August 28, 2015
Texas State Community Council – Abilene Division
Dear TSCC Members,
Our daughter, an Abilene resident, is a 26 year old heroin addict. About 6 months ago, she was arrested and convicted on a 3 year-old charge involving retail theft committed with her fiancé to support their addiction. She was placed on probation. When she relapsed a few months later, she contacted her Probation Officer and obtained permission to enter a drug treatment program. Before she could check in, she was called back to Abilene and arrested for violating her probation by using drugs. Her probation officer told me that he had made a mistake and had been reprimanded for allowing her to go to treatment.
Our daughter is pregnant, due the first week of October. When arrested and placed in Taylor County Detention Center, she was not given any medication or placed under any medical supervision to allow her to detox safely. She was due to see her OB/GYN that week but was not allowed to see a doctor for 3 weeks thereafter, even though she has a high-risk pregnancy and will be having a C-section.
As an indigent prisoner, our daughter was assigned an attorney. She only spoke once with that attorney, David Thedford, via videoconference. She specifically requested and gave written authorization that her attorney should speak with me about her case and her concerns. Despite his promises, the attorney refused to speak with me and ignored repeated requests for specific follow-up actions.
While in jail, our daughter heard about TSCC and God’s Own from fellow inmates. Because of her lack of medical treatment and complete lack of response from her attorney, she asked if I would reach out to TSCC to see if your group could offer any advice. I made contact with Gene Tomlinson, who has been an avenging angel for our daughter’s cause.
From the moment we spoke, I knew Gene would do whatever he could to make my girl’s situation better. He literally worked night and day, making many phone calls and even visits to people who might be able to help. He researched the legal issues, suggested other legal counsel, tried every day to contact the court-appointed attorney on our daughter’s behalf, and was in constant communication with me. He contacted local attorney Jenny Henley for her advice and ultimately assisted us in engaging her services this past week.
Not only did Gene address the legal situation, but he also researched options regarding our daughter’s pregnancy. He reached out to local church leaders to try to find private placement for our granddaughter in the event our daughter is sentenced to jail or prison. He made suggestions about other places that might be able to help. He discovered BAMBI, a wonderful program that allows moms in prison to be in a special facility where they can keep their babies with them, receive education in life and parenting skills, and get help with addiction while serving their sentences. While this program may not apply to our daughter, Gene’s research on this program has already helped others in similar circumstances.
Gene also took the time to speak with our daughter directly, to meet with her now-ex-fiancé, and to give us all reassurance and hope in a very dark time. He prayed for us and spoke with others who have in turn offered up prayers for our daughter. He contacted local ministers and facilitated pastoral visits for her. He offered to be in court with her. He even picked up her belongings from her apartment and has offered to store them until her case is resolved and she is on her feet again.
Throughout the past few weeks, my daughter and I have been distraught and ill with worry. I live 2,000 miles away and cannot afford to take time off from work to travel to Texas, nor can I afford to quit working in order to look after our soon-to-be-born granddaughter. Gene’s efforts to help our daughter to stay out of prison, find a way to keep her baby and get help for her addiction have provided much-needed hope and practical direction. And without Gene’s daily moral support, I don’t know how we could have kept going. No matter what the final resolution of our daughter’s legal issues and the possible need for temporary care of our grandchild, we will be forever grateful for the love and support we have received from Gene and the TSCC.
Thanks, and God bless your organization and all its supporters.
Best regards,
Lori D.
Texas State Community Council – Abilene Division
Dear TSCC Members,
Our daughter, an Abilene resident, is a 26 year old heroin addict. About 6 months ago, she was arrested and convicted on a 3 year-old charge involving retail theft committed with her fiancé to support their addiction. She was placed on probation. When she relapsed a few months later, she contacted her Probation Officer and obtained permission to enter a drug treatment program. Before she could check in, she was called back to Abilene and arrested for violating her probation by using drugs. Her probation officer told me that he had made a mistake and had been reprimanded for allowing her to go to treatment.
Our daughter is pregnant, due the first week of October. When arrested and placed in Taylor County Detention Center, she was not given any medication or placed under any medical supervision to allow her to detox safely. She was due to see her OB/GYN that week but was not allowed to see a doctor for 3 weeks thereafter, even though she has a high-risk pregnancy and will be having a C-section.
As an indigent prisoner, our daughter was assigned an attorney. She only spoke once with that attorney, David Thedford, via videoconference. She specifically requested and gave written authorization that her attorney should speak with me about her case and her concerns. Despite his promises, the attorney refused to speak with me and ignored repeated requests for specific follow-up actions.
While in jail, our daughter heard about TSCC and God’s Own from fellow inmates. Because of her lack of medical treatment and complete lack of response from her attorney, she asked if I would reach out to TSCC to see if your group could offer any advice. I made contact with Gene Tomlinson, who has been an avenging angel for our daughter’s cause.
From the moment we spoke, I knew Gene would do whatever he could to make my girl’s situation better. He literally worked night and day, making many phone calls and even visits to people who might be able to help. He researched the legal issues, suggested other legal counsel, tried every day to contact the court-appointed attorney on our daughter’s behalf, and was in constant communication with me. He contacted local attorney Jenny Henley for her advice and ultimately assisted us in engaging her services this past week.
Not only did Gene address the legal situation, but he also researched options regarding our daughter’s pregnancy. He reached out to local church leaders to try to find private placement for our granddaughter in the event our daughter is sentenced to jail or prison. He made suggestions about other places that might be able to help. He discovered BAMBI, a wonderful program that allows moms in prison to be in a special facility where they can keep their babies with them, receive education in life and parenting skills, and get help with addiction while serving their sentences. While this program may not apply to our daughter, Gene’s research on this program has already helped others in similar circumstances.
Gene also took the time to speak with our daughter directly, to meet with her now-ex-fiancé, and to give us all reassurance and hope in a very dark time. He prayed for us and spoke with others who have in turn offered up prayers for our daughter. He contacted local ministers and facilitated pastoral visits for her. He offered to be in court with her. He even picked up her belongings from her apartment and has offered to store them until her case is resolved and she is on her feet again.
Throughout the past few weeks, my daughter and I have been distraught and ill with worry. I live 2,000 miles away and cannot afford to take time off from work to travel to Texas, nor can I afford to quit working in order to look after our soon-to-be-born granddaughter. Gene’s efforts to help our daughter to stay out of prison, find a way to keep her baby and get help for her addiction have provided much-needed hope and practical direction. And without Gene’s daily moral support, I don’t know how we could have kept going. No matter what the final resolution of our daughter’s legal issues and the possible need for temporary care of our grandchild, we will be forever grateful for the love and support we have received from Gene and the TSCC.
Thanks, and God bless your organization and all its supporters.
Best regards,
Lori D.