Sunday March 16, 2008 Governor Michael Rounds Office of the Governor 500 E. Capital Ave Pierre, SD 57501 Dear Governor Rounds, This weekend, over twenty Native leaders who are working in the field of Criminal Justice met in Maine. We came from all over this country to discuss and develop better ways to help our people who are in prison, those who are victims of crime and our own Tribal Communities. Timothy Caffery\'s case has come to our attention and we are very concerned about his criminal conviction and petition for commutation. We have studied this material and we also listened to a presentation from members of the Lakota Nation who explained this tragic case to us. We have come to strongly support Mr. Caffery\'s petition for Commutation of Sentence We understand that Timothy\'s life in Martin was very difficult, and that his adoptive father was alcoholic and abusive. We also learned that the court-hired psychiatrist testified that Timothy suffered a psychosis as a result of the trauma of his abuse and did not intend to kill his stepfather. The South Dakota parole board approved Caffery\'s petition for commutation eight months ago. We understand that petition sits on your desk awaiting your signature. Mr. Caffery has been in prison since he was 17 years old. He is now 43. In the past 26 years he has grown into a man who is more than ready to return home. Even more so, his own community is prepared to receive him and support him through his re-entry. We ask you to sign Timothy Caffery\'s Commutation of Sentence Petition allowing for his immediate release We ask you to sign Timothy Caffery