I’m in prison for life:

I came to prison as a teenager for murder charges. I knew then I would never see the outside again. I would never see my family, have a wife, have kids of my own or have freedom.  At the time I really didn’t care. I was hooked on drugs and did what I wanted. There wasn’t a future  for me on the outside. On the inside I knew I could do whatever I wanted and get away with a lot of things. Having a murder charge puts you at the top of food chain if you know what I mean. A life sentence without the posibility of parole means you aren’t getting out at all. This is your life and home until the day you die.

My first few years:

Your few years in prison you learn a lot. You learn how to hustle, how to get what you want, how to pay guards to look the other way and how to live comfortably. I started selling drugs to amke money to support my mom because that’s my mom and I needed to make sure she would be ok. I knew rhat I would never be able to do anything for her on the outside because I was never getting out or so I thought. Shortly have that I had a child with one of the prison staff and my child shouldn’t pay for my mistakes so my money I was making would take of them as well,

Life in prison:

After awhile I started to educate myself. I figured I would get degrees. Education for inmates is free unless you take classes from colleges. So I took all the claasses that were free, then I started paying for college classes, I earned 5 degrees and was working on my 6th degree. Often I would help some of the other inmates  with their cases, financial advice, or just advice in general.

Law changed:

In 2020 the law changed and with this new law I am eligible for release from prison. The new laws states that anyone who went into prison as a minor can ask for Clemency, to see the Parole Board or to be Released. The law says that minors that have spent years in prison need to have a chance at a life in the outside world. So since I went in at the age of 14. I am eligible for this law. I recently got marreid to a staff from the prison so I can start a new life with my wife. Life is looking good!

I’m going home soon:

At this point I have been in prison for 30 years. My attorneys are working on getting me released, I have my child, my wife and I’m going home. I have 5 degrees so I can make money the right way on the outside everything is good until it isn’t. I’m not feeling well. I go to medical they tell me I’m fine go back to the unit. I do this several times. I’m going to medical for several months and they tell me I’m faking, I just want to get out of the unit so go back to the unit. Finally, one of the CO’s that knows me sees that I’m sick and tells the medical attention.

Everything changed in an instant:

Finally I get to go the hospital because of my leg being so swollen with a blood clot that the medical staff didn’t have a choice they had to send me to the hospital. At the hospital, they told me that I had cancer and the cancer had spread all over my whole body. If I had come in months ealier, I may have had years to live not months. The hospital can’t help much, but give me blood thinners and tell me to walk around hoping the blood clot will move to another part of my body. Back to prison I go.

My final days:

I am granted release, I will be home in a few weeks. I walk the yard day after day for two weeks I didn’t know those would be my final days.  I didn’t know I would have to die to be free.