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Downloaded from
YTS.MX

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♪

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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX

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I’m about to read a letter from my son that he wrote me.

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♪

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And it says, "This is from me to you.

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I will finally have my high school graduation

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September the 15th this year.

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I will take some pictures and send them.

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I really do miss you

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and promise to take good care of you

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for everything when I come home."

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♪

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They came to my house and got him.

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So, that was, um,

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that was like 5:00 or 6:00 in the morning.

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So, the next day,

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I went down there to the courthouse,

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and I don’t remember who this lady was,

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but she came to me and told me, "You know,

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your son looking to serve life in prison."

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So, I said, "What did he do?"

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And, so, she said, "The third strike."

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♪

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My dad has always been a leader.

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He’s done a lot for the people,

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even when he was free and out before he was incarcerated.

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My dad, to a certain degree, was, you know, even involved

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in the political world.

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♪

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He does not deserve this.

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He deserves to be home with his family.

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I’ve been a Cook County sheriff’s deputy

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for the last 17 years.

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I have a brother who has been incarcerated

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and in the...

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...the worst forms of incarceration,

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myself being in that-- in that industry, uh,

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we’re talking about a person that’s never been violent,

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doesn’t have a long rap sheet, never killed anybody,

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yet he’s serving a life sentence

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in the federal penitentiary system.

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So I stepped out

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against my own Republican administration

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and said openly on the floor of the Senate

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that I believe these crack cocaine laws

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were too harsh with-- and particularly,

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it was disadvantageous

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to the African American community

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where most of the punishments were falling,

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and it was not fair, and we ought to fix it.

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I want an attorney general who is committed

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to supporting law enforcement and securing law and order,

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but that is not enough.

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The justice system, as it stands now, is biased

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against the poor, against drug-addicted,

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against mentally ill, and against people of color.

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♪

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And I used to say, um,

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"How are you gonna get life," you know?

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He--he ain’t murdered no one.

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People that murder people don’t even get life.

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You know, so...

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♪

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Um, I just took it one day at a time,

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because, uh,

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twenty-two years is a long time.

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♪

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In the year 1994,

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at the age of 24,

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Alton Mills was given

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a mandatory life sentence

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without parole

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for a low-level, non-violent drug offense.

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I ended up being contacted by his public defender.

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She has this wonderful name.

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She’s from Chicago, her name is MiAngel Cody.

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MiAngel Cody contacted me

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and told me Alton Mills’ story,

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how this kid growing up in Chicago,

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decent kid in high school, made a bad turn,

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got mixed up with a drug gang,

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was a sales runner on the street,

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just the lowest possible level,

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and on the third offense got a life sentence

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to spend the rest of his life in prison.

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I asked President Obama to take a look at this

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and consider commutation, and on December 2015,

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after serving 22 years in prison,

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Alton Mills came home to Chicago.

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It started out I was doing activism work

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in New Orleans,

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particularly around the death penalty.

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So, for about seven years,

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I worked with capital defense lawyers.

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I think I went to death row the first time when I was 19

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to visit someone in Angola,

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and that was like the first time

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I had ever gone behind the curtain

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of the Wizard of Oz and really just saw

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what America says are the worst of the worst,

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um, and realized there are human beings

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at the heart of these cases that you hear about.

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♪

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So, welcome to TDC.

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This is where the magic happens.

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LaSheda was my best friend in elementary school.

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Best friends, we’re both from the West Side of Chicago,

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grew up together.

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And my family was very well known

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in our neighborhood and especially at our school.

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Like, the administrators all knew who we were,

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you know, so I was very popular.

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I was very popular. I had, like, five, six cousins

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in the same grade as me.

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But, you know, the older you get...

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It was third grade.

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This is what’s happening.

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She started hanging out with other people,

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leaving me behind.

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She tried to make friends with other people,

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like, make them her best friends,

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and as a child, best friends, that’s a real thing.

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Like, you don’t just be naming everybody your best friend.

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You take that serious.

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After that, no more best friends.

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We did not say a word to each other.

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I never saw her again until TDC Law Firm.

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I just keep going back to the day MiAngel was like,

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"Yeah, you know, we’re gonna have an intern coming.

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Yeah, her name is LaSheda."

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I was like, "LaSheda?

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Of all the girl names, LaSheda would pop up."

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That’s exactly how I said it.

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So, then, I’m looking at her like, "Whoa,

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like, you’re in the military, you went to law school."

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Like, I have so much admiration

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and respect for you right now that it’s kind of weird

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’cause I thought for sure I would not like you

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for the rest of my life.

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And I was like, "Dang, she out here freeing people.

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Like, she’s so amazing."

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I’m like, "She’s like this Chicago activist.

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She’s giving back to the community."

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This is Black history that we are making.

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We are Black history, it’s in the making.

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Even if we don’t, our story is gonna make it!

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Mm, that’s right!

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Are you guys friends now, would you say?

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This is one of my best friends.

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Yes, we are!

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Ooh.

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I think I know this by heart.

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Thank you, Verizon.

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To hear us, you may start the conversation now.

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-Hello? -Hey, how are you doing?

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Hi, Dad!

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-What you doing? -So we’re being recorded,

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so you can’t say anything crazy.

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So, you remember the law firm I was working at

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and the client I told you we got out?

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-Yeah. -So, right now,

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we’re actually recording a documentary

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regarding her work and how she always gets people

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off the life sentences from their drug sentence.

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So we’re being recorded right now,

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and I told them about you yesterday.

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And now I’m here, and you ironically called

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during the time we were filming.

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-Why not? -So...

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So when are they moving you?

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I think he’s feeling the distance.

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Like, he’s feeling like I’m leaving him behind

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because now I’m, like, starting my life.

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And I feel it in his voice.

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We went to see him last week, and I felt it.

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And he’s put in every type of appeal he can.

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In 2015, he had a little bit of luck.

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With him being--he was 17 when he was sentenced to life.

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And the Illinois public court said, like,

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he was too young to understand

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everything that was going on to receive the sentence.

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But, then, this year, the Supreme Court

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sent it back, like, no.

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♪

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I’m a daughter of formally incarcerated people.

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I’m a sister of a currently incarcerated brother.

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I want to do something for the women

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who are the backbones of these communities.

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I had reached out to MiAngel about helping,

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and she was like, "Well, let’s do it."

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Every step of the way she was like,

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"What do you want to do?"

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I tell her what I want to do,

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and she just supported me in making it happen.

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♪

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So, once I started working with her

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and she would talk to me, like, beyond the cases,

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it blew my mind.

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She would share her personal situation.

