To the editors:
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Mr. Cunningham obviously put a great deal of thought into his correspondence when he stated the following: “Mr. Heirens has never admitted his crime and thus has not taken the very crucial first step of rehabilitation in any program for personal change.” Yes, I too believe that it is important for each of us, Bill Heirens included, to come to terms with those problems which prevent us from becoming the most productive and socially agreeable persons possible. However, it is necessary to understand that the Illinois Prisoner Review Board does not consider the admission of guilt essential to the rehabilitation of Illinois inmates and the issue of guilt or innocence is supposedly inconsequential to their determination. And the Board has, repeatedly, declared Bill Heirens to be rehabilitated, or, more pointedly, capable of making a successful reentry into society. In addition, state psychologists have found him free of any mental defects for the past 35 years and persons who know him, work with him, and have benefitted from the assistance he has given them, declare him to be normal, rational, productive and helpful beyond expectations. But, unfortunately, publicity abounds, the Board believes that people like Mr. Cunningham must be appeased, and, so, Bill Heirens remains in prison.
The most pathetic part of Mr. Cunningham’s letter expressed his fear that Bill Heirens, if released, would seek him out, as well as his young daughters. It is true that Bill has had little access to women and children over the past 43 years. For a short while there were women inmates at Vienna Correctional Center and from all reports Bill behaved admirably. He has, over the years, maintained enviable friendships with both men AND women of all ages and I wish Mr. Cunningham could read some of the letters those people have written to me about Bill Heirens. Also, I have spent virtually thousands of hours with Bill over the past three years, and while I don’t expect Mr. Cunningham to find me credible since I am obviously a close friend of Bill’s–how does he think I became that? Fear is a debilitating emotion and I often think that if Mr. Cunningham and others like him made the effort to meet Bill Heirens, that emotion could be abolished from their lives. But, apparently, nurturing their fear is a necessary ingredient for their rationalization that Bill Heirens should remain in prison despite the person he has obviously become.
A long way, you will agree, from Mr. Cunningham’s contention that:
Oak Park
