Stories

Michael is a veteran serving a mandatory 25-year sentence under Florida’s 10-20-Life law after he fired two shots in self-defense, shots that did not seriously injure his attacker.

Anthony was granted clemency after being in prison 29 years. He now fights to make our criminal justice system more just and appears in court on behalf of people still locked up, telling his story to lawmakers and the media.

“I’ve spent more time in prison than I’ve spent outside in society, and essentially grew up in prison,” says Antonio Howard, who lived in Pennsylvania state prison for more than 26 years. Yet today, what defines Antonio the most is not his imprisonment, but rather his vibrant relationship to art and his community. Now free, Antonio is a successful artist, author, activist, and paralegal.

In his early twenties, David “Dawud“ Lee was, in his words, “out on the streets living a criminal lifestyle.” He is now serving a life sentence in Pennsylvania state prison. But against all odds, David has transformed himself into a true leader and role model under the most difficult conditions.

“I thought I was going to die with a needle in my arm. And that didn’t happen. If I came from where I came from and changed, anybody can. It doesn’t matter how bad the situation seems. People can change. Everybody has potential.” – Vanessa Rojas

Dennis Freedom Horton, 52, spends his days doing work he seems born for – connecting with people and serving his community in Philadelphia. He facilitates the Wellness Recovery Action Plan program (WRAP), which helps people in prison and others improve their lives, and Shining Light, which provides reentry programming that “transforms the lives of participants and prison environments, resulting in lower recidivism, better neighbors, and stronger communities.” He advocates for men he left behind, including finding pro bono lawyers for them.

My name is Lee Horton. I’m from North Philadelphia, and I’m 57. I’ve been married for 30 years and have four children. In 1993, I was sentenced to life in prison. I spent 28 years there before I was given clemency in 2021.

My college professor asked me who was my Biggest Inspiration, and I responded, My dad. My dad’s name is Gasi Pitter. He was incarcerated when he was 18, and I was three years old. He’s now been in prison for 21 years, and still has about 19 more years to go. My 25th birthday was this past March.

Big John had served 18 of his 20 years and was eagerly anticipating a court date that his attorney believed would see him granted early release. He was due in court on Wednesday, August 28, 2019, but he never got there. Instead, Big John Jackson died incarcerated at Forrest City Low in Forrest City, Arkansas, on Sunday, August 25, 2019. He’d been suffering from undertreated deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and a MRSA infection.

My name is Cecilia Cardenas, and before I tell you anything about me, I want to make one thing really clear: The biggest misconception about former prisoners is that we’re still living the lifestyle that got us into trouble and being incarcerated. That we are dangerous. The truth is, we do not want to go back again. We had to do the time and we remember what that was like. Nobody wants to go back.