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So when she shared, like, her father

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being in and out of prison, I was shocked.

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And it helped me because I’ve had to be

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a certain way to be a successful lawyer.

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Like, for people to take me serious,

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I have to be this way.

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And to know that she’s the person

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that I idolize, but her father has been

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in and out of prison, I feel so comfortable.

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And it gave me confidence to know

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that I can be comfortable that my father is in prison,

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but I’m still a lawyer, but I’m still in the military.

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I’m still doing these things, but my father is in prison.

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And I was so glad when she said it

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’cause it just made me feel accepted.

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It made me feel like it’s okay.

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I started writing my first clemency petition in 2012.

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And at that point, President Obama had

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never granted a clemency before.

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There were plenty of people who told me specifically,

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"He’s never gonna grant this.

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It’s never gonna happen."

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But I just felt like my clients’ stories

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deserve being told on an individual--

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in a nuanced way,

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and not only for them, but for each one of us

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to have to wrestle with the facts,

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like, have to wrestle with the reality

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of this person’s life.

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You don’t get to just put someone in prison for life

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and not listen to who they are.

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And that started this clemency process

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that later was formulized into looking at hundreds of--

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there are thousands of petitions.

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But I think that that’s really important

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is to just do the work, center the clients,

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center the stories, center who they are,

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and create a public conversation.

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♪

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My name is Vanessa Rosa.

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My dad is Ismael Rosa,

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and he’s currently in Pekin, Illinois.

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He is serving a life sentence

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in a federal correction institute.

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♪

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I was 18

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when my father was arrested.

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It’s very hard to speak about that day.

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When I heard the judge say, you know, "life in prison,"

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my reaction, I kind of...

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♪

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...cried out, and he heard me,

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and he turned around and he glimpsed at me,

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and when he glimpsed and looked my way

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and we made eye contact,

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um, there was so much pain there

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because I knew that he was being stripped from us.

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Almost as if he was...

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...dying, you know, in a sense

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or he wasn’t gonna be there anymore.

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I think a lot of people don’t understand the way

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the Three Strikes law works,

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and a lot of people don’t understand the way

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it was intended to work.

265
00:13:34,605 --> 00:13:37,692
So, the way it was intended to work is to punish

266
00:13:37,692 --> 00:13:39,944
the worst of the worst drug offenders,

267
00:13:39,944 --> 00:13:43,197
the repeat recidivist who kept getting in trouble,

268
00:13:43,197 --> 00:13:47,493
who’d been to prison, got out, and continued to sell drugs.

269
00:13:47,493 --> 00:13:49,370
So the law was enacted to make sure

270
00:13:49,370 --> 00:13:51,372
that those people were

271
00:13:51,372 --> 00:13:53,332
permanently incapacitated, right?

272
00:13:53,332 --> 00:13:55,793
So the similarly dangerous drug offenders

273
00:13:55,793 --> 00:13:58,296
got similarly harsh punishments.

274
00:13:58,296 --> 00:13:59,839
But what has happened

275
00:13:59,839 --> 00:14:01,924
is it hasn’t been implemented that way.

276
00:14:01,924 --> 00:14:05,219
So you might have someone who had their first strike

277
00:14:05,219 --> 00:14:09,348
was possession of marijuana back in the 1980s.

278
00:14:09,348 --> 00:14:12,226
Their second strike was possession of cocaine,

279
00:14:12,226 --> 00:14:14,270
a personal use amount of cocaine

280
00:14:14,270 --> 00:14:16,022
back in the 1990s.

281
00:14:16,022 --> 00:14:18,608
And then they get a federal case

282
00:14:18,608 --> 00:14:20,735
and that’s their third strike.

283
00:14:20,735 --> 00:14:22,361
So that person may have never even been

284
00:14:22,361 --> 00:14:23,446
to prison before.

285
00:14:23,446 --> 00:14:25,323
They may have had probation,

286
00:14:25,323 --> 00:14:27,408
they may have successfully completed probation,

287
00:14:27,408 --> 00:14:30,369
but those two prior drug convictions

288
00:14:30,369 --> 00:14:33,623
can be used by a prosecutor to rationalize

289
00:14:33,623 --> 00:14:36,042
a mandatory federal life sentence.

290
00:14:36,042 --> 00:14:39,087
♪

291
00:14:39,087 --> 00:14:41,964
Senator Sessions, you said of President Obama’s pardoning

292
00:14:41,964 --> 00:14:44,717
of people like Alton Mills, and I quote:

293
00:14:44,717 --> 00:14:48,638
"President Obama continues to abuse executive power

294
00:14:48,638 --> 00:14:51,265
in an unprecedented, reckless manner

295
00:14:51,265 --> 00:14:54,352
to systematically release high-level drug traffickers

296
00:14:54,352 --> 00:14:56,687
and firearms felons.

297
00:14:56,687 --> 00:14:59,774
So-called low-level, non-violent offenders

298
00:14:59,774 --> 00:15:01,234
simply do not exist

299
00:15:01,234 --> 00:15:04,153
in the federal system," you said.

300
00:15:04,153 --> 00:15:06,906
Senator Sessions, Alton Mills and many more

301
00:15:06,906 --> 00:15:09,575
just like him do exist.

302
00:15:09,575 --> 00:15:11,911
So if you refuse to even acknowledge

303
00:15:11,911 --> 00:15:15,748
the fundamental injustice of many of our sentencing laws,

304
00:15:15,748 --> 00:15:18,292
why should you be entrusted with the most important

305
00:15:18,292 --> 00:15:22,046
criminal prosecution office in America?

306
00:15:22,046 --> 00:15:24,132
It’s a hard situation

307
00:15:24,132 --> 00:15:27,009
because two things are gonna happen

308
00:15:27,009 --> 00:15:28,636
when you go to prison:

309
00:15:28,636 --> 00:15:31,264
either you’re gonna make it or you ain’t.

310
00:15:31,264 --> 00:15:36,394
You have to be a very strong individual

311
00:15:36,394 --> 00:15:40,314
to put up with the madness that goes inside.

312
00:15:40,314 --> 00:15:44,652
It’s a lot that we have to go through

313
00:15:44,652 --> 00:15:47,321
on this side of the world.

314
00:15:47,321 --> 00:15:50,950
The air is different, the food is different.

315
00:15:50,950 --> 00:15:52,451
♪

316
00:15:52,451 --> 00:15:55,329
It’s nothing like being free.

