Bobby Bostic

In our modern democracy here in the United States, can a 16-year-old boy be sentenced to serve 241 years for armed robbery? Is it in our common interest to lock up a child and tell him that he won’t be eligible for parole until he has reached the age of 112? If this doesn’t seem possible in our society, think again.

Meet Bobby Bostic. In 1995 he and a partner robbed people at gunpoint, actually shooting at one victim and grazing his leg with the bullet. After his capture, Mr. Bostic “entered the system,” where a judge essentially - but not technically - sentenced him to life in prison.

Now that Mr. Bostic is 42 and still sitting in prison, people are looking at this case and wondering whether the sentence was too harsh. The sentencing judge has since changed her mind and now lobbies for Mr. Bostic's release. The ACLU has taken on this case as well. State politicians on both sides of the aisle, lead by Representative Nick Schroer, have appealed to the governor. So far, all efforts to win Mr. Bostic's freedom have been unsuccessful, but the fight continues.

In the meantime, Mr. Bostic has earned a college degree, has read over 1,000 books and has written several books of his own. He studies, reads and writes to make good use of his time. He hopes - and plans - to get out of the system some day and use his experience to help troubled youth from following his path - a path that leads to never-ending days of the monotony and cruelty of prison life.

After listening to this podcast, you’ll come to appreciate how Mr. Bostic - despite his dire situation - still finds meaning and beauty in life. He has come to terms with his crime; he owns up to it and takes responsibility for it. And he has apologized to his victims. He keeps his days filled with projects and goals that he sets for himself. And he keeps his dreams alive by planning for the day when, through the compassion of a true democratic society, he finds his freedom.

To a large degree, the worth of a society can be measured by the degree to which it treats its citizens with compassion. After listening to this podcast, decide for yourself whether Bobby Bostic deserves compassion.

To help, you can start by looking at his website at www.freebobbybostic.com. Then you can write your representative. If you live in Missouri, you can contact Missouri Representative Nick Schroer and offer to help. Finally, you can write the Governor of Missouri, Mike Parson.