Introduce yourself

Greetings everyone! I've been up since 3 am worring about the news that I have an aggressive form of cancer that will kill me in 1-5 years. How am I supposed to tell my son? He is in FCI Manchester and they have been locked down for more than 2 weeks. The weekend prior to that, I drove 1,300 (RT) and my son's unit was on group punishment...so, the first challenge is to actually be allowed to speak to my son. Or should I write to him? Any thoughts are appreciated. Thank you!

Hello my name is Monika Shepherd. I am the lead advocate for Matthew Dorsey in Smith County Texas. He is wrongfully convicted for aggravated assault of a public servant. He has been in TDCJ for 19 years, went in at the young age of 22. Please help us share his story. Reference the transcript for innocence proof.

My son Austin T. Burke is an innocent prisoner of the state of Ohio. Visit our website to see how this case went so wrong. He got 48 years for aggravated murder, and an unrelated aggravated robbery of a Pizza Joe's. See our website Trumbullcountyiscorrupt.com

Hi everyone!

My name is D'Anne, and I live in Perdido, FL. My son received a 20-year sentence for sharing drugs with a fellow fentanyl addict who subsequently died of an overdose. He has been imprisoned since February 2019. Our experience with the criminal justice system has led me to conclude that NO ONE in the judicial apparatus cares about guilt or innocence. Prosecutorial misconduct was rampant in my son's case, and he was ultimately sentenced under a law with a mandatory minimum for a crime he was not capable of committing. I just published a book called 'The Criminalization of Addiction....the US vs. Gary Scott Hancock Case.' The book shows the failure of our criminal justice system to achieve any of its goals with its aggressive war on drugs strategy.

I intend to continue researching, writing, and advocating for criminal justice reform. I want to hear from anyone willing to share their experience with the US criminal justice system.

Hello everyone, my name is Maryann. I currently reside in Olympia, WA. My loved one is incarcerated at Airway Heights Correction Center in Airway Heights, WA.

I myself have battled with substance use and mental health issues in the past, for about 20 years. On January 26, 2022 I realized how chaotic my lifestyle was and how it was affecting my relationship with my children. My loved one and I ran the streets together and used together until it became to much for me and I went to treatment for 16 months. He stayed on the streets and ended up getting locked up with a pretty big sentence.

Since being home we have reconnected and I see so many things that are not ran correctly in the judicial system.

I am currently working on getting my Substance Use Disorder Professional Certification to become a Substance Use counselor. And also my Peer Support Certificate.

I can't wait to connect and advocate!

Hi everyone! My name is D'Anne. I live in Perdido, FL, while my son is incarcerated at FCI Atlanta-Low. Addictions have plagued my family bloodline for centuries, and I was no exception. I became addicted to alcohol but found an excellent recovery option that works well for me.

I thought I had my life under control; at least everything on the surface seemed fine. Hidden behind the 'seeming,' my son (17 at the time) was at the beginning of a long journey to eventual fentanyl addiction. It started with a prescription for oxycontin for painful kidney stones.

At age 29, he was incarcerated under the "Drug-Induced Homicide' (DIH) laws with a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. He had shared fentanyl with a friend who was also a fentanyl addict, and his friend died. My son was charged with 'homicide by fentanyl.'

His case involved prosecutorial misconduct in the form of coercion of a guilty plea. The prosecutor indicted him on two additional charges in a separate case already solved. Now, my son was looking at 60 years vs. 20 years if he would plead guilty. After some research, we learned that 98% of drug cases are settled through plea deals, and the 2% that go to trial are won by the prosecutor 99% of the time. He had no choice but to plead guilty rather than risk two trials. If he lost, and the probability was very high he would, he would be sentenced to a minimum of 60 years.

My son has been incarcerated for 5 years, 3 months, and 13 days (so far).

I am currently finishing a book titled "The Criminalization of Addiction." In the book, I show, using medical evidence, that an addict cannot be a dealer in his drug of choice. This point is critical to a conviction under DIH laws; you must be a dealer. This was easily circumvented by the prosecutor with the forced plea deal.

I am so grateful to join all of you on this journey of advocating for prison reform! My heart is in this journey.

Hello everyone,

I would like to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Linda, and I am thrilled to be joining Daniel on this incredible journey of advocating for prison reform and spreading awareness about the importance of mental health care and substance use treatment. Allow me to share a little bit about my own personal story.

For the majority of my adult life, I battled with addiction. It was a constant struggle that seemed to have an iron grip on my life. However, on July 2nd, 2017, everything changed. That night, in the midst of my darkest moments, a flicker of hope emerged. I stumbled upon a treatment facility commercial on TV, and it provided a lifeline – a phone number that could help me find the assistance I so desperately needed.

With tears streaming down my face, I dialed that number and was advised to seek help at a detox facility due to my alcohol addiction. Without hesitation, I made the decision to check myself in. Little did I know that this choice would be the hardest, yet most transformative decision of my life.

I spent close to two weeks in detox before being transferred to an inpatient facility. The journey was difficult, but it was there that I found the strength to overcome my addiction and begin the path to recovery. Upon completing the program, I knew deep in my heart that I wanted to give back and help others who were facing similar struggles.

That's when I started working at the very facility that had once helped me. I began as a monitor, then moved into the role of healthcare coordinator, and now I am proud to serve as a case manager. Every day, I have the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life, just as others did for me.

And then, I met Daniel J. Simms. It was as if our paths were destined to cross. We shared a common vision for prison reform, mental health care, and substance use treatment. Our shared passion and determination led us to embark on this journey together, to amplify our voices and bring about meaningful change.

I am excited to be a part of this community and look forward to connecting with all of you. Together, we can make a difference and create a brighter future for those who need it most.

Thank you for joining us on this remarkable adventure.

Warm regards,

Linda