317
00:15:55,329 --> 00:15:59,876
The criminological field is just filled

318
00:15:59,876 --> 00:16:02,587
with theories as to, one,

319
00:16:02,587 --> 00:16:04,255
what causes crime, and, then,

320
00:16:04,255 --> 00:16:05,923
how do we address that crime?

321
00:16:05,923 --> 00:16:08,426
And no two criminologists

322
00:16:08,426 --> 00:16:11,387
will agree on those theories.

323
00:16:11,387 --> 00:16:13,472
So one has to be very careful of that.

324
00:16:13,472 --> 00:16:16,893
So, probably the bigger question is,

325
00:16:16,893 --> 00:16:20,980
is three strikes or minimum mandatory sentencing

326
00:16:20,980 --> 00:16:24,859
a panacea for the crime problem

327
00:16:24,859 --> 00:16:26,652
in the United States?

328
00:16:26,652 --> 00:16:28,362
And it depends on who you ask.

329
00:16:28,362 --> 00:16:29,989
Politicians will use it

330
00:16:29,989 --> 00:16:32,450
as an advantage to scare people.

331
00:16:32,450 --> 00:16:34,911
People are easily frightened by stories

332
00:16:34,911 --> 00:16:38,247
about crime and violence, but, yet,

333
00:16:38,247 --> 00:16:39,624
when we think about

334
00:16:39,624 --> 00:16:43,169
minimum mandatory sentencing as a fix,

335
00:16:43,169 --> 00:16:46,297
one has to be careful of fixing what?

336
00:16:46,297 --> 00:16:50,968
From a practical standpoint, it has not reduced drug use,

337
00:16:50,968 --> 00:16:53,012
it hasn’t reduced drug trafficking

338
00:16:53,012 --> 00:16:55,139
or the amount of drugs in this country.

339
00:16:55,139 --> 00:16:59,894
If anything, it has done only a service

340
00:16:59,894 --> 00:17:03,689
of warehousing people who are associated with drugs,

341
00:17:03,689 --> 00:17:06,525
who are disproportionately African American

342
00:17:06,525 --> 00:17:10,029
and disproportionately poor people.

343
00:17:10,029 --> 00:17:13,406
The question is, what do we do with this?

344
00:17:13,406 --> 00:17:15,952
♪

345
00:17:15,952 --> 00:17:18,746
It’s been hard on my siblings.

346
00:17:18,746 --> 00:17:20,705
I think it’s been harder for them,

347
00:17:20,705 --> 00:17:23,876
especially my little sister because she only had my dad

348
00:17:23,876 --> 00:17:27,088
for the first five, six years of her life.

349
00:17:27,088 --> 00:17:29,131
It’s been hard for her.

350
00:17:29,131 --> 00:17:31,676
She didn’t have him like I did.

351
00:17:31,676 --> 00:17:34,178
And that, that hurts.

352
00:17:34,178 --> 00:17:36,722
When Ismael took custody of his children,

353
00:17:36,722 --> 00:17:39,725
men were not being awarded custody.

354
00:17:39,725 --> 00:17:43,854
You know, he really had to be a stand-up model

355
00:17:43,854 --> 00:17:45,982
before the judge to win custody

356
00:17:45,982 --> 00:17:47,191
of his children back then.

357
00:17:47,191 --> 00:17:49,652
It was just unheard of.

358
00:17:49,652 --> 00:17:52,113
I know that a lot of us,

359
00:17:52,113 --> 00:17:55,533
um, if we had our dad,

360
00:17:55,533 --> 00:17:58,619
then we would have made better decisions as adults.

361
00:17:58,619 --> 00:18:01,580
It’s different, it’s very different.

362
00:18:01,580 --> 00:18:03,916
And it’s made things harder

363
00:18:03,916 --> 00:18:08,004
because, you know, you’re alone.

364
00:18:08,004 --> 00:18:09,463
No matter what, you’re alone.

365
00:18:09,463 --> 00:18:11,716
Many people don’t realize that parole

366
00:18:11,716 --> 00:18:15,303
in the federal system was abolished in the 1980s

367
00:18:15,303 --> 00:18:18,389
right during the height of the War on Drugs.

368
00:18:18,389 --> 00:18:20,057
That is also the time when they abolished

369
00:18:20,057 --> 00:18:21,434
the federal parole.

370
00:18:21,434 --> 00:18:23,602
So, when a judge looks at you and says

371
00:18:23,602 --> 00:18:25,521
that you’ll receive a life sentence,

372
00:18:25,521 --> 00:18:27,148
that means you will die in prison.

373
00:18:27,148 --> 00:18:28,774
It’s death by imprisonment.

374
00:18:28,774 --> 00:18:31,027
There is no ability to get out of that.

375
00:18:31,027 --> 00:18:33,112
It’s not like in state court where there’s parole,

376
00:18:33,112 --> 00:18:36,240
you do 25 years, you go before a parole board

377
00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:37,825
and that parole board looks at you,

378
00:18:37,825 --> 00:18:40,411
looks at your rehabilitation in prison and says,

379
00:18:40,411 --> 00:18:42,121
"Okay, you’ve learned your lesson."

380
00:18:42,121 --> 00:18:43,748
And that’s one of the sad realities

381
00:18:43,748 --> 00:18:45,875
of federal prison is that there’s no board

382
00:18:45,875 --> 00:18:48,044
who can look at you after 25 years,

383
00:18:48,044 --> 00:18:51,130
see strides in rehabilitation, and release you.

384
00:18:51,130 --> 00:18:53,549
♪

385
00:18:53,549 --> 00:18:57,887
We have 5,000 prisoners sitting in federal prison,

386
00:18:57,887 --> 00:19:00,348
still there, and all I’ve asked,

387
00:19:00,348 --> 00:19:04,393
allow them as individuals to petition to the judge,

388
00:19:04,393 --> 00:19:07,396
to the prosecutor, to the Department of Justice

389
00:19:07,396 --> 00:19:09,607
so that their sentences can be considered.

390
00:19:09,607 --> 00:19:11,734
That--that’s something you’ve opposed.

391
00:19:11,734 --> 00:19:14,820
So, in fairness, tell me why you still oppose that.

392
00:19:14,820 --> 00:19:19,575
I understood the sincere belief you had on that issue,

393
00:19:19,575 --> 00:19:21,410
and it was a difficult call,

394
00:19:21,410 --> 00:19:23,996
and that’s why we really never worked it out.

395
00:19:23,996 --> 00:19:26,832
So I understand what you’re saying,

396
00:19:26,832 --> 00:19:31,837
but I did believe that you are upsetting

397
00:19:31,837 --> 00:19:33,923
finality in the justice system,

398
00:19:33,923 --> 00:19:37,635
that you are suggesting

399
00:19:37,635 --> 00:19:41,430
that these kind of factors were not considered

400
00:19:41,430 --> 00:19:43,391
when the plea bargaining went down.

