Jerry L. James is being held by the Virginia Department of Corrections at Deerfield Correctional Center. He has served 25 years of a 38-year sentence for (7) counts of Robbery, (7) counts of use of firearms in the commission of a felony and (1) count attempted robbery.  He will be celebrating  his 53rd birthday---that is 25 birthdays he was not able to celebrate with his family, his children, and his wife. He plead guilty to his crime at the advice of his attorney not knowing the judge that sentenced him would give him a 75-year sentence and then suspend 35 years as a first-time offender. Jerry is not violent and was not intending on hurting anyone--the weapon that was found in his vehicle was an unloaded bb gun. Jerry is not a person who has to be feared by society. If you were to meet him, you would know that he is a kind, loving and caring individual. He has never made excuses for his actions and fully accepts responsibility for what he did—bottom line he was in a bad place in life and simply wanted to end his life. His initial thoughts were to be killed by police—he never intended to harm or hurt anyone. Life had just beaten him down to the point where he wanted his life to end. Prior to the crimes, he had attempted to commit suicide.

Jerry could be found helping his uncle who was also formerly incarcerated—mentoring young men in the Virginia Beach area, prior to his arrest.  Jerry was big into sports in high school and even helped a local coach in training and teaching the youth in sports.  He worked timelessly to speak to young men about the importance of staying in school and off the streets.  Jerry unfortunately dropped out of school in the 11th grade to marry an older woman whom he was in a relationship.  He is the son of a local community church Bishop and was very active in church. Jerry was the drummer at his father’s church and directed the choir which consisted of his siblings and other church members.  Since being in the system, Jerry completed his GED, even graduating as valedictorian of his class. While at Augusta Correctional, he started a bible study mentoring group to help young men entering the system handle being incarcerated. Jerry attends Bible Message College based in Jacksonville, Florida where he is finishing his Associates degree in Biblical Studies.  He has completed all the VADOC classes such as: Thinking for a Change, Breaking Barriers, Anger Management and Narcotics/Alcohol Anonymous.  Jerry also took numerous courses for janitorial/cleaning services to gain usable skills upon his release.  He earned several certificates from these courses to help him establish his own cleaning business upon release.  He has been rehabilitated and wants to come home to be with his family and be productive in society.    

If it were not for the extensive time remaining to serve, he would be eligible to be housed at a Level 1 facility. He has been classified a Level 1 for the past 12 years—which means he has remained infraction free for over 15 years.  When he arrived at Deerfield Correctional in 2017, he was immediately liked by the administrative office. Jerry has been well respected amongst staff during his entire sentence. He has been commended for being respectful and helpful—this demeanor has allowed him the opportunity to work in the front offices amongst the administrative staff.  Not everyone can be trusted to work in the front office, but Jerry is liked by all and works closely with the Assistant Warden.  He also uses his time in the front office to advocate for better programs for the inmates. For example, he recently got the compound to approve additional recreation time and assisted with laying out the consequences if rules are broken. We submitted a conditional pardon packet in February 2020 to Governor Ralph Northam, asking that Jerry James be released. Jerry acknowledges that he deserved to be punished for his crimes; however, the punishment he got does not fit the crime.  Jerry has learned from his mistakes.  He is fully ready to return to society and work towards achieving the goals he has set for himself.

As a 28-year-old man, beaten down, broken, failed marriage, bad relationship and mindset--Jerry just wanted to die. He had given up and lost hope for living. But twenty years later, he is not the same man! He is not in the same place nor mindset. He has realized the consequences of his actions and sincerely regrets them. The time he has been away, the memories he has missed from seeing his nieces and nephews grow up; the family members who have passed on that he never got to spend time with, some never met. Sadly, his nephew who was a prominent and uprising basketball star accidentally killed himself in March this year.  Jerry was truly upset by this loss.  There is nothing more painful than to lose a family member that you never got to spend time with, create memories or even tell them you love them.  Jerry like many others deserves an opportunity of a SECOND CHANCE! Continuing to keep him separated from his wife, his parents, his siblings, and his family is doing no one any justice. Without this conditional pardon, Jerry will not be released until 2033 as he is not eligible for parole because it was abolished in Virginia in 1995.  The American criminal justice system holds almost 2.3 million people in 1,833 state prisons, 110 federal prisons, 1,772 juvenile correctional facilities, and 3,134 in local jails in the U.S. territories. To end mass incarceration, we must change how our society and our justice system responds to crimes more serious than drug possession. We must also stop incarcerating people for behaviors that are even more benign.

On behalf of my husband, Jerry and I are asking that you please sign this petition so that it can go to the Governor’s office with signatures of people who also believe in 2nd chances. By denying his conditional pardon and have him do his entire sentence absolutely contradicts the purpose of prison which is to be rehabilitative and not solely punitive. The 13th amendment protects against cruel and unusual punishment, yet most of our prisons are at max capacity and have inhumane conditions, exploitation of labor, and absence of proper measures in place to respond adequately during states of emergency and national pandemics. The effects of incarceration are felt by the families and communities of those individuals:   

·  More than one out of every six black men who today should be between 25 and 54 years old have disappeared from daily life. Incarceration and early deaths are the main drivers behind their absence.  A history of incarceration has been linked to vulnerability to disease, a greater likelihood of cigarette smoking, and even premature death. Their absence from the community removes voters, workers, taxpayers, and more.

·  Children whose parents are involved in the criminal justice system suffer from: psychological strain, antisocial behavior, suspension or expulsion from school, economic hardship, and are six times more likely to be involved in criminal activity.

·  Partners of incarcerated individuals suffer from depression and economic hardship.

Jerry has a sound home plan, a support system, and a guaranteed job to meet his financial needs.  All he needs now is for Governor Northam to approve his conditional pardon. Support us by signing this petition. Thank you in advance for your time and support.