Hello and greetings to everyone who took the time to read this relevant request. This is a personal and emotional letter being conveyed and shared of a man who strived on taken control of his life under the harsh conditions of living in prison for twenty-five years now. Who has since became a better man, brother, father, grandfather, uncle, friend and beacon of hope for all who believe in him and his change.
The name of this man I speak of is; Mr. Donnell S. Shelton. Unfortunately like many urban community children, Mr. Shelton was a young misguided kid completely ignorant about the alluring street life. Despite his great parents he had that worked hard to take care of him and guide him in the right directions in life. Mr. Shelton thought that being in negative crowds were a normal way of living in the neighborhoods of New York an began acting out of ignorance. He was arrested at the tender age of twenty years young for the crime of second degree murder seeking revenge against a rival drug dealer, who put a nine millimeter hand gun to his head and robbed him in the city of, Schenectady New York in the year 1996. He was also charged in a separate case of attempt murder when another rival drug dealer attempted to take his life to have control of a over lapping drug infested area.

Mr. Shelton was never a career criminal with an extensive criminal record of state convictions. He was just another young soul who made very bad decisions that affected him dramatically and the people he hurt whether they were family or not. As time went by and he grew older he decided to take charge of his life and reflect on his thousand mile journey. Becoming someone he thought he could never become, a real man.

In the course of his twenty-five years of a thirty-two to life sentence for all his convictions Mr. Shelton has went forward educating himself and achieving his high school equivalency diploma. From there Mr. Shelton enrolled in a volunteer alternative to violence course, an aggressive replacement training course, as well as a volunteer program related to alcohol and substance abuse. He received his New York State food/kitchen worker certificate and learned basic skills of facility maintenance plumbing. Mr. Shelton also went further to complete the PROJECT BUILD ORGANIZATION AND EXODUS TRANSITIONAL COMMUNITY RE-ENTRY AND RE-SOCIALIZATION PROGRAM.

I believe these achievements are testaments of the beginning of Mr. Sheltons untapped potential as something tangible that he, his family, his children and friends can be proud of. With all he’s learned an achieved he has high aspirations to speak with inner city and suburban youth about the importance of life, work ethics, family ties and proper education. I visit him weekly, yearly and speak to him frequently by phone. I can see, hear and feel his remorse and regrets of his shameful past. He has realized the ripple affect he has left on the victims family along with his family that will take a lifetime to repair.

I ask on behalf of Mr. Donnell S. Shelton that you all sincerely assist him in obtaining his freedom in the form of a request for clemency time computation of his sentence granting his admittedly release through the parole board. Let’s get these signatures to help bring him home to be an asset to society and his family. A second chance can only be obtained by the ones who give it. If anyone would like to contact him, his address is; Donnell Shelton DIN 98A5515, Green Haven Correctional Facility, Stormville N.Y. 12582.