Please help Emergent Justice in our efforts to have Rose McSwain returned to society, where she can become the productive member of our community that we are confident she can be.

The 80s were not kind to Rose McSwain #197760, who currently resides at the Huron Valley Correctional Facility. Like many others she fell victim to the drug epidemic that plagued our country during the Reagan era. Women were particularly vulnerable during this time, and the overwhelming majority who found themselves in the throes of addiction, were forced to exchange their bodies just to survive. Rose McSwain was no exception. On April 19, 1988, Rose McSwain found herself in a heated debate with a John, whose sole purpose was to obtain sex from her at any cost. When it became apparent that forcible sex was his intention, Rose McSwain fired two shots into the victim, who later died from these gunshot wounds. Like many would do in a similar situation, having nobody to turn to, she immediately panicked and fled the state of Michigan.

However, guilt over what she had done overwhelmed her, forcing a return to Michigan, where she promptly turned herself in to authorities. In our opinion this speaks volumes about her overall character and remorse. After a lengthy stay in the county jail she was sentenced to a term of life without parole and two years for the firearm, to be served consecutively.

Emergent Justice is petitioning Gretchen Whitmer, Governor; Michigan State Legislature; and Michigan Parole Board to commute Rose McSwain's sentence. A commutation is defined as the reduction of an individual's sentence to a specified term such that the Michigan Parole Board is given the jurisdiction and authority to determine an individual's parole eligibility. A commutation does not nullify the underlying conviction(s). The Governor's executive Clemency authority is derived from Section 14 of Article V of the Michigan Constitution of 1963, which states that the Governor shall have power to grant reprieves, commutations, and pardons after convictions for all offenses.

We believe commutation of Rose McSwain's sentence should be considered based on the following reasons:

• Her deep sense of remorse her actions, for the victim, as well as his family.
• She has served more than 30 years of her life sentence.
• Demonstrated efforts throughout her incarceration to better herself and contribute to the well-being of other prisoners, including: maintaining employment; routinely participating in AA/NA and using her story to help the younger, less experienced prisoners; counseling and therapy became second nature, and she slowly began to earn the respect of the prison administration; current work as a Prisoner Observation Aide, helping those with mental challenges.
• Expression of a desire to continue to interact with young troubled women, helping them avoid a similar fate should she be released from incarceration.

As a nation founded on Judeo-Christian values, we must not forget the role forgiveness plays. People sometimes make dreadful mistakes when they're young. But, how long can we survive as a nation if we continue to incarcerate those who have served their time well, and have truly changed?

We are also directing this petition to the members of the Michigan Parole Board because of their role in the Commutation Process -- a duty we hope they will not turn away from in an effort to maintain their job security.  

Please help Emergent Justice in our efforts to have Rose McSwain returned to society, where she can become the productive member of our community that we are confident she can be.

We look forward to working with Rose McSwain, who continues to express a desire to interact with young troubled women, helping them avoid a similar fate. If we're going to save our youth, we need people who can actually connect with them. Thank you for your time and consideration.