My name is Darnell Washington. I am 54 years old and I have served 23 years on a 35 to life sentence for murder. I am deeply remorseful and I take full responsibility for my actions. This is something I carry on my heart and I will live the rest of my life making amends. During my incarceration, I have received over 80 certificates and chronos for participating in self-help programs. These programs deal with substance abuse, victim awareness, anger management, Guiding Rage Into Power (GRIP), domestic violence, Criminal and Gang Member Anonymous (CGA), Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and my two favorite social justice groups - Restorative Justice and Coalition for Justice. I am also a part of a group called Brother's Keeper's as a crisis counselor for fellow inmates, as well as an educator for the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) for 5 years. As a PREA educator, I inform new arrivals on the definition of sexual assault and the process of reporting such assault. One of my biggest accomplishments while incarcerated was presenting a TEDx talk which can be found on YouTube at TEDx Darnell Washington titled, "The Power of When." I have support from my family, church and Buddhist community, and I pray that I will gain additional support from you. Thank you for giving me a chance to make amends to my community and to society as a whole.