicted of first-degree robbery and was sentenced to life without parole in 1982. He was prosecuted under Alabama’s Habitual Offender law as he had three prior convictions. According to the journalist, these convictions were grand larceny and receiving stolen property. However, she says that she was only able to locate the grand larceny conviction from 1979, for which Willie served a year. Willie himself was uncertain and couldn’t really remember how much time he had served for the offenses.

This Man Has Been In Prison For The Past 38 Years Since He Was Sentenced To Life For Stealing $9 In 1982

Image credits: bshelburne

This Man Has Been In Prison For The Past 38 Years Since He Was Sentenced To Life For Stealing $9 In 1982

Image credits: bshelburne

This Man Has Been In Prison For The Past 38 Years Since He Was Sentenced To Life For Stealing $9 In 1982

Image credits: bshelburne

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This Man Has Been In Prison For The Past 38 Years Since He Was Sentenced To Life For Stealing $9 In 1982

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Image credits: bshelburne

Willie is serving his sentence in Holman Correctional Facility in Escambia County, Alabama. He says that he hasn’t had a single visitor since 2005 after his sister passed away, but he is trying to look at life in a positive light. According to Beth – the journalist – he is currently studying for his GED and is trying to “stay away from the wild bunch.” The man didn’t try to deny his crimes, and he takes full responsibility for them.

This Man Has Been In Prison For The Past 38 Years Since He Was Sentenced To Life For Stealing $9 In 1982

Image credits: bshelburne

This Man Has Been In Prison For The Past 38 Years Since He Was Sentenced To Life For Stealing $9 In 1982

Image credits: bshelburne

This Man Has Been In Prison For The Past 38 Years Since He Was Sentenced To Life For Stealing $9 In 1982

Image credits: bshelburne

This Man Has Been In Prison For The Past 38 Years Since He Was Sentenced To Life For Stealing $9 In 1982

Image credits: bshelburne

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Beth ends the now-viral thread by saying: “When tough-on-crime people say everyone in prison deserves to be there, think of Mr. Simmons. We should be ashamed of laws that categorically throw people away in the name of safety. We should question anyone who supports Alabama’s Habitual Offender law. It needs to go.” What do you think of Alabama’s Habitual Offender law? Do you agree with the author — that it should go?

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Neringa Utaraitė

Neringa is a proud writer at Bored Panda who used to study English and French linguistics. Although she has many different interests, she's particularly drawn to covering stories about pop culture as well as history. While not at the office, this Panda enjoys creepy movies, poetry, photography and learning how to play the piano.

Neringa is a proud writer at Bored Panda who used to study English and French linguistics. Although she has many different interests, she's particularly drawn to covering stories about pop culture as well as history. While not at the office, this Panda enjoys creepy movies, poetry, photography and learning how to play the piano.

What do you think ?

Ian Carter 4 years ago

American has a messed up justice system,class system and attitude to poor people in general. Rather than help poor people have a better life so they dont turn to drugs it spends billions on hiding away the "problem" & the rich think the poor are scum.Many fall into drugs because they have nothing in there lives at all, they are born poor with no hope and end up exactly on the path expected. American could save a lot of money if it had a fairer society but then thats capitalism, keep the downtrodden down and look down your nose at the scum. "but he stolen money from some guy he deserves to go to prison" I am sure some will scream but what about restorative justice? would it not be better when this guy committed his crime to put him on a mandatory drug course to get him clean, help him into work and make him face his victims and pay back what he stole? America is a Christian country without Christian values, thats clear from a non American Atheist.

114points

G13 4 years ago

*applause* That's actually eerily correct

20points

Load More Replies...

Frankenfrog 4 years ago

Very well said

7points

Kai 4 years ago

Can't agree more. While launching on a restaurant, a guy next to me said "US is great if you are rich, healthy and white, well, depeding of how ricj are you, is okay to not be white but not so black". I can't agree more.

1point

Terrakian Dragon 4 years ago

Well said! Injustice like this needs to stop, &folks like Mr. Simmons should've been freed LONG ago! I have one little quibble, however: the U.S. is NOT a Christian country--many try to say it is (usually folks on the religious far-right), but they're wrong. Their Constitution in no way established their nation as a Christian one 'cuz of the religious in-fighting the Colonies left behind in Europe. No ONE religion rules, that's the law--or it's supposed to be. They have a thing called separation of church & state, & freedom of religion. A person cannot be required to follow any particular religion as a requisite to hold office, for example. Religion doesn't belong in the houses of law. And the PEOPLE can follow any religion they bring with them when they immigrate to the U.S., or follow the religion of their parents... or follow no religion at all. I happen to be an atheist, like you, though I still hold a strong respect for the beliefs of my Tribe, the Cree.

0points

Rachel Hamrick 4 years ago

America hasn't been a Christian nation for a long time. I'm a Christian.

0points

Emily Dail 4 years ago

We are no longer a Christian country

0points

Katherine Boag 4 years ago

Not just the US.

