We, the undersigned, support the petition of Commutation of Sentence for Arnold King, a Massachusetts prisoner who has been serving a life sentence without the eligibility of parole for the 1971 murder of another human being.

Mr. King's dream is to help youth at risk but his hands are tied. His determination is to help make our streets safe to walk on and to especially instill hope to those who are lost, hopeless, and desperate--our youth, but his legs are shackled in irons. Many of us hope that his incarceration can be terminated so that the human being that is Arnold King can follow his destiny to help ease the pain and troubles of so many others.

Through Barbed Wire, Mr. King already demonstrates his desire to give back to community by creating and administering rehabilitative programs for prisoners, by presenting to youth on the perils of destructive behavior, through his consultations with parents and educators, through his monthly community events, and through his numerous writings that have appeared in local and national publications. Mr. King has also acquired three college degrees in an effort to be a productive and instrumental contributor to society.

Over the past twenty years of pursuing a commutation of sentence, Mr. King has demonstrated that he is a changed man, that he is not a threat to society, and that he takes full responsibility for the life he can never bring back while offering his life's work in atonement as he strives towards continuous redemption.

We, the undersigned, believe that after more than 35 years of imprisonment, further incarceration is not necessary and that Mr. King would be an asset to any Massachusetts community. Thus, we respectfully request that Governor Deval Patrick commute his life sentence to allow him the opportunity to prove himself worthy for parole release.