Mike, Jana, Kim (from Arizona!) Uncle Kent, Aunt DeAnn, Melissa, Maylyn, Michelle and Jacob all showed ID's at Gunnison and went through the "Clanging doors" and into the court room where McCord showed up in his "visiting WHITE" uniform. He got to give us a nod and a smile.
(the guard told him he could)
Cord sat in the hotseat (a single chair, table and microphone) before the huge "board" where the one board member introduced himself and asked McCord up front if he knew he could get five years. Cord replied, Yeah.
Ken Jones (the board member's name) then asked if McCord was aware that Cord's matrix (the matrix shows how many points he has accumulated from the type of crime he committed and also from past offenses--since his plea went from a second degree felony to a 3rd degree felony, which is a 0-5 charge, his matrix showed that he could be out with time served at the county jail in 12 months) so Mr. Jones said that McCord could be out on December 7th. A real date...who knew that he actually had a real date all this time and noone ever told him? McCord seemed to be shocked and finally replied. No, I didn't know that.
Cord seemed nervous, timid, humble? apprehensive and hopeful all at the same time.
Our hearts were bleeding for him, wanting him to be able to get out and live a normal? life once again...a second (third, fourth?) chance to redeem himself and show the world the real McCord. The one we know and love...clean and drug-free!
Ken (Mr. Jones) said that McCord had a big family support system with the people in attendance that day and also from the letters that were written to the board. He said that he hoped Cord would finish the Hope program...I could feel Cord's heart fail as he really wants to get out of the behavioral modification program he is in now. Then Mr. Jones asked, Why weren't you able to finish your probation last time? And then the million dollar question Cord was HOPING he wouldn't ask..."What was this 2002 charge? (his other felons from before when he did armed robbery for oxycontin). What DO you say to that question???
McCord's angst in waiting for almost 4 months to see the Parole Board ended after only maybe 5 minutes...that was it...Mr. Jones had asked him if he had anything else to say and Cord replied that he would really like to get out and be able to get into an after care program and be able to get back into society and that was it...it was over. McCord got up from his chair, gave us a little wave(the guard told him he could do that, too)and left through the door he had entered through. the end. gone...just like that...
We had driven to Gunnison (over an hour commute) and waited patiently (we found out today that the waiting was from the Board member having a "medical need"??? right before McCord 's turn. We don't know what that was all about?
We thought McCord would call us last night, but he didn't. Mike and I had to go to Mount Pleasant for a Scout assignment and we were so close to Gunnison we decided to surprise Cord and go in to the prison to visit and see how he was doing.
We got to the prison at 3:20 and the guards usually take the inmates in for a head count at 3:45 but since Friday's visits are only from 3-7, that doesn't happen on Fridays. Dinner is served at 4:30, so we didnt' want Cord to miss a meal, but he said he didn't like Fish Friday and that he had Ramen noodles from commissary to eat. So we stayed for the full two hour visit and asked him how he felt his hearing went.
He commented that the guard said, Wow you were fast in there AND you got the NICE board member! (besides being sick...he is nice too) Usually the inmates are in the board meetings for a long time getting grilled on their past behaviors and their attitudes they are now having about being where they are (in Cord's case, HOPE program).
He also said afterwards, the guard took him out and made him wait again, this time with the letters people had written for him, to read. He was very grateful for all who wrote. (my letter DID NOT show up in time????) He also said as he sat there, he thought, WHY didn't I say THIS??? why didn't I say THAT???
But we have faith that he said what the board needed to hear, so that has to be enough.
McCord feels optimistic about being out whenever the board member deems right for him. He would LOVE to think that he could be out for Christmas, but he said that time really does go by fast. He is having FINALS next week in the HOPE program and he will be a step 3 (there are 6 he needs to successfully reach) and he receives more freedoms with each step.
We are happy that he is happy and doing as well as can be expected. Also, McCord said that the board usually determines what his sentence will be well before the 3 weeks. He can ask his counselor to call the parole board office in Murray and expedite the sentence results....No news is good news???
SO we will update when we hear.
McCord said he received about 15 letters, which was a very wonderful thing.
THank you all for your prayers and for loving and supporting our son and us.
Special thanks to Kent, DeAnn and family for being there.
1 comments:
Dear Debi, Michael,Thank you for sharing these letters although it breaks my heart and causes tears of sorrow. You gave him your best as parents. We do the best we can do at the time. We all make so many mistakes. I'm glad that it is the Lord who will judge our hearts and that He will know how much we love our children and try to do right by them. We teach them right from wrong in our examples if not in words. Who knows what is happening with this generation? the choices they make? We will always love them and pray for them that we will all be together as a family. I love each one of them sooo much. I hate all that they have to go through.
I am so impressed that 15 people wrote letters of recommendation, that the board were impressed with all of the support and love Cord has. It is so sad, how much he wants to be out and that he has to stay there.
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