KEVIN

an update from

Finally! Two years after Kevin Tower first suspected that he had autism spectrum disorder, he was finally diagnosed with Autism Level I by Dr. Kat (Dr. Katherine Lewitski, Psych.D.), a Neuropsychologist with expertise in autism. After a marathon seven straight hours of testing, Dr. Kat determined Kevin has a disability with his short term memory, that became obvious during the testing. Because Kevin has normal intelligence and is able to express himself well, some people may not realize Kevin has an autism disability. Kevin's disability is primarily with receiving information or a receptive language disability. When people speak to Kevin, they need to speak clearly and concisely.

Kevin Tower is advocating for legal changes to protect persons during the criminal justice process, who have a mental or neurological disability such as autism spectrum disorder.

Please visit our page to sign the online petition >

Thank you for supporting our cause and walking in the footsteps of peace today!

I was born April 27, 1970 in Greenville, Michigan. My beautiful Mother was allowed to hold me for a moment before I was rushed off to another hospital. I was born in respiratory distress and spent the first week of life in an incubator an hour away at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. My parents would wait more than a week to see me again.

I grew up around the small farming town of Lakeview, Michigan just North of Greenville. I graduated highschool and spent a short time in the U.S. Army where I developed diabetes before discharging. I spent two years training to become a licensed Emergency Medical Technician and then a Paramedic.

I am Catholic, a trained Catechist and a Third Order Lay Carmelite and Spiritual Director who is devoted to bringing peace and reconciliation to those I can reach.

I am a writer. I write about social justice issues in a balanced manner. I try very carefully to maintain an equitable balance in showing compassion and empathy for both Crime Victims and Offenders.

I have served 27 years in prison on a life sentence without parole for the July 1995 murders of my uncles Ronald and Paul Tower. Crime victims and their families deserve compassion for the loss and respect for the dignity of the lives that have passed on. I would like to explore victim – offender mediation and reconciliation.

My Father was killed while I was awaiting trial. He was killed by an overworked truck driver who crossed the centerline during a snow storm. I remember my Mother telling me that the prosecutor could file second degree murder charges and get the man decades in prison. After discussing this, we chose to seek leniency for the truck driver. My Father was a truck driver. I remember him on many occasions working as many hours as possible to provide for us children and our mother. Instead of 30 years, the man received one year in the county jail on work release and five years probation. Can you imagine this man having social problems working overtime to feed his children? Then spend probably 6 months in jail and paying for attorneys? We thought about his family and his one life. We had respect for his dignity and his family. Certainly, we were hurt by the loss in our own family, but why punish people harshly for problems society shares a level of responsibility in?

During my decades in prison, I have seen the positive impact of prisoner programming reducing the number of incarcerated and preventing crime. Having an answer to why my life and thinking became so unmanageable to result in the murders of uncles I dearly loved, has brought me at least some resolve. However, the fact remains that had I known about my condition 30 years ago, I could have received counseling and learned how to compensate for the lack of awareness and life management skills necessary for my condition. I have a personal interest in reaching out and influencing the community to screen children, teens and adults for psychological and psychiatric disorders that may not be apparent to them or their loved ones. No one should be skipped over, especially when the effects can cause a manageable situation to become unmanageable.

I would like to repay society for the deaths of my uncles by creating an organization that could potentially save 7 or 77 times the tragedy in my case. I developed a proposal for a model organization called Citizens for Social Awareness and Response (CSAR)” that has the ability to both reduce the number of crime victims and the incarcerated through intervention, prevention, education and healing.

My well loved Father passed on while I was in jail awaiting trial. I think what he would want is for me to fix the problem. At the end of the movie “Saving Private Ryan.” Tom Hanks was half dead and propped up against the wall addressing Private Ryan, when he said: “Earn it!” Those were very profound words to me and have inspired me to “Earn it.” I cannot change yesterday, but I can attempt to add a few positive brush strokes in the painting of tomorrow. I hope my ideas and writing make that impact to all.

I am active in promoting criminal justice and prison reform. The American Correctional Association (ACA) and American Bar Association (ABA) have National Standards for Correctional Facilities. These Standards have been called by some Judges as “basic standards of human decency.” Standards must be followed that both enforce the concept of imprisonment for a criminal conviction, however prevent poor conditions of confinement which are not part of their Sentence.

The “socially vulnerable” must be protected and looked after. Some socially “at risk” persons have little to no support system and are vulnerable. To mitigate this risk, it is necessary for communities to identify these people, and maintain close contact with them to prevent their exploitation and abuse. This can be in person, by phone or through an App.

We have all seen the shootings occurring around our country, especially in schools. Most all of these cases could be prevented. The shooters speak out, but no one listens. We need to actively seek out, listen to and develop a compassionate and empathetic relationship with these people.

I believe that no one should be overlooked or left out, not even those who commit crimes, which ultimately have some social basis and can potentially be reduced through education and therapy.

Let’s begin this journey, this “Tending the Peace,” by being socially aware and responding to the needs of others in our community and taking the time to care for ourselves. Let us live compassion and empathy for others and “Love Life” today!