Poll: Does this man deserve to die in prison for a marijuana conviction?

Twenty years ago, Jeff Mizanskey was busted for possession of 5 pounds of pot with intent to distribute – albeit a non violent offense – and with that, he was convicted and sentenced to serve 30 to life.

This because of Missouri’s harsh “3 times you’re out” policy – as he had 2 prior convictions – both for possession of pot with intent to distribute.

But now at 61, and having served 20 years of that sentence, he clings to hope that the Missouri governor will grant him clemency.

Either that or he expects to die in prison.

One might argue that at the time – he did the crimes – he probably knew that if caught, he’d do the time.
But given how we look upon crimes involving the possession of marijuana and, in some cases, the non violent nature of the crimes, you wonder if it serves the interest of justice to keep this man locked away at taxpayer expense for the rest of his life.

That’s what drives his son, who was 13 at the time of his arrest, to plead his case and get him released.

According to this story, the son writes in his plea for clemency:

My dad is, and always has been, a good man. He taught my brother and I all about construction and a good work ethic. He has never been violent and he is a model prisoner. And over the 20 years he has been in that little cell, he has watched as violent criminals, rapists, and murderers have "paid their debts" and left—sometimes just to return a few months later.

Attorney Tony Nenninger took up the case at the behest of Mizanskey’s son, and after researching the various marijuana laws around the country, wrote in his clemency request:

It is no secret that all recent major polls indicate over 50 [percent] of Americans, including Missourians, favor the complete legalization of adult use of marijuana. We are not asking you to commit to this new majority preference for cannabis legalization, but rather as Governor of Missouri to represent the current population's modern socio-political trends to liberalize marijuana laws in considering the commutation of Jeff's sentence.

In your view, does Jeff Mizanskey deserved to spend the rest of his life in prison for pot possession.