After 38 years of incarceration, John was given a second chance at life, and is joyfully celebrating his freedom with his fiancé and family.
For John, growing up wasn’t always easy, moving in with his step grandparents after being abused by his father. He didn’t have too many rules, as a result, he became a miniature adult very young. Often taking care of himself, he described himself as self-centered and hard-headed. While he was an introvert, he started doing drugs, skipping school, and hanging out with older people. At 15 years old, it all came to a head when he was arrested, charged with murder, and given a life sentence plus 20 years.
But in 1986, John was one of the few incarcerated people who had access to therapy, through the programming at Patuxent Institution. There, he had individual therapy twice a week, and group therapy once a week. He was finally able to see that he had “encased himself in bricks”. In order to heal himself, he had to look at each brick individually, and answer questions like “Was I the victim?” “How did this contribute to my crime?” and “How can I change this?”. Through this process, and over the next 38 years in prison, John learned him to not act impulsively. He received only 4 minor infractions during his entire incarceration.
Even given his record, John still was denied parole multiple times. Finally, in 2020, the parole board approved him for parole, but because he had a life sentence, his parole also had to be approved by the governor. While in the hospital with COVID, feeling he was on his deathbed, John was denied parole by the governor.
Then, in 2021, something unexpected happened, and the legislature removed the governor from the parole process for lifers. With this change, on June 12 of 2022, John was approved for 6 month delayed release. After 38 years, he would be coming home.
Now that he’s home, John is finding joy in the everyday things; working at a bakery, being able to buy his fiancée a ring, spending time with the grandkids, working on getting his license and his passport so he can go to the Bahamas. He’s finally learning how to do things as an adult in the free world. He even is excited about getting to file his taxes this year, for the first time ever. And he’s still doing “kingdom business” as he puts it, preaching on the outside just like he did in prison and trying to give back to society however he can.
For John, he knows it should not have taken this long for him to come home. John had demonstrated his rehabilitation 20 years after being incarcerated, but it took him 38 until he finally got his second chance.
For John, growing up wasn’t always easy, moving in with his step grandparents after being abused by his father. He didn’t have too many rules, as a result, he became a miniature adult very young. Often taking care of himself, he described himself as self-centered and hard-headed. While he was an introvert, he started doing drugs, skipping school, and hanging out with older people. At 15 years old, it all came to a head when he was arrested, charged with murder, and given a life sentence plus 20 years.
But in 1986, John was one of the few incarcerated people who had access to therapy, through the programming at Patuxent Institution. There, he had individual therapy twice a week, and group therapy once a week. He was finally able to see that he had “encased himself in bricks”. In order to heal himself, he had to look at each brick individually, and answer questions like “Was I the victim?” “How did this contribute to my crime?” and “How can I change this?”. Through this process, and over the next 38 years in prison, John learned him to not act impulsively. He received only 4 minor infractions during his entire incarceration.
Even given his record, John still was denied parole multiple times. Finally, in 2020, the parole board approved him for parole, but because he had a life sentence, his parole also had to be approved by the governor. While in the hospital with COVID, feeling he was on his deathbed, John was denied parole by the governor.
Then, in 2021, something unexpected happened, and the legislature removed the governor from the parole process for lifers. With this change, on June 12 of 2022, John was approved for 6 month delayed release. After 38 years, he would be coming home.
Now that he’s home, John is finding joy in the everyday things; working at a bakery, being able to buy his fiancée a ring, spending time with the grandkids, working on getting his license and his passport so he can go to the Bahamas. He’s finally learning how to do things as an adult in the free world. He even is excited about getting to file his taxes this year, for the first time ever. And he’s still doing “kingdom business” as he puts it, preaching on the outside just like he did in prison and trying to give back to society however he can.
For John, he knows it should not have taken this long for him to come home. John had demonstrated his rehabilitation 20 years after being incarcerated, but it took him 38 until he finally got his second chance.