We are making a petition to support Clay Hayward for a commutation of his parolable life sentence for second degree murder, we want to show, while we all agree Clay made a grievous mistake when he was 19, we feel his crime had mitigating circumstances, and we feel that he is not a threat to society. We base this belief on the facts that Clay’s crime, while not excusable by law at the time, was one of passion and self-defense, and not one of a criminal intent. Furthermore, if Clay were to commit this same crime today, he might not even be guilty of a crime, as Michigan enacted the Castle Doctrine in 2006, a law which gives a person the right to use lethal force against a person who enters one’s home in a threatening fashion. In addition to these considerations, Clay is also a first time offender, who committed his crime at a young age. Lastly, Clay has spent his 19 years in prison wisely: he has earned a college degree through correspondence courses, he has completed 4 vocational programs offered by the prison, he spent two years in a Cognitive Restructuring program designed to overcome negative thinking patterns, and he has maintained excellent work and block reports. For all of these reasons we believe Clay is not a threat to society, and we believe he deserves a second chance. So, please, help us and sign the petition to join your voice to ours. Thank you for him. Isabelle Hayward and his supportive family & Friends

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