On August 20, 2005, just one day before his 19th birthday, Tufayl saw his last day of freedom. Just two months after graduating high school and being violently shot in his right arm (which is now handicapped), he found out that he was expecting his first child. He was incarcerated. 

Our friend, collaborator, and champion Tufayl has been incarcerated for 17 years. He was convicted of first-degree manslaughter and sentenced to 22 years in prison. Due to mandatory minimum sentencing, Tufayl was told he would have to serve at least 18 years, 8 months, and 11 days behind prison walls before being released back into his community. He has now served almost 15 years. He has started a family, contributed to his community on the inside & the outside, and is ready to get out and rejoin his loved ones.

Youthful Offender Status and Health Concerns

Tufayl was 18 years old at the time he committed his crime. According to NJ State Law A4373, he is considered a youthful offender and should be eligible for re-sentencing. He has served his entire adult life inside.
In June of 2020, Tufayl filed for medical release due to Covid-19 since he was on the list of the CDC's vulnerable populations. Tufayl suffers from severe asthma, high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, and rapidly declining eyesight. However, his petition was denied due to his current sentence structure under the N.E.R.A. (No Early Release Act), which makes him ineligible for release until 2023. Earlier this year, Tufayl contracted COVID which he thankfully survived, but the experience was very painful. His only way out before 2023 is through the governor granting his petition for clemency.

Accountability & Community Investment

Tufayl feels strong remorse for the crime he committed, and has taken every opportunity to improve himself while in prison. In his own words, Tufayl says, "I am very remorseful for my crime and the pain that I have caused. I commit my life to the work of minimizing the violence in my community as well in the prisons. I am an active participant in Restorative Justice and plan to continue that work when released.”
Furthermore, since being incarcerated, he has made tremendous strides in changing his life and becoming a proactive member of his various communities. He has demonstrated this commitment with his actions:
- Tufayl has completed over 40+ Department of Corrections programs and volunteered for many position to help his community.
- Due to the lack of programming and employment opportunities for men 30 yrs old and younger, he founded a program titled "The Young Men's Committee" to give young men entering prison a space to be creative, promote program engagement, learn leadership skills and community engagement.
- Tufayl also worked with the prison's aging population as a "medical companion" for four and a half years in the prison infirmary. 
- Tufayl has been an active member in the Massachusetts based Restorative Justice program since 2013.
- Tufayl participated in the Boston University Prison Education Program and is now four credits away from obtaining his bachelors degree, the first in his family to graduate college.
- Tufayl served as Secretary of the African American Coalition Committee for three years, as well as the organization's department head for the Family/Community Reunification Initiative and coordinator of the Edutainment Department, where he facilitated events and used entertainment to educate its membership. 
- Tufayl participated as a speaker at the United States Black Congressional Caucus event in 2020 at MCI-Norfolk where he spoke on the need to re-enfranchise incarcerated people, and he co-wrote legislation in Massachusetts that impacted prisoner visitation.

To support: sign the petition, send a message to the governor, and share on social media!