My name is Kareem Davenport, a 27-year-old man who has been incarcerated since the age of 19, 8 years now for robbery.   I acknowledge my actions and take full responsibility for the harm I caused to another human being, but for the Grace of Almighty God my behavior could have ended taken a life and I could have lost mine.  I absolutely hurt the victim and his family.  I am deeply sorry for what I did. In addition, I am no longer that teenage boy who came to prison.  I have gotten the help i needed professionally and have did the hard work on myself mentally, emotionally, physically, academically, and spiritually. 

I have proven and shown over the years I have matured and I am rehabilitated and can positively re-enter society and become an upstanding citizen as a man with values, morals and principals and honor.

I have been published with The American Prison Writing Archive with John Hopkins University :

Please tap the link to read my article written by me in the  American Prison Writing Archive
https://prisonwitness.org/apwa-essay/hello-my-name-is-kareem-davenport/ 
 

This petition seeks to ask that you support my request for Early Release out of prison & Advocate for At-Risk Youth in Chicago.

My story starts much earlier, growing up on the South Side of Chicago. 

Raised by my great aunt and uncle, my mother's aunty in a two-parent household, with two hard working people. My biological mother and siblings has always been a part of my life as well..  I am the youngest of 9 ,(2) sisters (1) sister/cousin and (5) brothers.   I was just like any other teenager - I graduated high school and held a job since the age of 15. But beneath this normalcy lurked untreated mental health issues - ADHD as a child & PTSD - stemming from witnessing my uncle's murder as a young teenage boy.  

I suffered as a youth from PTSD & ADHD. I was an adopted child feeling broken from family trauma, personal trauma and enviromental community trauma.   I was hanging out with people who had the same illiness I had.  I was young confused, filled with anger and hate and lashing out violently all while untreated medically.  Unfortunately, many young people in my community share similar experiences. According to data from The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), more than two-thirds of children reported at least one traumatic event by age 16 and often lead to jail and prison incarceration.

I am not alone in my struggle with mental illness; many of my peers also grapple with these conditions due to environmental trauma. Without proper intervention or support systems, we often find ourselves spiraling out of control and doing time like me.  I have changed while in prison. I have completed college education: Paralegal Certificate, authored/copyright 3 books on Philosophy, Knowledge and Wisdom, wrote a Screen Play based on Black Families Love & Excellence.  I have strong family ties and support from friends.

I am deeply sorry for what I did.  In the prison environment it is extremely hard to rehabilitate yourself while surrounded by nothing but negative forces and violence.. Please sign this petition in support of releasing me early from prison. 

I have grown and matured.  I want to do all I can to help my generation and the next generation succeed and prevent them from going down the road i did; hurting someone else or themselves by going to prison.

It is my deepest wish and desire that  the youth receives comprehensive mental health services targeting at-risk youth within Chicago's Southside communities. We need programs that provide counseling services, trauma-informed care education for parents and teachers, as well as initiatives that promote positive coping mechanisms among our youth.efforts towards creating safer communities through proactive mental health interventions rather than punitive measures after-the-fact.By signing this petition you are supporting me to request to be released early from prison. 

Please sign this petition today;  and please advocate to work together towards fostering healthier environments for our future generations. Thank you

Sincerely Yours

Kareem Davenport