Career criminal ready to call it quits - Julesburg Advocate

In what was to have been only an advisement hearing, Shannon Jess Keith, age 39 of Westminster, told Judge Max Carlson he was tired of the of the "struggling" and was ready to spend the rest of his life in prison.

[humanity]

What it seems is that he needs therapy and some medication. He needs a life coach, something....he has not done anything to sit in prison for life, however, he may be in more danger there offending staff to "stay in" or offending public to "get in" we do need prevent violet crime and should be thankful he did not go to those measures. He needs some help to figure out his issues, not rot or do worse to someone else....major hopelessness there. He deserves some time for his previous crimes, just not life- its sad there are people that really can't put the pieces together, no matter how hard- its about accountability, which it looks like he is now trying to take, but for the wrong reasons. If only he took accountability for the other parts of his life. I am an educated professional and have done work for the correctional system. I can see that- this is truly a sad deal in the big picture.

[A friend]

Here is the main problem. The system is broken. When he wasw first arrested it was really from making fire crackers at age 17. There was someone in Grand Junction who had killed a couple of poeple with pipe bombs around the same time so he ended up being a suspect for that crime. Although they caught the real guy making the pipe bombs, Shannon was used as an example and given a felony. He actually DID get on medication which was prescribed over the phone, yes, he was diagnosed on a phone call and a prescription called in. He took the prescribed medication, went into a manic phase and ended up in a coma for three days after an overdose of it. He checked himself out of the hospital because he had no insurance and the hospital allowed him to leave even though he was considered a suicide risk. System still full of the medication, he committed armed robbery. When he saw himslef on crimestoppers, he turned himself in. They gave him another felony and although he was under the influence they disregarded that in the court hearing. Now, he spent several years in prison and was given medication during that time which was a great help. They put him out on work release and told him they were no longer paying for the medication which was VERY expensive and to a guy working a grill at a bar, he could not afford it. After several days of no medication he walked from work release. They charged him with escape. Another felony. Now he spent a total of 9 years in prison and 5 years on parole with a parole officer who had no interest in whether he made it or not and just continually threatened him with "I can send you back anytime I want" for no reason at all. He towed the line, went to school, worked hard and made it through the five years parole. Now after 14 years in the system, he hasn't been able to find a decent job, is judged constantly on his past and has done nothing but spend the last several years trying to help others less fortunate. Every dime he made went to the homeless or to others who needed it. Never himself. He is tired of fighting a system that is political and has stated many times that prison is easier than being on the outside. He said what you see in there is what you get. No political people trying to constantly improve there conviction record to move up the ladder and no one judging you about things that they cannot fathom. I know him. He is a good person at heart and one of the smartest people intellectually I have ever met. The system is broken and all of the power grubbing, self serving politicians and people in positions of authority who continually abuse that have in fact encouraged this give up mentality. It is actually rather sad that we have allowed this. In reality, he is is more of a Robin Hood and we in society would do well to remember that. He will most likely spend rest of his like or close to in prison and I want to go on the record and say I am proud of him. Did he break the law? Yes. Has he done so in order to help others who our country and system have not? Yes to that too. Has he ever hurt another person while breaking the law to help others? No. Think about it..