HomePurpose:
To proclaim the truth about Jordan Holm, inmate #6016946, at Anamosa State Penitentiary in Anamosa, Iowa. Hopefully we can answer questions about who Jordan is, how this happened, and what you can do if you would like to get involved. Jordan's family, friends, and nearly everyone else who has reviewed the case files strongly believe in Jordan's innocence. We also believe in our judicial system and we are certain that justice will prevail in Jordan's case. For now we wait and hope and pray this will happen as soon as possible.
Recent news:
- 6.19.09 After eight months of deliberations the Iowa Supreme Court denied Jordan's claim that the IDOC is violating the Constitution of Iowa and the United States by keeping him in prison past his original tentative discharge date of April 9, 2008. Here is a link to the public record: IA Supreme Court Opinion, No. 07–1095.
- 4.6.09 I posted more of Jordan's letters on the Prison Life page. The new ones start on 9.19.08. If you don't have time to read all of them I personally recommend the last one, written to Jason on 3.18.09. -John
- 4.5.09 Excerpt from a recent letter to his sister-in-law, Kelli:
I don’t like it here. I want to go home.
Once there I would put on my shoes and jog in one direction for more than 100 meters. Then I would stop, turn around, and look at how far I’d run without turning. Admiring the distance, I would pick it up and bend it in my mind so it could overlap the place I used to run. It would hover there over the top of this gravel and I’d recall the corners I took. I’d remember these corners and smile. I wouldn’t laugh out loud, just to myself, inside. What a change. Look at this place. I could go over there. I could go this way, that way. But I just want to run straight. So I would turn back around, straighten out what I had covered and run myself to exhaustion. The scenery, the ground, the air - everything would be different.
I want to go home.
Once there, I would wait by the door. I would wait between the front door and the car. I’d want to sit shotgun. I’d want to sit in the seat with the shoulder strap, the one up front by the windshield. So I’d wait between the house and the car. I’d look inside and I’d look out at the car. Who wants to go driving? There’s a car outside. Eventually somebody would. They’d need to go somewhere and I’d be ready to join them. Maybe I could go too. I’d walk to the car and I’d get in the front seat - the one by the windshield with the strap. Then the driver would get in and they’d fire up the car. It would rumble to life and I’d feel it in my feet. The radio would come on, maybe a CD. And the windshield would be right there, right in front of me. The car would be guided into motion and away we’d go…5-10-30-50-70 miles per hour! The wind. It would whoosh in and overcome the sounds, the radio, the force. I’d cup it in my palm and let it flow away. Cup it again and let it go. It would swirl and press and dance through my fingers - never letting them be. Always pressing and dancing. Always winning. And I wouldn’t mind. Go ahead, get where you need to go. I’m just passing through. The jostling and hovering of gliding on suspension, I’d feel it all again.
I want to go home.
Once there I would relish and appreciate the silence. I would cherish what might be normal humanity. I would walk into a spacious room - there may be people, there may not - and I’d sink down into the cushions of a couch. Into the cushions in the corner by the arm rest, the strong and sturdy arm rest. And the comfort there would hug my butt. It’d say, “You could sit here for hours.” This feeling will never go away. So I’d sit there and listen to the silence, the peaceful sound of life. There’d be no “MFer” this or “I’m a bad***” that. People would just be - without embellishment or arrogance, and their stories would be as they should: a genuine reflection of what happened. Words spoken would be soft, intelligent and friendly. They’d be sincere and caring. Angry and sad. Funny and hilarious. Witty and truthful. I would sit there and listen and relax.
I want to go home.
Once there I would remind myself. I’d say, hey, do you remember the time you got punched in your face for no reason? Oh sure, yeah, I remember. That was something. I wish I could’ve seen it coming. Of course, if that was the case, and I was looking, he never would’ve swung. So I would’ve missed the whole experience. The broken nose, the 30 days in the hole, everything. Such precious memories.
I want to go home.
Once there I would eat cheesecake and bacon. Then I’d get into the best shape of my life.
I want to go home.
Once there, you would be there. We both would be there, at home.
For more excerpts from Jordan's letters click on the Prison Life page.
- 1.26.09 Potentially good news! On 1.23.09 a case involving the Ex Post Facto Clause was overturned by the Iowa Supreme Court. This case was very similar to Jordan's. The main difference, aside from Jordan being innocent, is that the defendants were incarcerated prior to 2001 and were therefore additionally challenging a different but similar amendment. Check out Iowa Supreme Court Recent Opinions for more info. I also uploaded the correct version of our response to Jordan's appeal opinion today, if you would like to wade through that.
