At the age of 17, I was arrested and charged as an adult, with first degree murder.  I took a plea for second degree murder. The first time I stepped foot on a prison yard was in 2015, at the age of 18, after spending 432 days in custody, starting on Jan 5, 2014.  From the day of my arrest I have sat and reflected on the split decision that cost, not one but two lives. (the victims and mine) As well as negatively touching countless lives.  I've reflected on every aspect of my life, every poor decision, every instance I've allowed myself to be a "victim of circumstance", and I've realized that the way my life was going, could have in fact been different. 

 

At my sentencing, my attorney, Jennifer Jones, through tear filled eyes, asked to not allow me a second chance, but to allow me a first chance.  With this, I agreed because a chance is given after one becomes aware of the expectation of themselves.  I was removed from society for 10 long painful years, grinding daily to go past the bar given of a normal human in society; I chose to chase excellence.

Now as a 27 year old, I ask for that second chance, I have given my all to reaching the goal of becoming an excellent human.  I have taken countless classes, and programs, volunteered my time to bettering the lives of others as well as dedicating my life to preserving the betterment of everything; there is no such thing as a day off.  And yes, I understand that there is nothing I can do to even remotely "make up" for the life I took, and that's why I agreed to the plea that disqualified me from the "Youthful Offender's System (Y.O.S).  I did this because I didn't believe 8 years would have been enough time to reach my goal I set out to accomplish and be released (without limit) back into society; I was right.  Excellence is chased daily and for one to obtain this one must give their entirety.  Now after giving my entirety for 10 years I believe I am ready to be allowed the next step to full release; the next step is to have my sentence commuted to a halfway house, be put on an ankle monitor within society, or to reduce my sentence to a more feasible number of 20 years with a chance to be paroled immediately.  I understand that in the past this has been a gamble, there is alot at stake and I will forever be under a microscope, but understand me this is what I want. I want to be the underdog, I want to prove the world wrong about juveniles convicted of serious crimes.  I want that microscope to magnify my success in the pursuit of excellence.  This will impact the way we view juveniles, that are once convicted as adults and are doing serious time, open up options to criminals and will allow others like me to be considered for a chance to do what I'm looking to do; make the world excellent.

Society is stunted enough and to continue to allow people who have made an 180 (especially those who make this turn at such a young age} to sit on the sidelines furthers is from switching to forward instead of reverse.  Our time act is now.  No longer can we sit idle by, please allow me to make the world excellent.