1.  Sign Melissa’s clemency support petition: Every signature counts. Ask your friends, coworkers and relatives to sign also. Click here to sign!

2.  Write letters to the governor: Tell Governor Granholm to grant Melissa’s clemency request and also that of other survivors of domestic abuse. The governor can be reached at:

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, Michigan 48909

Phone: (517) 373-3400  or
             (517) 335-7858 – Constituent

3.  Become involved with the work of the Michigan Battered Women’s Clemency Project. Together we can make difference. Information at http://www.umich.edu/~clemency/

4. Buy a Melissa Chapman t-shirt: 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the shirts will go directly into Melissa’s legal defense fund. This 5-color, uniquely designed shirt was created especially for Melissa and will be a distinctive addition to anyone’s collection. Click here to buy!

5.  Attend this year’s rally: The Michigan Battered Women’s Clemency Project is sponsoring the rally to be held on the front steps of the Michigan state capitol building: Friday October 6, 2006 at 12 noon. For directions and more information contact Carol Jacobsen – email: jacobsen@umich.edu 

6. Write to your state senator and representative: Encourage them to sponsor and support legislation that acknowledges the special circumstances faced by incarcerated survivors of domestic abuse – ESPECIALLY  legislation to allow women incarcerated for murder to file writs challenging their sentences with evidence about battering and its effects. If he or she has sponsored such legislation in the past, write a thank-you letter. To find your state senator go to http://www.senate.michigan.gov/

Letters to your senator can be addressed as follows:

(Senator’s Name)
PO Box 30036
Lansing, MI  48909-7536

Your representative’s information is at http://house.michigan.gov/

Mailing address is:

(Representative’s name)

PO Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909-7514

7. Use the internet: Talk about Melissa’s circumstances on blogs and websites dedicated to women’s issues, domestic abuse, violence against women, prison issues and injustices in the criminal justice system.

8. Write Op-Eds and letters to the editor: When you see an article in a newspaper or magazine, that covers domestic violence, email or write to the reporter and editor thanking him or her for their interest and directing them to Melissa’s website – www.melissa-chapman.com.

9. Educate others on Battered Women’s Syndrome: Don’t assume everyone understands BWS. Exposure to severe abuse often renders the woman unable to think rationally and clearly, and causes significant psychological and physiological changes. The woman often acts under a condition called ‘psychological self-defense’ – the belief that her life is in imminent danger.

10. Make suggestions: Email the Friends of Melissa Chapman at mcfriends@verizon.net. We welcome all suggestions that will take us closer to our goal of obtaining justice and freedom for Melissa through executive clemency or the courts. 

11. Contact us: We can help you help Melissa. Click here.