A letter from the Board of Parole Hearings saying, “The decision to deny your release has been vacated and your release approved,” was how Kacy Lloyd heard the good news.
“I was elated. I couldn’t even read the paper; I thought it said the wrong thing. I had to have a neighbor read it to me,” said Lloyd.
Lloyd is a non-violent second-striker who has been eligible for parole since a federal court ordered the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to start considering men in his category for release on Jan. 1, 2015.
It wasn’t until March 13 that the classification committee reviewed his case. They determined Lloyd met the criteria for relief and his file was sent to the board for review—without him being present, which is part of the new process for non-violent second strikers (NVSS).
The BPH denied Lloyd release on April 30 based on its erroneous finding that he had 10 prior felony convictions, according to a BPH 1047 form. However, in reality, Lloyd had four priors.
“It felt like a door collapsed on me. After doing all the work that I had done, I wondered what else could I do to be considered a candidate?” said Lloyd.
He has completed several self-help groups and vocational programs.
He didn’t know what the appeal process was for a second-striker board decision, which is different from regular lifer parole hearings.
Lloyd says he wrote a letter to Jennifer Shaffer, the head of BPH, expressing that he shouldn’t have been denied parole based on the period before he was rehabilitated and that the denial was based on inaccurate facts.
Finding there was a mistake of fact, a new non-violent second-striker hearing was held on Sept. 11 and relief was granted.
“I feel like somebody really took the time to look into what was going on and I feel vindicated and exonerated,” said Lloyd. “I was accused of having all these felonies and I knew it wasn’t true. I was happy someone impartial stepped up.”
 

|“He didn’t know what the appeal process was for a second-striker board decision”|

 
The San Quentin News published a story about Lloyd’s board denial in its September edition.
Lloyd credits Tony Bebee, principal of the S.Q. Education Department, for taking the time to help him get all his records scanned into his file so it would be there for the board’s second review.
Lloyd says he plans to stay out of prison.
“I’m a certified welder now. The first thing I’m doing is going back to my old job with my certifications,” said Lloyd. “I don’t see for myself anything other than working and having a family. When I was younger, I thought there was something out in the streets that I was missing, but it was just a lot of hype. Hype is only momentary.”
He believes that every group he completed will help him on the outside, saying, “The pieces added up from each group I’ve taken.”