An effort by state legislators to give a chance at parole to a man sentenced to 241 years in prison has led to a broader effort to offer parole to all Missouri inmates facing similar situations.

Bobby Bostic committed a series of crimes in 1995 when he was 16 and was given a series of consecutive sentences. A 2010 Supreme Court ruling that people under 18 who did not kill anyone could not be sentenced to life without parole doesn’t apply to him because he was not sentenced to life. He would not be eligible for parole until the age of 112. All judicial avenues to offer Bostic an earlier release have been exhausted.
Last year more than 100 state lawmakers signed a letter to Governor Mike Parson (R) asking him to consider Bostic’s petition for clemency. They joined those victimized in Bostic’s crimes and the judge who sentenced him in saying Bostic has reformed himself, and deserves a chance at parole.
O’Fallon representative Nick Schroer (R) has worked to bring attention to Bostic’s situation and has led the effort to drum up support. He said he knows that the Parson administration is sifting through thousands of clemency requests. While that process continues, he has filed House Bill 2201, which aims to give people sentenced to long terms and life as a juvenile a chance at parole.
Kansas City representative Barbara Washington (D) has also spearheaded this effort and is a cosponsor of HB 2201. She said it could help others besides Bostic.
Judge Evelyn Baker handed Bobby his 241-year sentence and now wants to see him given a chance at freedom.
“He’s written books, he writes poetry, he is trying to help as many people as he can in a confined environment. He can do so much more to help others if we let him out. I think justice cries for him to be released,” said Judge Baker. “We talk about rehabilitation. He is the epitome of a rehabilitated child who became a man in the true sense of the word ‘man.’”
Schroer said he does not know how many other people in situations like Bostic’s are in Missouri prisons and might benefit from passage of this bill, but he does believe there are others.
He said from the standpoint of being fiscally conservative, the more people who have been rehabilitated and therefore can be released from Missouri prisons, the better for the state and its economy.
“We are wasting more money locking people up that could be contributing to society as solid Missourians once again,” said Schroer.
Schroer is hopeful his bill will be assigned to a committee and receive a hearing soon.
Earlier stories:
Judge who sentenced man to 241 years meets with lawmakers seeking his clemency
State lawmakers to ask governor for clemency for man sentenced as teen to 241 years