Before coming to prison, I was a good guy in search of a future to guide me away from the trauma of living in a drug addicted home environment. My neighborhood is a place very well known by the city for its thuggery, drug infested nature, and violence, which was the real reality of my life growing up. I grew up in a home with three sisters and two brothers, along with their six children. I'm the youngest brother, which made me the babysitter/fake dad. I quit my carpentry and masonry training center classes to help provide for my nieces and nephews at about 15, so they would not go to a shelter. Each of their parents were crack addicts on the verge of losing their kids. I done side jobs at a bargaining stores, cleaning up at Lenny's barber shop and repairing tires at Junior's car shop. Some of my dearest experiences came from the garage job I had. The owner was also a professional race car driver, and when he traveled to distant areas, he always had me in tow. But later on, to provide for my family, I also started robbing addicts with other adult addicts.
I was the kid who would cut your grass, shovel your snow, wash your car for a couple dollars, a good person. Until the day my role model got shot up in front of me, 27 times, by some masked men. I'm not sure how much mental damage it caused me, but one thing it changed was my fear to survive. I've saw so many young lives lost, I thought my lifespan would only be 25 years young, because all the guys was always 25 or under when they was killed. I saw my mother fold into pieces when my brother was shot up and almost murdered in our home. Since then, I became mean, because I never wanted to see my mother become that broken, soulless woman, no more.
One thing that was always true, was that I'm all about that family life. My daughter is the best thing that happened to me, but I never had the opportunity to do simply things with her, like walk her to a store. I was 19 years young when I was given two life sentences plus 20 years.
From a man who has been down 27 years for an honest mistake at age 19, I want to extend my dearest apology and prayers of forgiveness to the mother and family of the victim. It's a desire of mine to one day be blessed enough to sit in their presence and truly show her the respect I have for her. I want to explain any questions she may ask of me honestly and genuinely. I wish I could have done better at life so we would have never come across each other’s paths. Wherever you are, I am hoping in my heart that you could recover from the sorrow and pain I caused you. I truly apologize to you for the death of your son.
In my 27 years behind bars, I've made some positive decisions from the very start. I became more patient and have educated myself by reading self-help books and attended programs. I also got my GED completed and I've matured a great extent. When I come home, I want to get hitched to my special lady and finally get to spend a lot of time with my mother, daughter and family. Career wise, I’d like to work in carpentry and painting, and to volunteer helping youth involved in the system.
I've been down since I was a young teen. The Second Look Act is something I wish, hope and pray for each day. This bill is more than just a bill, it's a new life start.
I was the kid who would cut your grass, shovel your snow, wash your car for a couple dollars, a good person. Until the day my role model got shot up in front of me, 27 times, by some masked men. I'm not sure how much mental damage it caused me, but one thing it changed was my fear to survive. I've saw so many young lives lost, I thought my lifespan would only be 25 years young, because all the guys was always 25 or under when they was killed. I saw my mother fold into pieces when my brother was shot up and almost murdered in our home. Since then, I became mean, because I never wanted to see my mother become that broken, soulless woman, no more.
One thing that was always true, was that I'm all about that family life. My daughter is the best thing that happened to me, but I never had the opportunity to do simply things with her, like walk her to a store. I was 19 years young when I was given two life sentences plus 20 years.
From a man who has been down 27 years for an honest mistake at age 19, I want to extend my dearest apology and prayers of forgiveness to the mother and family of the victim. It's a desire of mine to one day be blessed enough to sit in their presence and truly show her the respect I have for her. I want to explain any questions she may ask of me honestly and genuinely. I wish I could have done better at life so we would have never come across each other’s paths. Wherever you are, I am hoping in my heart that you could recover from the sorrow and pain I caused you. I truly apologize to you for the death of your son.
In my 27 years behind bars, I've made some positive decisions from the very start. I became more patient and have educated myself by reading self-help books and attended programs. I also got my GED completed and I've matured a great extent. When I come home, I want to get hitched to my special lady and finally get to spend a lot of time with my mother, daughter and family. Career wise, I’d like to work in carpentry and painting, and to volunteer helping youth involved in the system.
I've been down since I was a young teen. The Second Look Act is something I wish, hope and pray for each day. This bill is more than just a bill, it's a new life start.