Thank you for sharing your valuable time.  Hello, my name is Joseph Philip Navarrete. H-54194. I am 58 years old.  I have accountability, empathy and remorse. 

  First and foremost, I take full responsibility for my actions. I am deeply sorry for all the anguish I have caused the 2 men of my community.  I live with this heartache every day of my life.  I deeply regret my choices I made that day.  I am sincerely sorry. My prayers and offerings are always sent out every morning and evening for the 2 victims and all families involved.  I keep everyone I impacted close, in my daily thoughts and prayers. The year was 1994, I was addicted to drugs and alcohol. I was 26 years old when I made the worst choices of my life. 

To date, I have served 31 years in prison.  Costing the state over 2 million dollars.  I am sentenced to 2-Life Without the Possibility of Parole. 

As a child, I experienced many traumatic events. I am not making excuses, I just want you to know me and what lead me down the path I went. I am accountable for my own actions.  My father was an abusive, heroin addict and alcoholic. I constantly witness my father physically and verbally abuse my mother.  He only physically abused me and never my two other siblings. He hated me because I didn’t look like him, when in fact I look identical to my maternal grandfather.  I was the recipient and witnessed the violence, rejection, abandonment, all this abuse at the hands of my own father.  My father committed suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot wound, when I was 11 years old.  By the age of 14, I ran away from home.  I went to live with my older brother who was 16 years old.  He was in the mist of his addiction, that’s when I tried methamphetamine for the first time.  Two wild teenagers quickly headed down the road of drugs and alcohol. It didn’t take long before I started selling drugs to support my drug addiction.   That’s when my irrational choices lead me down the dark alleys.  I isolated myself from all my family and friends, because I was a disappointment in within myself. 

I am proud  to have overcome all those obstacles of addiction. I have come a long way from being that reckless young man in 1994.  I realized, if I had been sober to begin with none of this would have happened.  In 1996, I dedicated my life to sobriety.  I just had to keep learning and growing to be a better person each day.  I can think and see so much clearer making better choices.  I am a humble man and have dedicated myself to our native ways and be a positive ELDER role model, not just for myself, but for all those around me, friends, Correctional officers and family.

I have many support letters from long-term staff, facilitators, friends, family and Correctional officers. They all witnessed the accountability and maturity taking place over the years.  I started out as an angry addicted young man with a 26-year-old chip on my shoulder.  I have worked hard on my self and am proud that I have become the positive elder to fellow brothers in here. I am now 58 years old and I have 29  years into my sobriety. I facilitate the Native American Sacred Sweat Ceremonies.  I am honored to facilitate sacred ceremonial prayers for 29 years.  Through prayer I have found my purpose.  During this process, I have grown spiritually, physically and mentally. (A person who facilitates sweat lodge ceremonies is requires to be in total sobriety).

2013, when I was moved to CSP- Sacramento is where I was offered rehabilitation classes. I signed up for education and self help classes. By 2016 I was an active lead participant as chair, secretary and facilitator 4 days a week in Alcoholics anonymous and two separate Narcotics anonymous meetings, anger mgmt favilitatir, Parole Prep facilitator. I have been working as a tutor in education, assisting/clerk for the last 11 years.  I am proud to say I have many job offers due to my work ethics.   I have many, many self help certificates. In years past I worked in the kitchen as the lead and have a “detailed laudatory chrono - based on a state audit which our kitchen given the highest merit in the state of California” from Sgt. Casillas.  I have many laudatory chronos from many Correctional Officers, many free staff, non profit organizations, friends and family.  

I worked really hard with working around my dyslexia. I graduated with my diploma. I am proud to share that I am a college student working towards my AA.    I am really proud of all the accomplishments I have completed. It would be my honor to detour the next generation from making the same mistakes I made. It is time to heal our communities, break the cycle of hurt and pain regain hope and love in humanity. 

 Now, with all the laws changing I don’t see this CDCR as my cement coffin anymore.  Now, I see it as an opportunity for complete transformation to freedom. I will continue to learn and grow, until I can get the chance to work with at risk youth.  I intend on being a positive role model for my family and especially my grandchildren, since I failed my sons.   I would love the opportunity to care for my wife as her health has been declining.  I anticipate joining DROPLWOP and Initiate Justice while advocating for criminal justice reform.  These are my future goals to begin the rest of my journey.  I hope and pray to be blessed by commutation and/or be allowed the opportunity to prove my rehabilitation and meet with the board of parole commissioners.   

I will be fully supported by my wife and our families and many friends and many non profit organizations.  I have a complete support system when I return home.  Yolanda was my childhood girlfriend.  It was over the last 13 years, she has been able to help soften my heart to love again.  She has taught me how to love and have hope. We married 7/2019 and upon my anticipated release, I will be fully insured with medical, dental, mental, vision, legal aid services.    I have two jobs awaiting for me.  I have many support letter on file. 

 I’ve been praying for an opportunity to show my rehabilitation to the BPH commissioners. I will not do anything irrational to compromise my future freedom. I have been doing everything in my power for the last 3 decades to be a better person, friend, loved one, father,  brother, son, cousin, uncle and best grandfather I can be. I would love to meet my son face to face and 2 biological grandchildren and reunite with all the rest of my family. 

Thank you for your valuable time and consideration.  If you could please sign this petition in support of my commutation. I will forever be grateful and always keep you in my prayers.

Humbly,

Joseph Philip Navarrete H-54194