A San Quentin resident finds redemption and a second chance at freedom after serving decades behind bars for the killing of a rival gang member.

Tommy Wickerd, 58, paroled on July 15, 2025, after serving 23 years of incarceration. He left behind a legacy of what it looks like to take full accountability for his actions and pursue a successful journey to rehabilitation.

“Coming to terms with what I had done and realizing how many people I hurt was the turning point in my life,” Wickerd said. “I was sick of getting caught up in the hate and the violence that comes with gang and prison politic culture; it was time to make a change.”

Convicted of manslaughter, Wickerd was sentenced to 56 years of incarceration. Reflecting back on his destructive behavior, he fostered a need within himself to take a different path.

He left behind his old ignorant thinking of white supremacist beliefs as Wickerd started to break down racial divides by treating everybody as equals. He said being mindful of others opened up a path of hope and his ability to see a way to a better life.

“We are all human beings and we are stronger together,” Wickerd said. “Growth begins by being vulnerable, sharing our lived experiences, and taking full accountability for our actions.” 

Gaining awareness of the ripple effect of his crime impacted him tremendously; Wickerd began to turn his insight into action.

The impact of his own adverse childhood trauma gave him insight into victim impact, and learning the character defects of his behavior gave him the ability to reconcile with his past.

“Nobody can start to heal until we are open and honest about what we have done,” Wickerd said.

Wickerd said that by following the path of redemption in making amends to those he has harmed, he now lives his life being of service to others. He has set a goal of becoming a mentor and teaching at-risk youth offenders about making positive life choices.

He spent 10 years at CSP-Lancaster, a Progressive Program Facility, during which time he attended self-help groups and education programs.

He took the next step toward rehabilitation by transferring to San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, where he arrived in 2015 and began to make big strides within the community.

Wickerd continued his pursuit of a higher education and received his GED in 2016. He joined the SQ 1000 Mile Running Club and three years later became the club’s president.

He said that being a part of the running community opened doors and created relationships that gave his life a new perspective.

“Running is a great equalizer,” Wickerd said. “I’ve run with people from the Governor’s office, ex-gang members, attorneys, doctors, professional athletes.”

As a member of the club, he ran more than 11,000 miles. Then Wickerd refocused his energy on one of his greatest passions: bridging the gap between the hearing impaired incarcerated population and correctional officers.

“My older brother is deaf,” Wickerd said, “The need for me to communicate with him motivated me to learn how to sign.”

Wickerd was the first incarcerated person to be hired by SQRC as a sign language interpreter under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Having empathy for those with the same disability as his brother, he recognized a need to teach others to sign within the facility.

Helping others is part of his living amends and fostered his idea of creating an ASL program inside the prison.

In June 2019, he learned that deaf residents would be arriving soon at San Quentin and he felt a duty to create an ASL class.

Through his leadership, hundreds of participants have graduated from the ASL class he helped to create. Some of the graduates have since became volunteers and compensated interpreters at the prison.

He then wrote a curriculum that expanded the program by creating a community-wide “Green and Blue American Sign Language class.”

These classes furthered the realization of his dream that took seven years to accomplish. Wickerd’s efforts to alleviate language barriers between the hearing and hearing impaired within the SQRC community were successful.

Associate Warden Ponce said that it’s important to provide inclusion for the entire community.

“It’s great that we have this program available,” said Ponce. “I encourage everybody to take the opportunity to learn new ways to communicate with each other.”

Through Wickerd’s accountability and service, a Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said, decisions to resentence a person should never be taken lightly. They require careful review of the totality of the circumstances.

“In this case, Mr. Wickard has been a model prisoner who changed the course of his life by walking on a path of redemption,” Hochman said.

Wickard said his journey began back in 2003 when was sentenced and realized that his earliest possible release date was in 2056.

Wickerd figured he was never going home, so he decided to spend his days making amends to all those he had hurt. His ability to follow a new path has led to his freedom.

“When I die I don’t want to be remembered for the man I was,” Wickerd said. “I want to be remembered for the man I became.”