Jessica Burlew is an 18 year old girl diagnosed as schizoeffective and autistic, was held pre-trial in isolation in Estrella Jail from January, 2014 until November, 2015. She is currently housed at Perryville Prison after having been convicted of 2nd degree murder for the accidental death of Jason Ash, a 43 year old man who was sexually exploiting her as a 16 year old.
Jessie is in need of continuous support while she is in prison. She needs to know she has supporters that care about her and her fight. AZ DOC needs to know that we are still watching and won’t tolerate violations of Jessie’s rights. Letters are strongly encouraged; please follow this link for prison guidelines on letter writing. Donations for Jessie’s commissary are also needed to help Jessie afford food, books, art supplies, and letter writing supplies. We compiled a list of requests from Jessie so that supporters may directly purchase and send books: Book Requests & Donations.
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To read Jessie’s full story, follow this link. |
Free Jessica Burlew 
I just got out of prison after 8 years, 1 of which was spent in 23 lockdown. I know what kind of Hell Jessie must be going through. The worst part is she might get used to it. She needs to be in General Population or, even better, a psych unit. Unfortunately there are few psych units and beds in them are usually reserved for the developmentally disabled. I hope she continues her art no matter how many times the cops tear it up- art’s the one thing that got me through. Stay strong, Jessie, your better than those losers.
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In our worst nightmares we never imagine that our adorable newborn could encounter such horror in 16 short years of life. Jessica deserves much better physical and mental health services than we are offering her. Tell your legislators to use our tax dollars to get Jessica the humane care she, and every other incarcerated human, deserves. Norway offers the best example of care for imprisoned people. Our justice system must become functional. We are destroying lives and families and drowning in red ink. No one benefits.
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Norse countries are very progressive in many ways. As a feminist, I fully support and advocate for what is called the Nordic Model on prostitution. I also care deeply about this case. I heard about it from a feminist page. It is such gaslighting, insulting BULLSHIT that she is being made out to be a predator when really he was the predator. Here in Canada it is illegal for a minor to be charged as an adult. These kinds of cases make me glad we have it, although it was a bad thing in my opinion for making the boys in the Rehtaeh Parsons case basically get off with raping her while unconscious. As someone with an LD, chronic illness and mental illness I can only imagine the horror if I was ever incarcerated. This is totally unjust, this kid should not be in prison. I hope this will be taken up by many as a social justice cause. Is it possible I could send letters to her in prison?
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i was one of the five girls i know jessie i love you very much stay up and be strong i will write you soon we had good times together . jessie is not a bad person just put in a bad state of mind and situation .
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Yes google search ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS. INMATE DATA SEARCH YOU CAN ALSO GET THE MAILING ADDRESS. THERE AS WELL
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This is so awful. What are they thinking about? Free Jessie!
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Its not fair that this innocent girl is convicted of a crime she was forced to do. Please set this young beautiful and innocent person free. Let her out of jail.
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Free Jessie, Solitary is wrong and should not be used to punish and exploit people.
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I have trouble believing this is happening in the U.S., and not a country like Iran or N. Korea?
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Jessie is what I could have been in another life, and for that reason I hope she gets out of that horrible place. I am an autistic student at American University, Washington College of Law, and I also know firsthand what it is to be coerced and used by a cruel man at a young age.
What happened to me was far less warped, but it still gives me a fairly decent guess at what happened here. I wish Jessie and her family all the best.
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People assume that if someone in your life is battling a mental illness, that the care givers are to blame when things don’t go the way outsiders believe they should.
You can go the doctors appointments, take classes, read everything about the illness you can get your hands on, but sometimes, often, it isn’t enough.
The idea that this kid was already suffering and was taken advantage of, is more than some people can digest. It’s easier to demonize her than to absorb the terribleness of her situation.
A monster sexualized a young highly vulnerable girl and paid with his life, she shouldn’t pay with hers. She is the victim. It is no different than someone who chooses to commit suicide by purposely provoking the police. Or someone who steps in front of a train or a bus in order to end their life. He, as the adult, made a choice and his life was ended by that choice. She was not of an age or in a condition to make any such choice.
This is a criminal failure of a vulnerable child. We need to do better than this. We should be better than to allow the system to absorb this child permanently.
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What a creep that clearly deserved to die for taking advantage of her. Sadly the law is the law and doesn’t care.
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Putting this girl in prison… what are they thinking? Cases like this show the clear need for youth protection laws because this kid was clearly being exploited by a grown man because she was bullied and marginalized her whole life.
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Hang in there we are thinking about you both.
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Sorry to hear this sad story. Jessica should not be in solitary confinement in a prison. She should be in a hospital receiving care and treatment.
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This is a travesty of “justice”! Hang in there, Jessie, there are a lot of people fighting for you out here!!!
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This is a travesty of “justice”! Hang in there, Jessie, there are a lot of people fighting for you out here!
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I am praying for her release, and then reparation for all of the damages done to Jessie. This torture must stop. Peace.
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I cannot believe Arizona would do such a thing ! It seems like the legal system Phoenix Arizona and Glendale Arizona support statutory rape and sexual predators more then they support teens with mental health issues such as autism and schizophrenia ! Jason Ash gave this girl drugs like meth and heroin while he sexually abusing her. The media hypes this as a goth teen killing an innocent person , trying to make money off the case like they did with Jodi Arias.
