The family and friends of Delroy Thorpe Jr. humbly ask for your support in petitioning New York State Governor Kathy Hochul for Executive Clemency. He has been incarcerated for the past 28 years based upon his conviction for murder in the second degree and robbery in the first degree (and other underlying charges). He was sentenced to a prison term of 33 years to life. Delroy maintains his innocence from his arrest, during trial, and in all of his unsuccessful appeal efforts.

Here is Delroy in his own words:

"Even though I did not commit the crimes for which I was convicted of, I have, and continue to, serve my prison term with dignity and in service to others.

"I have held the position of head administrative clerk in the facility law library; I am the vice president of PACT (Project for a Calculated Transition); I am the Director for YAP (Youth Assistance Program); the facilitator trainer for PACE (Peers for AIDS Counseling and Education); and on track to acquiring an associate degree in May 2025. My passion lies in helping others to educate and improve themselves. I Continue on a path of self-improvement with the awareness that it is a continuum: one can always finds ways to improve oneself.

"I used my prison sentence to change my thinking, behavior, habits, and, ultimately, my life. Born in September of 1977, I was an impulsive 18-year-old seeking to belong somewhere at the time of my arrest. I was a follower. Even though I was not involved in the crimes that took place, from the time the cell gate was locked on day one, I made a promise to myself to change my life.

"Today, I am a proud husband, father, brother, uncle, son, and son-in-law. I am proud to have the full and unwavering support of my family - both in the United States and Jamaica. I am dedicated to being all I can be in support of them and have not allowed the time, distance, or prison walls, to be an excuse to not be all I can be for my family.

"I moved to this country from Jamaica at the age of nine. After a rough adjustment phase, I found myself smoking weed, drinking, and cutting school. As I grew older, I got my life back on track, I earned my diploma and acceptance into DeVry University's inaugural class of 1996. Even though I had a job and was on my way to school, I still kept the same friends. My decision to spend the night hanging out rather than concentrating on a plan to transition to school cost me twenty-eight years of my life thus far.

"Becoming involved with prisoner-run programs has given me the platform to be a teacher and counselor. I joined PACE while in Shawangunk Correctional Facility in 2005. By the time I was transferred, I had become the resident co-coordinator. Under the PACE umbrella, I taught college-level classes to incarcerated individuals who sought to earn transferrable credits from a company named DANTES. While at Shawangunk, I was also a YAP facilitator.

"Unfortunately, the facilities I was previously housed in did not feature free college. At that time, we could not afford to enroll in correspondence programs. However, I maintained my position as a facilitator and study group leader for those men who were seeking associate or bachelor’s degrees.

"At the time of this writing, I am pursuing my own Associate Degree and planning to obtain a Bachelor's with an emphasis in business and paralegal studies, a Master’s in Business Administration, and a Law Degree. At some point I intend to use my education and experience to help relitigate and investigate my conviction.

"I am not proud of my actions or decisions during the early portions of my prison term. I do believe in full disclosure. I have received a total of thirteen misbehavior reports. Of that total, three have been for the highest level of infraction. I have not received a misbehavior report since 2012. My infractions are concentrated toward the beginning of my prison term and lessoned over the middle portion to being nonexistent now. These reports in no way define who I am today. They provide teachable moments that influence my actions and thought process.

 
"I strive to be a good example of a decent human being. I pursue my days as if I was in society with a full-time job and familial responsibilities. I study in the morning for school, work as a clerk in the days and then focus on the various volunteer organizations I am a part of in the evenings. Each day is filled with positive energy that allows me to be productive and aid others along their own journey

"Continuing to be an asset rather than a liability is my prevailing goal. Being a pillar in the foundation of our family rather than being a liability is something that I am very proud of. To date I have spent 28 years behind bars doing the hard work of becoming the best version of myself.

"At this point, I would like to ask for your support. My family and I are putting in a strong bid for Governor Hochul to grant us Executive Clemency. Below are four ways in which you can help.

1. Write a letter of assurance that you would hire, train or work with Delroy;

2. Write a general letter of support as to why you believe Delroy should receive a chance to live out the remainder of his life in society

3. Write a character reference based upon your experiences around or with Delroy (you are welcomed to incorporate any of the above in one writing) 

4. Simply sign the enclosed petition, change.org petition or comment on Delroy's Facebook page. Be sure to include how you came to know or are related to Delroy. Thank you so much."
 
Together, we can create a mosaic and deliver a composite of Delroy's past and present status and what the community projects his future to be. Please address all letters to Hon. Kathy Hochul, Executive Chamber, State Capitol, Albany, New York 12224.

Email a copy to Delroy's wife and Advocate Kenya Thorpe, Augustfirstlove@yahoo.com. Put "Clemency" in the subject box.