Key Watergate Figure Calls for Milken Parole

The Michael Milken case file in New York federal court continues to swell with epistolary comments from notables across the country, most recently from Watergate figure Charles W. Colson.

In a letter made public Thursday, Colson, the founder of a “born-again” Christian ministry aimed at redeeming and rehabilitating prisoners, asks U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood to reduce Milken’s 10-year prison sentence.

Colson, a former aide to President Richard M. Nixon, served time in prison himself on obstruction of justice charges before founding his ministry, the Prison Fellowship. He proposed that Milken be paroled and assigned to work on a new Prison Fellowship project in East Los Angeles, designed to prepare recently released California inmates for work in churches.

Colson, who said he recently spent an hour visiting the former junk bond promoter in prison in Pleasanton, Calif., doesn’t specify what Milken would do for the project.

But he states, “I think it is tragic that we incarcerate non-dangerous, nonviolent offenders in prison where they have very little meaningful work to do,” and adds: “I can tell you from visiting Milken that he has been punished severely.” A Milken spokesman said the prison meeting was arranged by a “mutual friend” of the two men but declined to elaborate.

The judge is expected to rule this month on a request by Milken’s lawyers to shorten his sentence. Since Milken pleaded guilty last year to six felony counts, letters pro and con have poured into the courthouse with advice on sentencing. Other public figures who have written include Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony and producer Henry Winkler.