401
00:19:43,391 --> 00:19:45,601
So it’s an honorable debate to have,

402
00:19:45,601 --> 00:19:47,812
and I respect your position on it.

403
00:19:47,812 --> 00:19:52,900
♪

404
00:19:52,900 --> 00:19:57,738
The first time I tried cocaine, I was 17, at a park...

405
00:19:57,738 --> 00:19:59,115
♪

406
00:19:59,115 --> 00:20:02,118
...hanging out with some of my friends.

407
00:20:02,118 --> 00:20:03,577
I was introduced to it

408
00:20:03,577 --> 00:20:07,248
by my friend Dink’s older brother.

409
00:20:07,248 --> 00:20:08,833
♪

410
00:20:08,833 --> 00:20:12,670
And the feeling was kind of surreal.

411
00:20:12,670 --> 00:20:14,338
♪

412
00:20:14,338 --> 00:20:17,049
It’s a feeling that you’re always chasing

413
00:20:17,049 --> 00:20:19,385
that first high.

414
00:20:19,385 --> 00:20:23,305
It makes you feel like you don’t have any worries

415
00:20:23,305 --> 00:20:25,015
or any cares.

416
00:20:25,015 --> 00:20:28,853
You’re just in that moment,

417
00:20:28,853 --> 00:20:32,857
and everything just seems easy.

418
00:20:32,857 --> 00:20:36,277
You know, life is whatever you may be stressed about

419
00:20:36,277 --> 00:20:40,698
or worried about, it just goes away,

420
00:20:40,698 --> 00:20:44,368
just feel that ease and at peace with yourself.

421
00:20:44,368 --> 00:20:54,295
♪

422
00:21:16,734 --> 00:21:20,779
I think one thing that makes this work

423
00:21:20,779 --> 00:21:22,573
whole and necessary

424
00:21:22,573 --> 00:21:25,868
is looking at who is the human being

425
00:21:25,868 --> 00:21:28,204
at the heart of each one of these cases.

426
00:21:28,204 --> 00:21:31,499
And when we have a system that formulaically

427
00:21:31,499 --> 00:21:35,211
rubber-stamps sentences for life onto people,

428
00:21:35,211 --> 00:21:37,630
what happens is, the judge doesn’t get to consider

429
00:21:37,630 --> 00:21:39,173
who is that person?

430
00:21:39,173 --> 00:21:40,424
Where did they come from?

431
00:21:40,424 --> 00:21:42,009
What is their story of struggle?

432
00:21:42,009 --> 00:21:43,802
Were they homeless? Were they addicted?

433
00:21:43,802 --> 00:21:45,095
Did they have addicted parents?

434
00:21:45,095 --> 00:21:46,514
Are they literate?

435
00:21:46,514 --> 00:21:48,182
What was the level of education that they have?

436
00:21:48,182 --> 00:21:49,558
What kind of healthcare?

437
00:21:49,558 --> 00:21:51,977
What kind of mental health illnesses do they have?

438
00:21:51,977 --> 00:21:54,188
All of that gets wiped away

439
00:21:54,188 --> 00:21:56,273
when you have a mandatory sentence.

440
00:21:56,273 --> 00:21:58,692
None of that gets to play into the calculus

441
00:21:58,692 --> 00:22:00,861
of the punishment that they receive.

442
00:22:00,861 --> 00:22:04,448
And the problem with that is, all of that is relevant

443
00:22:04,448 --> 00:22:07,493
to how they ended up in court in the first place.

444
00:22:07,493 --> 00:22:09,286
And, so, people walk into court

445
00:22:09,286 --> 00:22:11,664
with their entire history of who they are,

446
00:22:11,664 --> 00:22:14,291
their life, their parents, their upbringing,

447
00:22:14,291 --> 00:22:17,169
and they have to leave all of that at the door

448
00:22:17,169 --> 00:22:18,379
at sentencing.

449
00:22:18,379 --> 00:22:24,343
♪

450
00:22:24,343 --> 00:22:25,553
Jeff Sessions,

451
00:22:25,553 --> 00:22:27,096
the Attorney General of the United States,

452
00:22:27,096 --> 00:22:29,098
has submitted his letter of resignation.

453
00:22:29,098 --> 00:22:31,267
We understand that the president asked

454
00:22:31,267 --> 00:22:33,519
for Sessions’ resignation this morning.

455
00:22:33,519 --> 00:22:36,355
The letter from Jeff Sessions starts off saying,

456
00:22:36,355 --> 00:22:38,566
"In response to your request from this morning,

457
00:22:38,566 --> 00:22:40,484
I hereby submit my resignation."

458
00:22:42,111 --> 00:22:44,530
♪

459
00:22:49,285 --> 00:22:51,370
♪

460
00:23:35,205 --> 00:23:37,458
The first time I really recognized

461
00:23:37,458 --> 00:23:42,379
that my son was facing this sentence was when...

462
00:23:42,379 --> 00:23:43,797
♪

463
00:23:43,797 --> 00:23:46,842
...I went to court on the last court date

464
00:23:46,842 --> 00:23:49,386
because I didn’t think it was that serious,

465
00:23:49,386 --> 00:23:52,014
and I never went to court with him.

466
00:23:52,014 --> 00:23:54,767
I didn’t take off of work or anything and go to court

467
00:23:54,767 --> 00:23:58,020
because I didn’t think my son had been a person that--

468
00:23:58,020 --> 00:24:01,940
I never had to go get him out of trouble.

469
00:24:01,940 --> 00:24:03,776
And he was 40 years old,

470
00:24:03,776 --> 00:24:07,655
and I had never been to jail to get him out of anything.

471
00:24:07,655 --> 00:24:10,115
And this was so confusing to me.

472
00:24:10,115 --> 00:24:11,700
My son could’ve took the ten years

473
00:24:11,700 --> 00:24:14,036
if he thought it was that serious,

474
00:24:14,036 --> 00:24:15,454
but he didn’t take it.

475
00:24:15,454 --> 00:24:16,830
He said, "No, I didn’t do anything,

476
00:24:16,830 --> 00:24:20,000
and I’m not taking the ten years."

477
00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:22,961
We’re not thinking they’re gonna give him no life

478
00:24:22,961 --> 00:24:26,256
because he didn’t take the ten years they offered him.

