My son Joe has always been a hero in his own quiet way. Even as a child, he would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need, rescue animals, and help people out of tough situations. He has always put others first. But Joe’s life was shaped by circumstances no child should endure.

As a young boy, he was placed in the custody of his father after I, as a young mother, lost a custody battle due to lack of resources. He grew up surrounded by violence and abuse, facing sexual abuse and harsh punishment at the hands of his father’s family and their acquaintances. He lived in constant fear, always in fight-or-flight mode, just trying to survive.

Despite these hardships, he found ways to help others. He rescued animals, protected the vulnerable, and carried kindness wherever he could. But he also made mistakes—he was a child forced to navigate an unsafe world, and those mistakes were compounded by the abuses he suffered.

As a young adult, Joe found himself caught in a devastating situation. When a co-worker and friend went missing, Joe, believing he could help, approached authorities to provide information. Instead, he was brutally beaten for 78 hours, denied food and water, and coerced into a situation he could not control. He was wrongfully convicted, despite evidence that he was simply trying to do the right thing.

For over 15 years, Joe has been waiting for justice, hoping the Innocence Project will be able to review his case. He is a kind, selfless man who has been failed by the system from the start. He deserves a chance at freedom and a life that reflects the good he has always tried to do.

We are asking for your support to bring attention to Joe’s case, to help speed the review of his wrongful conviction, and to bring justice to a man who has spent his life putting others first, only to be betrayed by the system he trusted.

My son has suffered over 15 years of medical neglect in Arkansas prisons. At the Larry B. Norris Unit, Nurse Seamster has taken away his essential medications, extra blankets, sweats, and other doctor-prescribed items, calling them “comfort items.”

He is terminally ill, has severe blood loss, and as of last Friday had a dangerously low hemoglobin of 7.2. Despite this, he is forced to undergo dialysis and perform a prison job just to qualify for contact visits with his family.

Arkansas prison medical systems, including WellPath and staff such as Dr. Daniels, have repeatedly shown incompetence and negligence. Guards often override medical decisions, clinical failures go undocumented, and prisoners are left to suffer preventable complications.

We demand:

An independent investigation into Arkansas prison medical care.
Accountability for negligent medical staff.
Proper, timely medical care for all inmates without interference.
Transparent reporting and oversight for prison healthcare.
No one in prison should have to fight for their life because of preventable negligence. Sign this petition to demand change and protect inmates’ basic human right to competent medical care.