Spending almost half of my life behind bars, for a crime I committed as a teenager, has changed me. In some ways, I’ve changed for the better and in other ways I have changed for the worse. I went through periods where I have felt the whole world was against me.
At times, I gave little thought to the communities I harmed; I certainly did not identify as a member of that community. Today I do identify as a member of California’s greater community. I know that many other fellow youthful offenders also identify with this community and want to make it safer.
As I consider the strides California has made toward smarter, more effective consequences for youth who cause harm, I still feel sorrow for those who have served their entire adult lives behind bars. Many of them entered the criminal justice system in early youth — some as young as 14. They knew that no matter what they did to change their life, or how remorseful they were for their actions, they had no chance of outliving life sentences. Those sentences could range into a half-century or longer. There was no avenue for redemption or possibility of ever earning release. I know this has changed them too.
Inside of prisons, many of these former youth are now adults who reflect the belief of policy- makers that youthful offenders can rehabilitate, and deserve an opportunity to have hope and a future. Many of these youthful offenders earned college degrees in prison and are leaders in creating self-help programs and facilitating programs that help peers change their lives. For many, this is their way of giving back and making amends.
Legislative changes are providing hope for many of these prisoners facing the otherwise hopeless, desperate conditions of serving life sentences. The backbone of legislative change is public recognition that youthful offenders can be rehabilitated, and deserve an opportunity to parole.
Several organizations and legislators have worked tirelessly in that effort. They include Human Rights Watch, Elizabeth Calvin, Alison Parker, state Sen. Loni Hancock and Assemblyman Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica. They helped pass SB9, SB260, SB261 and AB1276.
Some of the thinking behind California’s innovations has spread throughout the nation. The legislation in California has chipped away at the idea that youth have no capacity to be anything else in life beyond their own worst mistake — that they deserve nothing else but to grow up and die in prison. California continues to pave the way and, as an adult and as someone who badly wishes to help youth in my state, I think we cannot act quickly enough. Apparently Gov. Jerry Brown thinks so too. He recently endorsed a measure that would take the decision to try juveniles as adults out of the hands of prosecutors and leave it to the judge’s discretion. If the judge does decide to prosecute the youth offender as an adult, he must state the reasons for his decision.
Gov. Brown and the organizations and citizens who successfully lobbied for legislation that changed the sentencing structure for youthful offenders — who committed their crimes before their brains were fully developed — are giving these offenders hope … Hope that we can be redeemed in societies’ eyes.
Looking back on my life, I am filled with regret for those decisions I made in my youth. Many other individuals in my shoes feel the same regrets. We are thankful for the people who support us in our efforts to redeem ourselves, and for all of those who are fighting to give our state’s young people better opportunities.