-3points

vp 4 years ago

He stole $9 and got life. How many finance rats were even punished for the crisis they created in 2008?

73points

Kathy Baylis 4 years ago (edited)

And how many rich and/or famous junkies get to go to expensive spa-like rehab facilities and either never see the inside of a courtroom, or go once and get a slap on the wrist and small fine or easy community service—-if they’re found guilty at all?

36points

Load More Replies...

Bernard Biggar 4 years ago

Actually if you read the article you would discover that he assaulted somebody to steal US$9 so headline is very misleading . However I agree 38 years without parole is an abuse of his human rights!

6points

Hallie 4 years ago

So much this.

6points

Nathan Jones 4 years ago

The system is all sorts of f****d, but he didn't get a life sentence for stealing $9, he got it for being a habitual felon.

0points

Tina Hugh 4 years ago

The scenario he describes is impossible. Obviously.

-3points

Night Owl 4 years ago (edited)

That's really sad. The whole US justice system seems to be broken. I mean, the fact alone that there are private, for-profit prison companies with a lobby ...

64points

Agent K 4 years ago

Actually, it works quite well if you look at it as a tool of institutionalized racism, which appears to be its objective. Rich people get off all the time - One of Trump's buddies only has to serve 45 days in jail for WORKING TO RIG AN ELECTION. Yet this poor person has spent his life in prison. The system appears to be doing exactly what its manipulative, soul-less authors intended.

32points

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Load More Comments

Ian Carter 4 years ago

American has a messed up justice system,class system and attitude to poor people in general. Rather than help poor people have a better life so they dont turn to drugs it spends billions on hiding away the "problem" & the rich think the poor are scum.Many fall into drugs because they have nothing in there lives at all, they are born poor with no hope and end up exactly on the path expected. American could save a lot of money if it had a fairer society but then thats capitalism, keep the downtrodden down and look down your nose at the scum. "but he stolen money from some guy he deserves to go to prison" I am sure some will scream but what about restorative justice? would it not be better when this guy committed his crime to put him on a mandatory drug course to get him clean, help him into work and make him face his victims and pay back what he stole? America is a Christian country without Christian values, thats clear from a non American Atheist.

114points

G13 4 years ago

*applause* That's actually eerily correct

20points

Load More Replies...

Frankenfrog 4 years ago

Very well said

7points

Kai 4 years ago

Can't agree more. While launching on a restaurant, a guy next to me said "US is great if you are rich, healthy and white, well, depeding of how ricj are you, is okay to not be white but not so black". I can't agree more.

1point

Terrakian Dragon 4 years ago

Well said! Injustice like this needs to stop, &folks like Mr. Simmons should've been freed LONG ago! I have one little quibble, however: the U.S. is NOT a Christian country--many try to say it is (usually folks on the religious far-right), but they're wrong. Their Constitution in no way established their nation as a Christian one 'cuz of the religious in-fighting the Colonies left behind in Europe. No ONE religion rules, that's the law--or it's supposed to be. They have a thing called separation of church & state, & freedom of religion. A person cannot be required to follow any particular religion as a requisite to hold office, for example. Religion doesn't belong in the houses of law. And the PEOPLE can follow any religion they bring with them when they immigrate to the U.S., or follow the religion of their parents... or follow no religion at all. I happen to be an atheist, like you, though I still hold a strong respect for the beliefs of my Tribe, the Cree.

0points

Rachel Hamrick 4 years ago

America hasn't been a Christian nation for a long time. I'm a Christian.

0points

Emily Dail 4 years ago

We are no longer a Christian country

0points

Katherine Boag 4 years ago

Not just the US.

-3points

vp 4 years ago

He stole $9 and got life. How many finance rats were even punished for the crisis they created in 2008?

73points

Kathy Baylis 4 years ago (edited)

And how many rich and/or famous junkies get to go to expensive spa-like rehab facilities and either never see the inside of a courtroom, or go once and get a slap on the wrist and small fine or easy community service—-if they’re found guilty at all?

36points

Load More Replies...

Bernard Biggar 4 years ago

Actually if you read the article you would discover that he assaulted somebody to steal US$9 so headline is very misleading . However I agree 38 years without parole is an abuse of his human rights!

6points

Hallie 4 years ago

So much this.

6points

Nathan Jones 4 years ago

The system is all sorts of f****d, but he didn't get a life sentence for stealing $9, he got it for being a habitual felon.

0points

Tina Hugh 4 years ago

The scenario he describes is impossible. Obviously.

-3points

Night Owl 4 years ago (edited)

That's really sad. The whole US justice system seems to be broken. I mean, the fact alone that there are private, for-profit prison companies with a lobby ...

64points

Agent K 4 years ago

Actually, it works quite well if you look at it as a tool of institutionalized racism, which appears to be its objective. Rich people get off all the time - One of Trump's buddies only has to serve 45 days in jail for WORKING TO RIG AN ELECTION. Yet this poor person has spent his life in prison. The system appears to be doing exactly what its manipulative, soul-less authors intended.

32points

Load More Replies...

Load More Comments

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