Congressional candidate Nate Irvin announced his support Monday for the campaign to get Gov. Jay Nixon to free Jeff Mizanskey from state prison, where he's serving a life sentence for multiple marijuana convictions.
Nixon spokesman Scott Holste said the clemency petition which supporters submitted last year continues to be reviewed.
Irvin, D-Versailles, is challenging incumbent Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville, for the right to represent Missouri's 4th Congressional District. The district includes Boone, Moniteau and Morgan counties, and a part of Camden County, in Mid-Missouri, and goes west to the Kansas state line.
"I'm here today not really because of politics, but a more personal issue," Irvin told reporters at the state Capitol Monday morning.
"Jeff Mizanskey has been in prison for over 21 years, for marijuana possession, without a chance for parole.
"To me, that just defies all common sense."
Mizanskey, 61, Sedalia, was convicted in 1996 on two counts of possessing a controlled substance - with the intent to deliver and distribute it - in December 1993 outside a Sedalia motel.
The life sentence was imposed because Mizanskey had two previous marijuana convictions, and qualified as a "persistent offender" under Missouri law.
While his sentence may have been the "letter" of the law, Irvin said Monday, keeping Mizanskey in prison for having "a plant" doesn't make sense two decades later, when people convicted of more
violent crimes have been released.
Irvin and Aaron Malin, the Show-Me Cannabis group's director of research, both said state law has changed since Mizanskey's 1993 case.
Malin told reporters Monday: "You're right that Mr. Mizanskey is in prison for violating the law.
"And I think the question before us today is, whether or not the punishment he was given is deserved for the law that was broken."
Malin said Mizanskey "fully admits that he deserves some punishment for breaking the law."
Malin agreed with Michael Mizanskey, Jeff's brother, that - after 21 years in prison - society would be served better if Nixon would grant clemency so Mizanskey could spend more time with his family and be a productive, tax paying citizen.
"When Jeff was free, he owned a construction company," Michael Mizanskey explained.
"He was always a hard worker - this is something that he instilled into his boys, a great work ethic.
"This provided his sons the tools they need to run a good business - which they do."
Michael also pointed to all the family celebrations Jeff has missed, as well as their parents' funerals.
Irvin said: "There's simply no reason why we can't show mercy for somebody who's done their time and been rehabilitated and is ready to move on with their life as a taxpaying citizen, who can contribute to the public good."
Nathan Adams, Hartzler's campaign manager, said Monday that Ms. Hartzler is "focused on job creation and lowering our energy costs at home. This clearly is a state issue, and Mr. Irvin may want to consider running for state representative or state senator rather than federal office."