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Free Jessie, she is being treated unjustly. Ash was a terrible person for her to be with, he took advantage of her and got her into drugs, so a drug pusher.
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What is her address to send letters?
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We will email you her address.
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Very typical Arizona corruption. It just doesn’t end . The government agencies, those who are building their own careers , sometimes it backfires on them, I sure hope so in this case !
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Another example of the broken legal system. Free Jessie!!
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I would like Jessie’s address so I can write her and show her support. She needs much of it! As a young women I can relate to the things she has gone through and I want her to know she is not alone!
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Where is John Oliver when you need him? This is right up his alley. It is just wrong how the system failed her and that the predator is being made to look the victim.
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How awful! She should not be charged at all for a sex game gone wrong! What a terrible situation!
Police in the recent New York case got off with nothing after they accidentally choked a guy to death at the site of a minor arrest! But a teenage girl accidentally chokes a guy during a S&M game, tries to revive him, then freaks out, and she gets 10 years with solitary? How is that fair?
If you want to give out her address, I will send her a nice letter and a fantasy book. Solitary is the last thing she needs right now! How terrible! 😦 Nobody needs 10 years and solitary after an accident, even if it was terrible and deadly.
I will also share her story with Anonymous. This is a failure of our justice system and should be treated as such. Who prosecuted this case? If they knew it was an accident, why do they still want to lock her up? She should be in therapy after a traumatic ordeal (perferably in a remote group home where she can have some peace) not in solitary confinement because of an awful accident!
If a man hires a dominatrix to beat him up, does not tell her to stop, gets beaten to unconsciousness, then turns around and tries to get the dominatrix arrested because he got beaten up, he should be laughed out of court.
I know this is different and far more serious, but why on Earth would a teenage girl be held liable for a murder, when she was just engaging in a game she was asked to engage in! (If some kids were playing “chicken” in cars and crashed into each other, would they be held liable for murder?”
If there was no sign of a struggle, why are the courts acting as if a willful crime was committed, when this is negligence at worst and a complete accident at best?
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Email us at support@freejessieb.org and we can sent you her address to write to her.
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If everything I know about this case is true, this poor girl is a victim of a sex crime. That creep preyed on her when she was vulnerable and underage. She needs help and therapy and does not need to be locked up like an animal.
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This is clearly an accidental death. All the evidence corroborates her story. How is 10 years even close to proportionate for an accident? She should be released into the custody of a remote group home, where she can receive treatment and therapy, and where she cannot easily run away again. Not solitary confinement, she is NOT a murderer! Murderers do not try to revive thier victims, for one thing!
Wrongfully imprisoned by a broken justice system!
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I’m not a bit surprised by what happened to Jesse in this state run by neanderthals. Could you please update us on the position of the State Attorney General, the legal case and the current funding of her case? Thank you
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The support team was able to raise the funds to retain a great criminal defense lawyer, who is now building a case to petition for post-conviction relief, which would effectively reopen the case. The State Attorney General has not commented on the case, but the County Attorney (Bill Montgomery) has made it clear that he intends to prosecute. He has a history of prosecuting the survivors of domestic violence and sending juveniles to adult prisons, so this is not out of character for him.
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I would love to hear an update about Jessie. Has she been sentenced yet or is she still in solitary confinement? I cannot find any new information on her and all the websites just slander her and call her a monster, which she is not. I can’t believe we live in a world where the victim of sexual abuse and emotional abuse gets in trouble for accidental death. I hope that she gets the justice she deserves and if there’s anything I can do to help, please do not hesitate to ask.
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FYI, any one who reads this in early 2016, there is a bill before congress to ban juvenile solitary confinement like this, please sign ACLU petition here:
https://www.aclu.org/realcriminaljusticereformTAF
Thank you!
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This is the saddest story I have ever read. My Lil sister is schosophronic etc. She was molested at a very young age. She had to be locked away for a while due to very innapropriateness actions sexual violence. No children like Jessie or my sister should have to endure such sadness and mistreated the way they are. Their brains don’t function like ours. I can’t stand when people miss treat handicapped children or adults. They can’t help how they are. This world makes me sick. And for a 43yr old man prey on a handicapped child or other children is discusting I hope he rots in hell for what he has done to Jessie an the other children he has preyed on. They should never be sexually abused or physically abused. Children are amazing and its people like that man that make this world a cruel sick place. She may not have known that it was to late and not understood what was going on but at least she put an end to his life so he can’t hurt any other children or herself as well but its sad she has to be in such a horrible place like that especially incarceration 😦 she isn’t a violent person and ItS sad they are seeing her as she is.
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I was released about 4days ago I met Jessica and my heart went out to her. I know Jessica does still attend schooling for a high diploma she was NOT reciving any mental health care and yes she is on a yard now that is a 23hr lockdown do to behavior. When Jessica would listen to music she seemed more like a 18 yr old teen i know from speaking with Jessica her biggest fear was and still is that she will never be loved. This beautiful young woman needs any and all love. She voiced many. Times she just wants to love and be loved without judgement her cutting to the best of my knowledge had slowed down while she was on a GP yard but now that she is on a MAX yard i do not know. Jessica found relase from cutting in Rock music send her mail we can help Jessica and show her she is worth the fight!!!!💜💜JESSICA I LOVE YOU RASCAL💜💜
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