When inmates discuss the conditions of their confinement, it always appears they are simply complaining. Some people would tell them “not to come to prison, and they would not have anything to complain about”. Truth is, they have more to complain about than they should. The quality and content of the food, health care, recreation and library being closed far too often, the way big business exploits inmates and their families, and the way most staff treat us as throw away humans. I am sure there are many other issues I could list here, but that is not the purpose of this post. In fact, I do not want to sound like I am complaining about anything. Rather, I want to talk about some of the positive things that happen in prison. More to the point, I want to express my gratitude toward the individuals who have helped me over the years.
The first people I want to recognize are the members of my family who have stuck by me over the years. To give some perspective, my mother had once said that if she believed I had committed the crimes for which I am incarcerated, I would have had to deal with this on my own. Having them believe in me means a great deal to me. My mother, sister, several of my aunts, and cousins have all expressed their belief in my innocence. Not because they know and love me, but because of what the evidence says.
There are some staff, although few and far between, that go out of their way to help inmates. They seem to realize that normalcy in our daily lives prepares us for life outside of prison. These staff should be commended and recognized. These individuals try to help inmates with their education, religious practices, and other programs that inmates would use when they return home. Such staff should be promoted among the ranks, but they are often treated as outcasts.
I have also had the pleasure of getting to know some great prisoner advocates. The one who has helped me the longest lives in Germany and his name is Franz Kurz. Sadly, there is only so much he can do from across the pond. He has helped me find other resources and advocates and has given me some good contacts. These resources led me to an organization the National Center for Reason and Justice, which many of you already know was created and directed by Bob Chatelle. [Note: While Bob was one of the founders, and serves as Executive Director, he is neither an officer nor member of the governing board.] He is among the few who believed in my innocence after hearing my story, and he began to help me in a lot of ways. Franz also got me my first blog talk radio interview with the New Vision Organization founded by Leonna Brandao. The first time I was ever able to tell my story to the public.
Bob created another website for me, and then had some of his advocate friends look at it. A few donated funds to my legal defense and began to contact me through JPay. One such person is a former attorney living in Canada by the name Louis Piccone. He wrote an opinion on my case that for the first time in 23 years showed an attorney who understood everything I had been saying all that time.
I was put in contact with a group here in Ohio called Ensuring Parole for Incarcerated Citizens (EPIC). I began conversing with one of their board members, and it was apparent she believed in my innocence as well.
Each of these people have helped me in ways I am still not fully aware of. I want to thank each of them, and to let them know how valuable their work is to someone like me. It provides a degree of hope my family and I have not had in many years. Personally, having a stranger read your story and express belief in your innocence is something that I cannot describe. Thank every one of you!
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