Episode 8. Q & A prison talk
conversations of conviction
When I first got out of prison I turned to websites like YouTube, Quora, and Reddit to understand a lot of the new technology and changes made to the world. As I asked my own questions, I read many about prison life. While talking to my friend Jay, I thought of asking some of the questions posted, for him and I to answer. Jay has nearly a decade in prison and has been in since he was nineteen with a sentence of life without the posibility of parole. I had also begun another episode, with a few of the mothers I know of those incarcerated, to answer some of the questions asked by the mothers of...
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Episode 7. The Stephen Poaches story
conversations of conviction
I met Stephen Poaches several years ago in the law library at a prison in Pennsylvania. Like most people in prison, he said that he was innocent. My response was always, "I can't believe you're innocent until I see it for myself (It just didn't seem likely that all of these people professing their innocents' was true after going through our judicial process - of course, later I learned how flawed our judicial process is, and that there are too many innocent people incarcerated to do nothing about it. He allowed me to read through his court papers and I did find it interesting that things the...
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Episode 6. Addiction (a conversation we need to have)
conversations of conviction
The reason for mass incarceration stems soley from addiction. From any angle you look, the majority of crimes committed were a direct result of drugs. It was only recently that I was introduced to Medication Assisted Treatment, ie., M.A.T., and I believe it has not only saved my life, but the lives of so many others. I also am certain that the ignorance of this treatment is leading to the deaths of thousands. Prison is a perfect place to begin addiction treatment and it is something that the DOC has negated to do. Until recently, and not because they had wanted to, but they were forced to by...
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Episode 5. Matthew Garcia (sentenced to LIFE w/out taking a LIFE)
conversations of conviction
Matthew Garcia has never killed anyone, but has been in prison for 27 years, since he had turned 18 and as it stands now, he is scheduled to NEVER come home. You may think that I'm leaving something out of the story, but that's it. In Pennsylvania there are approximately 700 people in prison serving a life without parole for 2nd degree murder, or "felony murder," and had never hurt anyone. That is, they had the intent to commit a crime when someone was killed at the scene, e.g., times are rough for you, and you go out with a friend to steal some food or money, and someone tries to stop ya and...
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Episode 4 Juvenile lifer
conversations of conviction
I met Aaron Wilson when I was 29 years old and I had first arrived at SCI Houtzdale in Pennsylvania. Back then that was considered the most violent prison in the State, and we have some good stories to tell. However, this is his story. He was sentenced to life without parole at the age of 15, and his two codefendants somehow walked out of the police station as they took Aaron to an adult jail, for the rest of his life. In 2016 (circa) he received notice that he was going to be re-sentenced because it was determined that sentencing a juvenile to life without parole is unconstitutional. Aaron...
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Episode 3 The story of Samuel Haper
conversations of conviction
This is Samuel Harper's story. He has more than twenty years in a Pennsylvania prison after being charged and convicted for the death of his then wife, who was a Philadelphia police officer. This was a time when the Philedelphia streets were governed by corruption. Convictions were a means to generate profit and notoriety. It was only recently that this corruption began to be suppressed. Officers had been exposed and arrested on a regular basis. We learned that the court had a list of these rogue cops called the "do not call," to testify, because they had a reputation for beating people into...
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Episode 2. Chaney charged with the death of his two year old son
conversations of conviction
Jermey Chaney has been charged with the death of his beloved two year old son, who had unfortunately died from a drug overdose. Chaney's mother, the child's mother, and a friend who had been living at the residence had all been charged with the child's death. I have known Chaney for nearly ten years and I know he no longer has any dealings with illicit drugs. I learned of this case this time last year when I heard his name on the news as I sat at my desk writing in my prison cell. After I was released I saw that Chaney had sent me a friend request several years prior and when I finally over...
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It begins
conversations of conviction
Mark Rokita Jr. was recently released from prison after serving more than a decade in Pennsylvanias toughest prisons. He struggled to adjust back into society and his only friends are those that remain in prison for the rest of their lives for murder, some of whom he believes did not commit the murder but was charged with murder because of a Pennsylvania law that state when a person is near the event and friends with the person who killed another they too get charged with murder. And in Pennsylvania, murder equates to a life without the possibility of parole. Rokita was apart of a group of...
info_outlineWhen I first got out of prison I turned to websites like YouTube, Quora, and Reddit to understand a lot of the new technology and changes made to the world. As I asked my own questions, I read many about prison life. While talking to my friend Jay, I thought of asking some of the questions posted, for him and I to answer. Jay has nearly a decade in prison and has been in since he was nineteen with a sentence of life without the posibility of parole. I had also begun another episode, with a few of the mothers I know of those incarcerated, to answer some of the questions asked by the mothers of those in prison. I shall post that in the near future. I hope this helps, and feel free to email me with any other questions. I know how hard it can be, but you're not alone.