Was My 45-Year Prison Sentence Just?
As readers may know from my books and articles available at criminal-indictment.com, my position is that we could create a more effective system that better serves the needs of society if we created programs that encouraged prisoners to prepare for law-abiding lives upon release. Justice should not be determined with the initial sentence, but rather […]
Seduced by the Glamor of Cocaine, I Deserved a Prison Sentence
Prior to federal authorities opening a criminal case against me, I had never known anyone who had served time in prison. My parents reared my two sisters and me in a relatively affluent, north Seattle suburb. They were small business owners and provided every opportunity for success. I lacked the good judgment to appreciate all […]
A Long-term Prisoner’s Reaction to Bush’s Clemency Orders
As I sat watching the CNN broadcast on Monday evening, November 24, 2008, I read a streaming announcement on the bottom of the screen. President Bush had commuted the sentences of two federal prisoners and granted pardons to fourteen other people. Although that news should have filled me with optimism, I was filled with a […]
Why I Regret that I Sold Cocaine and Fought the Criminal Charges
When I was 21-years-old I joined a group of friends in a scheme to sell cocaine. That was a terrible decision that changed the course of my life. For nearly two years, I was deeply involved in setting up a network that transported the cocaine and distributed it through a supply chain. Those actions resulted […]
Prison Led me to Reflect, Repent, and Reform
My judge sentenced me to serve a 45-year prison term. That sanction at the age of 23 really woke me up. It helped me to understand that I had made some really bad choices as a younger man. I had to acknowledge my guilt. The decades that I would serve in prison gave me an […]