Dying Girl Wishes Denied by Prison Warden

[Brandwin]

LINCOLN, Neb. - A 10-year-old Lincoln girl dying of brain cancer has one wish -- for her father to be at her bedside. It isn't likely to happen. Her father is in a federal prison in Yankton, S.D.

Vonda Yaeger is pleading with the warden for compassion to grant her daughter's wish.

"She wants her dad. She goes to her room crying because she wants her dad," Yaeger said.

Jason Yaeger was convicted of methamphetamine charges nearly five years ago and is scheduled to be released next year.

"We've never asked them to release him early. Never asked them to change anything. We've asked them to just give him some time to be here," Vonda Yaeger said.

Jayci Yaeger has been allowed three escorted visits with her father, but each trip lasts only a couple of hours and costs the family hundreds of dollars. Requests for longer furloughs have been denied.

"They say it doesn't constitute an extraordinary circumstance," Vonda Yaeger said.

A representative of the Yankton facility would not respond to specific questions about the situation.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons Web site states its policy -- that furloughs can be allowed for a family crisis and that decision is left to the warden.

"We've asked them numerous times, 'What is an extraordinary circumstance?'" said Vonda Yaeger. "They danced around it. They don't give you a direct answer."

Jayci still gets calls when her father can manage. "He talks to her. We put the phone to her ear and she cries," Vonda Yaeger said.

She said there have been several times she didn't think Jayci would make it through the night, but she somehow keeps fighting. "I feel she's hanging on for her dad," Vonda Yaeger said.

The family said that what makes the situation even more difficult is that Jason Yaeger is scheduled to be transferred to a half-way house in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in August. That would make it possible to visit Jayci, but her mother said it will probably be too late.

Source - MSNBC

[Brandon13]

I've read about that story before.

**** the warden.

[Double Eights]

The girl has passed since that article.

http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=4543459&page=1

Her dad did get to visit her, and she died soon after.

[Beantown]

Damn...that's sad.

[The 24th Letter]

Good. I'm glad he got to see her.
I wonder what they had in mind when they made that "unusual circumstance" rule...because I dont see how they could hesitate to consider this one.

[Brandon13]

Quote: Originally Posted by Double Eights

The girl has passed since that article. http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=4543459&page=1 Her dad did get to visit her, and she died soon after.

Good. I'm glad to see they came to their senses.

RIP to the girl.

[p_rushing]

I think the main thing was who was going to pay for the trip. That's a lot of money to transport a prisoner and then house him somewhere. There are plenty of prisoners who would use that as a chance to escape. Also, he committed a crime, was convicted, and is in jail, he should have thought about this before committing the crime.

Its good that he was able to visit before she died. I hope he uses this to help him turn his life around.

[Brandon13]

Quote: Originally Posted by p_rushing

I think the main thing was who was going to pay for the trip. That's a lot of money to transport a prisoner and then house him somewhere. There are plenty of prisoners who would use that as a chance to escape. Also, he committed a crime, was convicted, and is in jail, he should have thought about this before committing the crime. Its good that he was able to visit before she died. I hope he uses this to help him turn his life around.

I saw a thing on tv about this and the girl's family said that he was in a minimum security prison in which he could literally step over the fence and leave if he chose to.

I don't know if that's true or not, though.