479
00:24:26,256 --> 00:24:28,258
If you’re offered a plea negotiation,

480
00:24:28,258 --> 00:24:33,305
which is usually a reduced number of years or sentence,

481
00:24:33,305 --> 00:24:35,140
and if you turn that down,

482
00:24:35,140 --> 00:24:38,560
the prosecutors will usually withdraw that deal,

483
00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:39,978
basically saying, "Okay, no more.

484
00:24:39,978 --> 00:24:41,355
You don’t want this deal?

485
00:24:41,355 --> 00:24:43,148
Okay, great, it’s off the table."

486
00:24:43,148 --> 00:24:45,526
And, now, if you go to trial,

487
00:24:45,526 --> 00:24:48,237
what can happen is if you’re found guilty,

488
00:24:48,237 --> 00:24:51,865
you can be sentenced at a higher rate.

489
00:24:51,865 --> 00:24:53,867
Now that doesn’t mean that it’s automatic,

490
00:24:53,867 --> 00:24:56,328
but it’s what they refer to as a trial tax.

491
00:24:56,328 --> 00:24:59,915
I recently found out my dad had a life sentence.

492
00:24:59,915 --> 00:25:02,251
For years, like, my dad’s been in prison,

493
00:25:02,251 --> 00:25:03,919
but I’ve never heard those words

494
00:25:03,919 --> 00:25:05,546
come out of his mouth.

495
00:25:05,546 --> 00:25:07,923
Never. And still till today he does not say them.

496
00:25:07,923 --> 00:25:09,967
He’s never said them to me.

497
00:25:09,967 --> 00:25:12,219
I only know now because I’m learning more

498
00:25:12,219 --> 00:25:14,096
about his case.

499
00:25:14,096 --> 00:25:17,141
When someone gets sent to prison,

500
00:25:17,141 --> 00:25:19,893
you are not just incarcerating one person.

501
00:25:19,893 --> 00:25:23,021
There are concentric circles that ripple out,

502
00:25:23,021 --> 00:25:26,316
and the effects of one person’s incarceration

503
00:25:26,316 --> 00:25:28,444
really makes waves.

504
00:25:28,444 --> 00:25:30,362
It makes waves for their family,

505
00:25:30,362 --> 00:25:32,698
for their children.

506
00:25:32,698 --> 00:25:35,033
For example, Edward Douglas,

507
00:25:35,033 --> 00:25:38,370
his daughter, Shanice, has not hugged him

508
00:25:38,370 --> 00:25:40,831
since she was eight years old.

509
00:25:40,831 --> 00:25:43,167
She’s 23.

510
00:25:43,167 --> 00:25:46,253
That has a profound and traumatic impact

511
00:25:46,253 --> 00:25:49,089
upon not only your sense of safety

512
00:25:49,089 --> 00:25:52,426
and belonging in the world, but your understanding

513
00:25:52,426 --> 00:25:55,804
of the American criminal justice system,

514
00:25:55,804 --> 00:25:58,974
what it’s meant to do and who it’s meant to protect.

515
00:25:58,974 --> 00:26:01,518
He’s missed so much, oh my God.

516
00:26:01,518 --> 00:26:04,772
First boyfriend, first--my graduation.

517
00:26:04,772 --> 00:26:07,024
I went to prom twice.

518
00:26:07,024 --> 00:26:09,610
I--I was an athlete in high school.

519
00:26:09,610 --> 00:26:11,487
I won state championship.

520
00:26:11,487 --> 00:26:13,363
One year, I won first place,

521
00:26:13,363 --> 00:26:15,699
and the next year, I went back, I won second place.

522
00:26:15,699 --> 00:26:17,117
He missed that.

523
00:26:17,117 --> 00:26:18,535
I know he would’ve been so proud of that

524
00:26:18,535 --> 00:26:20,662
’cause my dad is an athlete himself.

525
00:26:20,662 --> 00:26:22,372
It’s just so much he’s missed,

526
00:26:22,372 --> 00:26:25,167
like, my first going to college

527
00:26:25,167 --> 00:26:28,378
and, like, practically

528
00:26:28,378 --> 00:26:30,714
the milestone of my life.

529
00:26:30,714 --> 00:26:32,800
He’s missed all of that.

530
00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:36,386
I had been in the hospital, I had back surgery,

531
00:26:36,386 --> 00:26:37,930
and I couldn’t talk to my child

532
00:26:37,930 --> 00:26:40,891
for five whole months on the phone

533
00:26:40,891 --> 00:26:44,269
because they wouldn’t let him call the hospital

534
00:26:44,269 --> 00:26:46,605
because it wasn’t on the list,

535
00:26:46,605 --> 00:26:49,066
and they wouldn’t let him call me.

536
00:26:49,066 --> 00:26:50,984
When I came home out of the hospital,

537
00:26:50,984 --> 00:26:53,320
I picked up the phone, and they started telling me

538
00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:54,822
it was from the prison.

539
00:26:54,822 --> 00:26:58,492
I said, "Hello," and he said, "Hello, woman!"

540
00:26:58,492 --> 00:26:59,785
’Cause that’s what he always calls me:

541
00:26:59,785 --> 00:27:01,119
"Hello, woman!"

542
00:27:01,119 --> 00:27:03,956
And I bust up a side cramp.

543
00:27:03,956 --> 00:27:05,791
For my father to be in prison,

544
00:27:05,791 --> 00:27:08,460
he’s still a father, he’s still...

545
00:27:08,460 --> 00:27:10,337
You know, like, a lot of people say, like,

546
00:27:10,337 --> 00:27:12,714
"Oh, because he’s behind bars, he can’t be a father."

547
00:27:12,714 --> 00:27:14,591
Like, a lot of people are shocked to say--

548
00:27:14,591 --> 00:27:16,093
to hear me say that my father has

549
00:27:16,093 --> 00:27:18,220
always still been my father.

550
00:27:18,220 --> 00:27:21,431
I say that because he’s always given me great advice,

551
00:27:21,431 --> 00:27:24,810
never steered me wrong in anything,

552
00:27:24,810 --> 00:27:27,104
and he still does for me.

553
00:27:27,104 --> 00:27:29,523
In time of need, even behind bars,

554
00:27:29,523 --> 00:27:32,442
he still makes it happen.

555
00:27:32,442 --> 00:27:34,987
My dad, um,

556
00:27:34,987 --> 00:27:37,823
to me, growing up was

557
00:27:37,823 --> 00:27:41,326
he was my leader, my teacher,

558
00:27:41,326 --> 00:27:44,872
my mom and dad in one.

559
00:27:44,872 --> 00:27:48,250
He taught me how to fish.

