[Ppnews] March 2008: Prison Dispatch from Jeff “Free” Luers

[Political Prisoner News]

March 2008: Prison Dispatch from Jeff “Free” Luers

What a long and strange journey this past year 
has been. I have been riding highs and lows as I 
have been struggling to regain my freedom and 
find a balance between my desires for this 
movement and my own personal happiness.

I’ve made no secret of my often conflicting 
emotions or my disappointment in radical 
struggles here in the United States. Yet, despite 
my confusion about my own part in this messy 
struggle that now sees so many of us locked 
behind bars—so many split once again into 
factions, while many others hearts are broken by 
the betrayals of friends and former heroes—I have 
strived to remain true to the ideals in which I 
believe. It is often difficult to carry your head 
high when the rest of your life feels like you 
are falling apart, but we must continue to do so 
because it is only with our heads high that we 
can meet the eyes of our enemy and let them know 
that while we may be afraid we are not cowards; 
that while we may be hurting we are not broken, 
and most importantly, that while we may be small 
we are not weak, we are still defiant and we can still be dangerous.

As many of you are aware, I was resentenced on 
February 28th, after years of fighting for a 
reduced sentence. I will soon be making the terms 
of my contract with the state available.

In the months preceding my resentencing I was 
faced with numerous obstacles and forced to make 
difficult decisions. Upon my arrival at Lane 
County Jail, I learned that not only had Judge 
Lyle Velure come out of retirement to resentence 
me but that the state was threatening to seek a 
20-year sentence again. Judge Velure began 
suffering severe prostate problems and had to 
retire again. Upon receiving a new judge my luck 
began to change and for the first time I thought I just might have a chance.

Now, I must say that my original opinion of Erik 
Hassleman, the prosecutor assigned to my case, 
was that he is an evil prick. And as I’m sure he 
will read this, I want to say that in the end he 
impressed me and that I respect him as a person and an opponent.

As negotiations progressed it quickly became 
apparent that the state had a bottom line—I was 
not going to receive a sentence below 10 years. 
As part of that agreement the state wanted a 
written apology from me for my crimes. I wrote a 
statement acknowledging I was wrong to believe 
that arson could achieve the change I desired, 
though I added I was not ashamed of nor did I regret my actions.

My attorneys promptly edited and reworded my 
statement until it resembled a watered-down 
version of polite discourse. While many of the 
things I wanted to say were there the heart of my 
statement—that I was wrong but essentially not 
sorry—was missing. With some disgust I swallowed 
my pride and signed the damn thing and I will 
admit it is one of the harder things I’ve done 
because it made me feel defeated.

After all negotiations were said and done the 
state came back with a final offer of a 30 month 
sentence followed by a 90 month mandatory 
minimum, essentially a sentence of a guaranteed 
9½ years. After I reluctantly agreed to this as 
the best I could get, Erik then maneuvered a 
restitution of $14,000 on top of the $56,000 
judgment I just learned Romania has against me.

In a frantic and somewhat pissed off effort my 
attorneys spent the next month trying to get the 
restitution dropped without success. In the final 
days with my head admittedly hanging much lower 
than usual I decided I would have to accept the 
states offer, restitution and all.

Come February 28th, however, I would be surprised 
beyond my wildest imagination. Not only had 
Hassleman agreed to dismiss the restitution but 
he had decided to grant a sentence modification 
in my favor. The sentence would now be 90 month 
followed by 30 months run out of order so that I 
may qualify for programs and possibly be released later this year!

During the course of sentencing, Erik spent some 
time describing my progression as a person and 
even as an activist during my incarceration. He 
talked about my subtle shift from a fiery radical 
to one that acknowledged the failures of some 
aspects of radical struggle—my words not his—by 
embracing more mainstream methods of change. All of which is true.

He then went on to describe how I viewed and 
continue to view my actions as a necessary evil 
similar to acts such as the Boston Tea Party. 
Surprisingly, he seemed in agreement with this 
analogy and even admitted that good arguments 
have been made about the legitimacy of sabotage 
and arson to protest ecological destruction. But, 
he went on to say these acts are still crimes and 
need to be punished accordingly.

