Ofiong Sanders Imprisoned for Lurking

On May 7, Ofiong Sanders finished mowing the lawn for his parents. While that same evening, when he was finished with the yard work, he decided to go on a trip around the block exercising. Since living in a quiet neighborhood and a block a way from his home, thinking no one would notice. While starting his 20 paces, 20 sit-ups, going up and down the block, the Saint Paul Police Department approached him with on foot with flashlights. While asking why was he being detained, they said "We'll think of something".

The police got a call for suspicious activity that night, but no one can admit anything on the incident. Then finally after an half an hour in a squad car went by, he was arrested for lurking. Then at 3 AM was bailed out, only costing him $100 for that incident. Then went back home, slept for an hour, cleaned up to go to work around 6:30 am. A few days later, May 13, six police officers went to his work to arrest Mr. Sanders unannounced. He is now being held for the lurking charge with his parole officer.

Unsure on the case, Mr. Sanders was going to seek a lawyer for legal advice before calling his parole officer. And to make matters worse, his aunt died and her funeral was on May 18, and he worried that he'd miss saying his final goodbye to his aunt he loved.

Members of Communities United Against Police Brutality went down to the parole office as a group to talk to Debra Ramthum, the Ramsey County Parole Supervisior, just to let Mr. Sanders out to go pay his final respects to his aunt, to go back to his job, that he poses no danger to himself or to others, but to no prevail. He will have to face a court date of November 23.

On May 22, the parole officer came with papers to the jail, recommended Mr. Sanders gets a 120 prison sentence for violating his parole. Then had to sit for another week until May 29 (That the parole hearings only happen on Fridays.) Mr. Sanders waiting longer that expected, was going to be sentenced for 120 days in prison for not notifying his parole officer. But with a counsel of a lawyer, the sentence was reduce to 90 days in prison. In two favors that worked, 1. That he had great family support and 2. A steady job.

This is a man who made some mistakes in his life, but turned his life around. Doing time in prison for burglary and charged for 10 years. But due to the system holding him longer on a mis-calculation, he sued and was released. He has been on parole ever since, working a full time job, and never missing a meeting with his parole officer. Vowing to make the prison system better for the mentally ill and on how the system abuses the inmates, making it that an onbudsman program is in place. This is a man that goes above and beyond his call, but is a target for being the the voice in the community. The system is too harsh and unforgiving to people who are trying to turn their life around.