560
00:27:48,250 --> 00:27:50,669
Um...

561
00:27:50,669 --> 00:27:54,464
And not just fish for fish, but fish for crabs,

562
00:27:54,464 --> 00:27:57,551
and I used to love going to the river in Puerto Rico

563
00:27:57,551 --> 00:28:01,555
and fishing with him.

564
00:28:01,555 --> 00:28:10,188
♪

565
00:28:10,188 --> 00:28:14,443
I want to get married one day, and like every girl,

566
00:28:14,443 --> 00:28:17,446
she wants her father to walk her down the aisle.

567
00:28:17,446 --> 00:28:19,197
Am I willing to wait on my father?

568
00:28:19,197 --> 00:28:21,575
Yes, I am willing to do that.

569
00:28:21,575 --> 00:28:23,577
I will do that because I have faith

570
00:28:23,577 --> 00:28:26,496
and I believe that he’ll get out.

571
00:28:26,496 --> 00:28:29,625
One of the real perversions of the Three Strikes drug law

572
00:28:29,625 --> 00:28:32,419
is that it only counts drug strikes.

573
00:28:32,419 --> 00:28:37,049
So, if you have a person who committed a murder in 1989

574
00:28:37,049 --> 00:28:40,260
or a kidnapping in 1992,

575
00:28:40,260 --> 00:28:44,848
and then they’re caught with 140 grams of crack in 2003,

576
00:28:44,848 --> 00:28:47,601
that person only has one drug strike,

577
00:28:47,601 --> 00:28:50,187
so they’re not facing a mandatory minimum

578
00:28:50,187 --> 00:28:51,813
of life in prison.

579
00:28:51,813 --> 00:28:54,149
But then you have someone like Edward Douglas

580
00:28:54,149 --> 00:28:57,319
who possessed marijuana in 1989

581
00:28:57,319 --> 00:29:01,323
and then possessed a small amount of cocaine in 1992,

582
00:29:01,323 --> 00:29:03,367
and under the Three Strikes drug law,

583
00:29:03,367 --> 00:29:05,535
he’s subject to a mandatory minimum,

584
00:29:05,535 --> 00:29:06,954
whereas the person who had committed

585
00:29:06,954 --> 00:29:09,331
violent crimes before was not.

586
00:29:09,331 --> 00:29:12,834
Where I’m working on a state-local level,

587
00:29:12,834 --> 00:29:15,879
I’ve got a case where the man walked up

588
00:29:15,879 --> 00:29:19,341
to a parked car, shot the victim in the face,

589
00:29:19,341 --> 00:29:21,093
killed him immediately,

590
00:29:21,093 --> 00:29:23,387
and given the circumstances of the case,

591
00:29:23,387 --> 00:29:25,013
he got six years in prison.

592
00:29:25,013 --> 00:29:26,306
So six years in prison

593
00:29:26,306 --> 00:29:28,558
for shooting a man in the face and killing him,

594
00:29:28,558 --> 00:29:31,728
as opposed to life in prison without parole

595
00:29:31,728 --> 00:29:33,063
in the federal system

596
00:29:33,063 --> 00:29:37,109
for having three drug charges.

597
00:29:37,109 --> 00:29:39,444
It just doesn’t seem to balance out there.

598
00:29:39,444 --> 00:29:40,862
Like, it’s completely unfair.

599
00:29:40,862 --> 00:29:45,200
You can have a very violent background

600
00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:48,328
and rap sheet and still not have the three strikes

601
00:29:48,328 --> 00:29:49,997
for drug convictions.

602
00:29:49,997 --> 00:29:52,666
And that’s really illogical,

603
00:29:52,666 --> 00:29:56,378
and it’s contrary to the idea of public safety.

604
00:29:56,378 --> 00:29:58,338
The Senate overwhelmingly passed

605
00:29:58,338 --> 00:30:01,341
a criminal justice reform bill on Tuesday night.

606
00:30:01,341 --> 00:30:04,845
The First Step Act would change sentencing laws,

607
00:30:04,845 --> 00:30:07,556
establish more early release programs,

608
00:30:07,556 --> 00:30:11,601
and expand job training meant to reduce recidivism.

609
00:30:11,601 --> 00:30:14,938
-Hello? -Hi, Ms. Douglas?

610
00:30:14,938 --> 00:30:18,650
-Hi, how you doing? -Good morning, how are you?

611
00:30:18,650 --> 00:30:21,862
-I’m doing fine, and you? -I’m doing well.

612
00:30:21,862 --> 00:30:23,780
I wanted to just call and let you know

613
00:30:23,780 --> 00:30:27,242
that I just got off of the phone with the judge.

614
00:30:27,242 --> 00:30:29,661
-We had a hearing... -Yes.

615
00:30:29,661 --> 00:30:31,955
...and the judge signed the order

616
00:30:31,955 --> 00:30:35,834
to release Edward immediately.

617
00:30:35,834 --> 00:30:37,419
Oh my God.

618
00:30:37,419 --> 00:30:39,337
Girl...

619
00:30:39,337 --> 00:30:41,965
I told you you was bad.

620
00:30:41,965 --> 00:30:44,885
I don’t know how much my heart can take.

621
00:30:44,885 --> 00:30:46,970
Oh, Ms. Douglas!

622
00:30:46,970 --> 00:30:51,558
That means the whole team is joined with you forever now.

623
00:30:51,558 --> 00:30:52,976
That’s what I want.

624
00:30:52,976 --> 00:30:56,605
-Joined with me forever! -Yeah!

625
00:30:56,605 --> 00:30:59,649
Yeah, you won’t forget about us, will you?

626
00:30:59,649 --> 00:31:01,234
Oh, not at all.

627
00:31:01,234 --> 00:31:02,194
How am I gonna forget about you?

628
00:31:02,194 --> 00:31:03,403
He come home--when he come home,

629
00:31:03,403 --> 00:31:07,115
he coming down there and work with y’all.

630
00:31:07,115 --> 00:31:09,409
He’s coming to join the fight.

631
00:31:09,409 --> 00:31:11,078
♪

632
00:31:11,078 --> 00:31:13,080
Perfect, perfect.

633
00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:14,623
Lady, lady, lady,

634
00:31:14,623 --> 00:31:16,500
your mama named you the right thing

635
00:31:16,500 --> 00:31:19,127
’cause she knew what you was gonna do.

636
00:31:19,127 --> 00:31:22,172
MiAngel, she walked in my door.

637
00:31:22,172 --> 00:31:26,593
Your name is MiAngel, but God sent you to be my angel.

