PAROLE FOR JONATHAN POLLARD URGED

The Queens and Northeast Queens Jewish Community Councils joined the National Jewish Community Relations Council in calling for the grant of parole for Jonathan Pollard. In letters to Hon. John R. Simpson, Regional Commissioner for Eastern Region, United States Parole Commission, by President Harold Baron and Executive Director Manny Behar for the QJCC and President Corey Bearak for the NEQJCC, the Councils urged the United States Parole Commission to favorably consider the application of Mr. Pollard for parole. In November, 1995, Mr. Pollard will have completed his minimum sentence requirement and be eligible for parole.

The story of Jonathan Pollard and his punishment out of proportion to his crime is well known. No one condones his acts of passing classified information to our nation's closest and steadfast ally. The illegal act is covered by one of the lowest levels of Federal law. The length and conditions of Mr. Pollard's more than seven years solitary confinement in a maximum security prison is an ample penalty.
Indeed, the penalty violated the terms of our government's promise to Mr. Pollard during negotiations preceding his agreement to enter a plea of guilty. Moreover, the revelations surrounding the former Central Intelligence Agency official Aldrich
Ames, who has confessed to leaking top-level secrets to the Kremlin, causing many deaths, indicates that illicit activities by Mr. Ames were attributed to Mr. Pollard. Moreover, the information which Mr. Pollard admitted and actually passed was information wrongfully withheld from the ally which was, in fact, due this data.

"A fundamental precept of American jurisprudence remains that those who commit similar crimes receive reasonably similar punishments," wrote Mr. Bearak who is an Attorney. "In the case of Mr. Pollard," wrote Mssrs. Baron and Behar, "his sentence for life compares grossly unfair to the punishments imposed in other cases of espionage on behalf of allies or neutrals." In all these other cases, the median sentence is less than five years and the actual time serve fall between 3 and four years."

In contrast, Mr. Pollard will have been imprisoned double this median sentence and about triple the actual time served before he merely becomes eligible for parol. Mr. Pollard has clearly served much more time than would be considered sufficient and consistent with the nature of his crime.

The granting of parole for Jonathan Pollard is also supported by such national organizations as the American Jewish Congress, B'nai B'rith, Hadassah, Jewish Labor Committee, National Council of Jewish Women, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregation of American United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, Women's League for Conservative Judaism and Women's American ORT.

June 10, 1995

Hon. John R. Simpson
Regional Commissioner for Eastern Region
United States Parole Commission
550 Friendship Boulevard
Chevy Chase, Maryland  20815

Dear Mr. Simpson:

On behalf of the Northeast Queens Jewish Community Council [NEQJCC], a coalition of 30 synagogues and other groups in New York City's largest borough, I write to urge the United States Parole Commission to favorably consider the application of Jonathan J. Pollard for parole.  In November, 1995, Mr. Pollard will have completed his minimum sentence requirement and be eligible for parole.

The story of Jonathan Pollard and his punishment out of proportion to his crime is well known.  No one condones his acts of passing classified information to our nation's closest and steadfast ally.  The illegal act is covered by one of the lowest levels of Federal law.  The length and conditions of Mr. Pollard's more than seven years solitary confinement in a maximum security prison is an ample penalty.  Indeed, the penalty violated the terms of our government's promise to Mr. Pollard during negotiations preceding his agreement to enter a plea of guilty.  Moreover, the revelations surrounding the former Central Intelligence Agency official Aldrich Ames, who has confessed to leaking top-level secrets to the Kremlin, causing many deaths, indicates that illicit activities by Mr. Ames were attributed to Mr. Pollard.  Moreover, the information which Mr. Pollard admitted and actually passed was information wrongfully withheld from the ally which was, in fact, due this data.

A fundamental precept of American jurisprudence remains that those who commit similar crimes receive reasonably similar punishments.  In the case of Mr. Pollard, his sentence for life compares grossly unfair to the punishments imposed in other cases of espionage on behalf of allies or neutrals.  In all these other cases, the median sentence is less than five years and the actual time serve fall between 3 and four years.

In contrast, Mr. Pollard will have been imprisoned double this median sentence and about triple the actual time served before he merely becomes eligible for parol.  Mr. Pollard has clearly served much more time than would be considered sufficient  and consistent with the nature of his crime. 

The NEQJCC supports the March 28, 1995 letter of the National Jewish Community Relations Council which had indicated that such national organizations as the American Jewish Congress, B'nai B'rith, Hadassah, Jewish Labor Committee, National Council of Jewish Women, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregation of American United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, Women's League for Conservative Judaism and Women's American ORT join in the call for the grant of parole for Mr. Pollard.

Sincerely,
/s/ COREY B. BEARAK
President

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