From the Tennessean:
As someone who spent 22 years in prison, I know first-hand that you are not the same person at sentencing that you are when you are released – and that there is too often not a path to have an excessive sentence reconsidered.
I was the first person released under the federal First Step Act, landmark federal legislation signed by President Trump.
When I started my 35-year prison sentence for selling drugs, I experienced a radical transformation by reading the Bible and becoming a Christian. I took every Bible study and educational class I could, became a tutor and then a law clerk, started serving others in prison, and didn’t receive a single disciplinary infraction.
In 2010, Congress passed legislation that reduced excessive sentences for drug offenses like mine, but those changes only impacted folks sentenced after the passage of that law. The First Step Act made those changes retroactive and made me eligible for release right away. Thankfully, I have led a purposeful, law-abiding life ever since. Continue reading >>>
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