- 1.17.09 Jordan's 6th birthday behind bars. He's 27.
- 11.11.08 The oral argument on October 21st was recorded by the Iowa Supreme Court and they just made it available online. Click here to watch it. If that doesn't work you may have to assign your video player through the Iowa Judicial Branch website on the Oral Argument Video Page.
Correction on the last post: I'm not sure if there are or will be hundreds of similar legal cases. I was referring to the number of inmates in a similar legal predicament. -John
- 09.24.08 On October 21st Jordan's lawyer will have ten minutes to present his case to the Iowa Supreme Court against the IDOC's decision to extend Jordan's
original sentence by over two years based on a law passed in 2005 and an improper interpretation of the ex post facto
clause of the Constitution of the State of Iowa.
Ex post facto: Formulated, enacted, or operating retroactively. [Med Lat., from what is done afterwards]
Source: American Heritage Dictionary
In U.S. Constitutional Law, the definition of what is ex post facto is more limited. The first definition of what exactly constitutes an ex post
facto law is found in Calder v Bull (3 US 386 [1798]), in the opinion of Justice Chase:
"1st. Every law that makes an action done before the passing of the law, and which was innocent when done, criminal; and punishes such action.
2d. Every law that aggravates a crime, or makes it greater than it was, when committed. 3d. Every law that changes the punishment, and inflicts a greater
punishment, than the law annexed to the crime, when committed. 4th. Every law that alters the legal rules of evidence, and receives less, or different,
testimony, than the law required at the time of the commission of the offense, in order to convict the offender."
It seems obvious that keeping someone in prison for an extra 20% of their twenties inflicts a greater punishment, but that's for the Supreme
Court to decide. The good news is that out of the hundreds of similar cases Jordan's has been chosen to be heard first.
- 04.10.08 Jordan received word that his appeal concerning the Iowa Department of Correction's decision to extend his time in prison by over two years has been submitted and will be reviewed by a panel of judges in about three months. He was originally scheduled to be released about a month from today.
- 04.04.08 Some of Jordan's thoughts from prison are finally up online. Please click on the Prison Life link above.
- 03.10.08 Jordan spent the month of December in the hole for "fighting" after he was set up and blindsided by some inmates who had been out to get him in retaliation for something that happened during a football game. He didn't even realize he was in a fight before his nose was broken, a few teeth were chipped and the numerous guards who were close by broke it up. Prison rule is that anyone involved in an altercation, whether doing the fighting or taking the beating, goes to the hole until the details are sorted out. This also means he lost his status, privileges and job. They took away his private cell, which was an invaluable privilege, and the guards who cleaned it out reduced his personal possessions to three 11"x11"x11" boxes. In sorting out the details the prison officials decided to believe the one guard who wrote "blows were exchanged" in his report instead of the other two who wrote what really happened, so they added 30 more days onto his sentence. So far he has earned back two to three hours of free time per day and hopes to regain his status within the next few months.
- 09.11.07 Why haven't we gone to the media? Check out the new blog article posted in an attempt to answer this question.
- 08.28.07 Jordan was sent to prison four years ago today. He now enters his fifth, and hopefully final year. He spoke with his mother on the phone today and relayed the most recent news from his prison counselor: the Anamosa prison administration is adamant that Jordan will serve a minimum of seven years. Only a new trial or an overruling decision by the Iowa Board of Parole will allow him to be set free sooner.
- 08.27.07 The Iowa Board of Parole will be deciding whether or not grant Jordan an interview during the 2nd week of September, 2007. It is our belief that if we can raise their level of interest in Jordan's case that he will be granted his first interview for parole.
- 08.13.07 We added a new page describing in more detail What Happened that September evening.
- 07.31.07 New topics for discussion by Jason Holm on the Forum/Blog page. Please leave comments! We highly value the opinion of people visiting this site and would be pleased to answer any questions.
- 07.12.07 Check out the Forum/Blog page! We've been discussing the best way for people to voice their opinions and this is what we came up with...for now.
- 05.12.07 Jordan received a letter on Tuesday, May 8, informing him that the judge ruled against his petition to give him back his good time. The judge upheld the prison's 2006 decision to extend Jordan's release date for two years and one month due to his unwillingness to admit guilt. He was scheduled to be released in less than a year from now but now it will be over three more years. This has been a sad week for Jordan. Please pray for him.
- 05.03.07 The prayer calendar is now online. Click on the Prayer page and check it out! If you would like to sign up for a time to pray in unison with us send us an email so we can add your name to the calendar.
- 05.01.07 FreeJordan.org is back online as of May 1, 2007!
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