638
00:31:26,593 --> 00:31:30,263
Oh, Ms. Douglas, thank you.

639
00:31:30,263 --> 00:31:33,475
-Hello? -Hi, Mr. Douglas, how are you?

640
00:31:33,475 --> 00:31:37,187
-Hey, Ms. Cody, how you doing? -I’m good!

641
00:31:37,187 --> 00:31:39,481
So, we wanted to talk to you about some things

642
00:31:39,481 --> 00:31:41,191
that are happening in your case.

643
00:31:41,191 --> 00:31:42,984
Okay.

644
00:31:42,984 --> 00:31:47,531
Um, the government has agreed to immediately release you.

645
00:31:47,531 --> 00:31:50,742
-Okay. -The judge is going to have you,

646
00:31:50,742 --> 00:31:55,122
um, be present to participate in a hearing today.

647
00:31:55,122 --> 00:31:58,041
-It’s gonna happen by phone. -Okay.

648
00:31:58,041 --> 00:32:00,085
Um, here’s what’s gonna happen:

649
00:32:00,085 --> 00:32:03,547
both sides, your defense lawyer and the prosecutor,

650
00:32:03,547 --> 00:32:06,258
are going to tell the judge that we all agree

651
00:32:06,258 --> 00:32:09,803
that you are overserving time in prison

652
00:32:09,803 --> 00:32:12,055
and that you should be immediately released.

653
00:32:12,055 --> 00:32:14,474
(he cries)

654
00:32:21,273 --> 00:32:23,692
(sobbing)

655
00:32:35,287 --> 00:32:37,706
(groans)

656
00:32:41,626 --> 00:32:43,712
Excuse me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

657
00:32:43,712 --> 00:32:47,048
Take your time, take your time, take your time.

658
00:32:47,048 --> 00:32:48,717
Ah!

659
00:32:51,261 --> 00:32:53,471
Take as much time as you need.

660
00:32:53,471 --> 00:32:55,140
Mm.

661
00:32:55,140 --> 00:32:58,768
I’ll be glad to see my mom and my kids.

662
00:32:58,768 --> 00:32:59,936
Yeah.

663
00:32:59,936 --> 00:33:01,563
Yeah!

664
00:33:01,563 --> 00:33:03,899
Girl, I don’t know what to do, okay?

665
00:33:03,899 --> 00:33:05,483
I don’t want to overspill.

666
00:33:05,483 --> 00:33:07,903
I don’t want to be too excited on the phone.

667
00:33:07,903 --> 00:33:09,487
I don’t want to feel like-- you know what I’m saying?

668
00:33:09,487 --> 00:33:12,073
I don’t want to be-- I was screaming when he told me

669
00:33:12,073 --> 00:33:13,408
’cause he was telling me, too.

670
00:33:13,408 --> 00:33:14,576
I had to put the phone on mute.

671
00:33:14,576 --> 00:33:17,162
I was acting a motherfucking fool.

672
00:33:17,162 --> 00:33:19,956
I don’t know what to do or say, okay?

673
00:33:19,956 --> 00:33:22,417
I don’t know if it’s appropriate.

674
00:33:22,417 --> 00:33:24,544
Joy is always appropriate!

675
00:33:24,544 --> 00:33:26,713
I know, I know.

676
00:33:26,713 --> 00:33:28,548
Goddamn, I would’ve been on the phone like,

677
00:33:28,548 --> 00:33:30,008
"Edward, you coming home!"

678
00:33:30,008 --> 00:33:31,760
(laughing)

679
00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:34,095
Okay? "Edward, get your shit!"

680
00:33:34,095 --> 00:33:36,723
(laughing)

681
00:33:36,723 --> 00:33:38,433
"Get your shit!

682
00:33:38,433 --> 00:33:41,686
And wait for me at the door, okay?

683
00:33:41,686 --> 00:33:43,980
Be at the wall like this, okay?

684
00:33:43,980 --> 00:33:45,106
I’m pulling up."

685
00:33:45,106 --> 00:33:47,859
Shit, I don’t know what to do.

686
00:33:47,859 --> 00:33:49,778
(indistinct chatter)

687
00:33:49,778 --> 00:33:51,112
-That’s him? -That’s him.

688
00:33:51,112 --> 00:33:53,365
(telephone ringing)

689
00:33:53,365 --> 00:33:55,367
(indistinct chatter)

690
00:33:55,367 --> 00:33:57,577
I told Mom the same thing.

691
00:33:57,577 --> 00:33:59,829
-Hi. -Hi, I’m just filming.

692
00:33:59,829 --> 00:34:01,957
(indistinct chatter)

693
00:34:01,957 --> 00:34:03,667
-Mi? -MiAngel.

694
00:34:03,667 --> 00:34:06,086
(squealing, laughing)

695
00:34:08,004 --> 00:34:10,047
(screeching)

696
00:34:10,047 --> 00:34:12,467
(laughing)

697
00:34:16,804 --> 00:34:18,931
How you doing?

698
00:34:21,184 --> 00:34:23,687
(laughing)

699
00:34:23,687 --> 00:34:25,397
-You all right? -Yeah.

700
00:34:25,397 --> 00:34:27,357
I love you.

701
00:34:27,357 --> 00:34:29,567
(laughing)

702
00:34:29,567 --> 00:34:30,902
Oh, it’s so good to see you, Mom.

703
00:34:30,902 --> 00:34:33,862
Oh, I love you.

704
00:34:33,862 --> 00:34:35,572
Aw, Grandma.

705
00:34:35,572 --> 00:34:37,367
♪

706
00:34:37,367 --> 00:34:39,159
Hey.

707
00:34:39,159 --> 00:34:44,081
♪

708
00:34:44,081 --> 00:34:46,543
How you doing, woman?

709
00:34:46,543 --> 00:34:47,793
♪

710
00:34:47,793 --> 00:34:50,630
How are you? Good to see you.

711
00:34:50,630 --> 00:34:51,922
-How you doing? -Good, and yourself?

712
00:34:51,922 --> 00:34:54,259
All right.

713
00:34:54,259 --> 00:34:57,429
-Edward! -Oh my goodness!

714
00:34:57,429 --> 00:34:59,806
(indistinct chatter)

715
00:34:59,806 --> 00:35:01,683
Thank you, thank you very much.

716
00:35:01,683 --> 00:35:04,269
-I appreciate everything. -Oh my goodness.

717
00:35:04,269 --> 00:35:06,688
-It’s nice to meet you. -So nice to meet you.

718
00:35:06,688 --> 00:35:09,566
What a pleasure to meet you.

