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Inmates to appear before state Claims Commission Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008 By Rob Moritz Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Alex Ware, convicted in the 1999 deaths of his two children in St. Francis County, says the state owes him $200 for a weather band radio he says was stolen. Gilberto Guerra, serving time for rape and attempted murder in Benton County, says prison officials took property from him and apparently destroyed it. He wants $60.35 for his loss. The two are among several state prison inmates scheduled to take their claims for compensation before the Arkansas Claims Commission on Friday. The commission meets twice a year - October and March - at the Varner Super Maximum Security Unit at Grady to hear claims, mostly loss of property, filed by state inmates. Commission Director Norman Hodges said Tuesday commission members have heard a variety of stories during their visits to the maximum security unit southeast of Pine Bluff in Lincoln County. "It's all sorts, ... 'I lost it when I was brought into the system, I was shaken down and didn't get it back,'" he said. Money missing from inmate accounts also is a frequent claim, he said. Twelve separate claims will be presented to the commission Friday. Ware claims that in August 2006 another inmate was packing Ware's personal property and when Ware unpacked it later he noticed his Sony weather ban am/fm stereo missing, Hodges said. Ware was convicted in 2001 of two counts of capitol murder in the deaths of his two toddler sons. Authorities said he left them to die in a swamp near a levee in St. Francis County. Bones found near the levee in 2000 were later identified as those of 13-month-old Alexander Xavier Harrell. The body of 2-year-old K-Von Harrell was never found. Guerra claims that while being processed into the Varner Unit last year he was told some of his personal property had to be sent home within 45 days or it would be destroyed. He said he could not afford postage to send the items home, and that they were later confiscated by prison officials. In 2002, Guerra was convicted of stabbing his estranged wife and raping another woman in Rogers. He was convicted of rape and attempted first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. The Claims Commissions also meets Thursday in Little Rock is to hear two disability benefit claims. |
