Dear Kid CAT,
I have been incarcerated for almost 10 years, since I was 21, with a 16-year and eight-month sentence. On Sept. 3, 2007, I accidentally shot and killed my little brother, Noah, playing with a sawed-off shotgun. SB 261 has brought a lot of light to people in my situation, as well as others, such as those under SB 260.
Not a night, day, hour, minute or second goes by that I do not think about my little brother and what I’ve done to my family. I have lost a lot throughout the years, hope and all. People, family, friends and those who I thought were real have turned their backs on me. At least it feels that way. I never thought this would be me and my life! I am truly sorry for what I have done, and I regret it. To this very day, I shed tears.
I still struggle every day, and like others I only wish that the criminal system/CDCR would help us more and rehabilitate us better, give us a real hope instead of just bringing us down and knocking us down and keeping us down, like those who don’t know what it’s like to be in our shoes. As humans we deserve second chances!
Christopher Lee Seamster
