Wow, the justice system is so generous: For 16 years, sisters Jamie and Gladys Scott have shared a life behind bars for their part in an armed robbery in which they pocketed just $11. Now, to share freedom, they must also share a kidney. Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour suspended the sisters’ life sentences yesterday on the condition that 36-year-old Gladys gives a kidney to Jamie, 38, who requires daily dialysis. The sisters were convicted in 1994 of leading two men into an ambush in central Mississippi the year before. Three teenagers hit each man in the head with a shotgun and took their wallets – making off with only $11. The Scotts were each convicted of two counts of armed robbery and sentenced to two life sentences. ‘I think it’s a victory,’ said the sisters’ attorney, Chokwe Lumumba. ‘I talked to Gladys and she’s elated about the news. I’m sure Jamie is, too.’ Civil rights advocates have for years called for their release, saying the sentences were excessive. Those demands gained traction when Barbour asked the Mississippi Parole Board to take another look at the case. The Scott sisters are eligible for parole in 2014, but Barbour said prison officials no longer think they are a threat to society and Jamie’s medical condition is costing the state a lot of money. Mr Lumumba said he has no problem with the governor requiring Gladys to offer up her organ because ‘Gladys actually volunteered that as part of her petition.’ He said it’s not clear what caused the kidney failure, but it’s likely a combination of different illnesses over the years. The Governor’s spokesman Dan Turner said that Jamie Scott was released because she needs the transplant. He said Gladys Scott will be released if she agrees to donate her kidney because of the significant risk and recovery time. Source
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Sisters In Jail For Life For Armed Robbery Can Get Out Early, But Under One Condition…