After Erik was done I was given an opportunity to 
read my statement, this time unedited except for 
some suggestions from my friend and attorney (in 
that order), Lauren Regan. Upon finishing my 
statement I looked to see a somewhat stunned 
Judge Billings. Admittedly, my first thought was 
“well I pissed off another one.” But, then by far 
the most surprising and ever vindicating thing happened.

Judge Billings told me that in his 35 years as an 
attorney and judge that my statement was the most 
sincere and passionate he’d ever heard. He told 
me he was impressed with me. He then went on to 
say that while some people might disagree, 
pointedly looking at Erik, that in many ways when 
I get out I would be considered an “elder 
statesman” or a “veteran returning from an ugly 
campaign.” He agreed that we desperately need 
change and said that I may be one of the people 
that have the ability to help create that change 
but that I needed to do so in a way that would 
keep others and me out of prison. He finished by wishing me the best of luck.

By far the most astonishing of the day was the 
atmosphere of the hearing. Last time I was 
sentenced I was condemned as an evil terrorist 
who needed to be locked away. The difference this 
time was quite frankly shocking. I was no longer 
a terrorist but someone respectable. My message 
was no longer one of rhetoric but one that needed to be listened to.

What I took away from that day is that in a 
subtle and elusive way our actions have had an 
impact on the conscience of the American public, 
and even on some of those who are our natural 
enemies. For sure it isn’t just our actions, but 
the truth behind them that has come to be 
understood. Messages about environmental dangers 
that years ago seemed fanatical are now accepted science.

There is a shift occurring in this country and it 
is one that we have very much helped shape. It is 
not a radical shift and is not enough of a change 
to correct society’s many wrongs. But it is a 
noticeable shift we must embrace and continue to push in the right direction.

Since my last dispatch many months ago people 
have written and expressed concern that I have 
retired from activism. That is a misconception. I 
have not retired I have simply sought a different 
way to create the change I want to see.

I still believe direct action and militancy have 
their place. But I also see quite clearly its 
failures and our failures. I’m also quite aware 
of the failures of mainstream channels of 
activism. We must find ways to overcome barriers 
and the obstacles that come in our path. It seems 
nearly impossible but it isn’t.

All we must do is seriously evaluate how each of 
us can make a difference; how we can each 
contribute to the changes that need to occur. In 
order to do that we must leave the rhetoric 
behind; we must step away from pigeon-holding 
ourselves into no-win situations. We have to 
recognize when to stand our ground and when to 
compromise. We must move beyond our comfort zones 
and embrace strangers as potential allies.

The very simple truth of the matter is that the 
environmental crisis facing us is going to affect 
all of humanity regardless of color, creed or 
political affiliation. It is the one thing that 
we must challenge together; if we fail in that we all fail.

If I’ve learned nothing else in the past 8 years, 
I have learned that we ourselves have to open our 
minds. We have to expand our thinking because our 
ways are not always right and even when they are 
right they might not be the best way for creating change.

We must learn to recognize our failures and learn 
from them. We must learn to think strategically, 
focusing on the larger picture, while also being 
willing to evolve and change. If change is going 
to start with us we must embrace the fact that we too must change.

There is lots of work to be done. There are many 
wounds to be healed. We have to start picking up 
the pieces and putting them back together. We 
have to remember our strength and face the 
challenges ahead. We have to again find our 
passion to act, our willingness to sacrifice, and 
increase our capacity to understand. There is no 
roadmap for us to follow. We are trailblazers in 
this and as such we must rise to the challenge.

I myself am confused but I’m not lost and I 
haven’t given up. Despite the ache in my heart I 
still have faith in us. I still believe we can 
fix these problems facing us if only we would act 
with determination and courage. I’m still here and I am not quitting.

- Jeffrey “Free” Luers

<http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmZyZWVqZWZmbHVlcnMub3Jn>www. 
freejeffluers. org

Write to:

Jeff Luers
#13797671
CCCF
PO Box 9000
Wilsonville, OR 97070



Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
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