Hi!! I am Kyra, and I am submitting this petition for the purpose(s) of publicizing my soon to be husband Gerald's story, due to his upcoming parole hearing which will be in September or October of 2025. 

Gerald is a wonderful man. He made me believe in love, loyalty, trust and commitment, all the the things that I had given up on. He helped me view things in a different light, a much better light, and because of him I believe in PEOPLE in general. In return I gave him all those things and much more. 

Gerald has had it rough his entire life, from physical, emotional and even sexual abuse since he was very young. He has dealt with mental illnesses, and issues with abandonment; sleeping in laundry rooms at 15 when he should have been inside a loving home. He has slept in abandoned buildings/houses, doing anything he could do to get food and just survive to the next day. 

Gerald had nothing to live for.

Gerald eventually committed a horrendous crime that landed him in prison for a term of 18 years to life when he was 19 years old. He'll be 37 in March. He was one of the worse inmates in prison. He was angry. He was alone. He was afraid. He didn't care. Until 2018 when he was assaulted for two consecutive days by multiple prison guards. They handcuffed him and beat him senseless while hurling racial slurs such as 'monkey' and n*gger.

Then they threw him in a cell and made him sleep on steel refusing to give him a mattress. He was laying on the cold floor, bleeding and crying and he prayed. 
He prayed to God. He wanted a different life. He wanted to be a much better person. A much better human being. And his life drastically changed. He vowed to get his life together, and take accountability for his crimes and actions. He reached out to the school districts in hopes of getting acquainted for the purpose of speaking to the troubled youth, because he was a troubled kid himself. He grew up in group homes between 10 and 14. He was on the streets his whole life. He knows what it's like to be young, angry, lost and misunderstood. Gerald has many aspirations in life. And he finally has the simple things in life that he never had. A family with me and "our two kids". He has love and affection and now he is asking you all to sign a petition to free him from prison on parole; to give him a second chance at life. To LIVE! I admire Gerald so much for his strength, for tackling his issues with abuse and abandonment which was the source of his anger. I admire his will to want to grow and evolve. The saddest and most heartfelt thing Gerald said to me was "I used to pray to God to not let me wake up. But now that I have you, I ask him to let me live". He told me I gave him a reason to want to live again. We need you all to stick up for Gerald. He deserves a second chance. To make amends; and to give back and be a productive member of society. Please sign this petition !!!
Thank you!!