719
00:35:09,566 --> 00:35:10,609
This is Jeanne.

720
00:35:10,609 --> 00:35:12,736
She is a cinematographer.

721
00:35:12,736 --> 00:35:16,031
Hi, how you doing?

722
00:35:16,031 --> 00:35:18,241
And then there’s John right here.

723
00:35:18,241 --> 00:35:19,367
-Hi, how you doing? -He’s a local boy.

724
00:35:19,367 --> 00:35:20,660
-All right, local? -Yeah.

725
00:35:20,660 --> 00:35:22,162
Nice to meet you.

726
00:35:22,162 --> 00:35:23,788
Have a seat, have a seat.

727
00:35:23,788 --> 00:35:26,541
Please sit down.

728
00:35:26,541 --> 00:35:36,551
♪

729
00:35:36,551 --> 00:35:38,636
9:45, my counselor opens the door,

730
00:35:38,636 --> 00:35:41,640
so I jumped up, like, "What you opening the door for?"

731
00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:44,768
He said, "No, no, your lawyer called and said

732
00:35:44,768 --> 00:35:47,771
you got a conference call with the...

733
00:35:47,771 --> 00:35:50,106
...with the...

734
00:35:50,106 --> 00:35:51,775
...with the...

735
00:35:51,775 --> 00:35:54,486
♪

736
00:35:54,486 --> 00:35:55,904
...with the judge," right?

737
00:35:55,904 --> 00:35:58,782
So, uh, so when she said,

738
00:35:58,782 --> 00:36:00,116
"You’re gonna get immediate release,"

739
00:36:00,116 --> 00:36:03,203
I just dropped the phone and started crying.

740
00:36:03,203 --> 00:36:06,247
And they was crying with me, and I’m looking at them like--

741
00:36:06,247 --> 00:36:08,208
I’m like, "What is y’all crying for?"

742
00:36:08,208 --> 00:36:09,834
You know, I’m really looking at them,

743
00:36:09,834 --> 00:36:11,795
and it was genuine, and they was like,

744
00:36:11,795 --> 00:36:13,671
"We’re really happy for you.

745
00:36:13,671 --> 00:36:15,924
You know, you’re one of the best inmates

746
00:36:15,924 --> 00:36:16,966
that we have dealt with."

747
00:36:16,966 --> 00:36:18,551
And I’m like, "Thank you."

748
00:36:18,551 --> 00:36:21,096
So, then, once I got through from talking to her

749
00:36:21,096 --> 00:36:22,972
and she tells me what’s happening,

750
00:36:22,972 --> 00:36:24,307
so I say, "Okay."

751
00:36:24,307 --> 00:36:27,060
So I goes back out to the common area

752
00:36:27,060 --> 00:36:30,563
and we got tables, so I just jumped on the table

753
00:36:30,563 --> 00:36:32,899
and I say, "Y’all, I’m getting immediate release!"

754
00:36:32,899 --> 00:36:35,860
So all the guys, and we got like 120--

755
00:36:35,860 --> 00:36:38,238
I kid you not, we got like 120 guys

756
00:36:38,238 --> 00:36:40,657
in the pod with us, and they just run

757
00:36:40,657 --> 00:36:43,326
and they just jumping on tables with me, right?

758
00:36:43,326 --> 00:36:45,412
"Yeah! Yeah! Thank you!"

759
00:36:45,412 --> 00:36:48,289
And we just hugging, and we just hugging, right?

760
00:36:48,289 --> 00:36:50,667
And they say, "For real," I say, "Yes, they just told me.

761
00:36:50,667 --> 00:36:52,669
I just got to talk to the judge."

762
00:36:52,669 --> 00:36:55,130
So, then, they come back and they say,

763
00:36:55,130 --> 00:36:57,757
"Hey, y’all got to lock down for, like, ten minutes."

764
00:36:57,757 --> 00:36:59,592
So they say, "We ain’t locking down.

765
00:36:59,592 --> 00:37:01,219
We all got to hug him."

766
00:37:01,219 --> 00:37:05,640
So all 127 came and just hugged me, you know.

767
00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:09,144
Yes, every last-- everybody in there.

768
00:37:17,610 --> 00:37:20,822
So, in the debate about the First Step Act,

769
00:37:20,822 --> 00:37:24,909
one of the primary opponents of that legislation

770
00:37:24,909 --> 00:37:28,329
was a senator in Arkansas who kept raising this idea

771
00:37:28,329 --> 00:37:29,956
that we’ll be less safe,

772
00:37:29,956 --> 00:37:31,416
that we’ll let dangerous criminals

773
00:37:31,416 --> 00:37:32,792
out on the street.

774
00:37:32,792 --> 00:37:34,627
I always thought that was an interesting argument,

775
00:37:34,627 --> 00:37:38,298
because when you look at who is actually going to prison

776
00:37:38,298 --> 00:37:40,049
under the Three Strikes law,

777
00:37:40,049 --> 00:37:43,219
and when you compare that to who is cooperating

778
00:37:43,219 --> 00:37:46,222
and becoming government informants,

779
00:37:46,222 --> 00:37:50,268
what we found is the person who’s more dangerous

780
00:37:50,268 --> 00:37:52,353
is the one who cooperates with the government,

781
00:37:52,353 --> 00:37:54,272
who gets a get out of jail free card,

782
00:37:54,272 --> 00:37:56,232
who gets a reduced sentence,

783
00:37:56,232 --> 00:37:58,026
and people like Edward Douglas,

784
00:37:58,026 --> 00:38:01,112
who are low-level fishes who have no information

785
00:38:01,112 --> 00:38:03,156
about anyone else to cooperate,

786
00:38:03,156 --> 00:38:06,075
they’re the ones who end up going to prison for life.

787
00:38:06,075 --> 00:38:08,870
So, for example, in Edward’s case,

788
00:38:08,870 --> 00:38:13,208
the confidential informant that the government chose

789
00:38:13,208 --> 00:38:15,752
to wear a wire to set him up

790
00:38:15,752 --> 00:38:17,921
had prior convictions for armed robbery

791
00:38:17,921 --> 00:38:19,464
and attempted murder.

792
00:38:19,464 --> 00:38:21,090
Edward Douglas had no priors

793
00:38:21,090 --> 00:38:24,427
other than possessing marijuana in the 1980s

794
00:38:24,427 --> 00:38:27,055
and possessing cocaine in the 1990s.

795
00:38:27,055 --> 00:38:30,683
That informant ended up getting probation

796
00:38:30,683 --> 00:38:32,185
for setting up Edward.

797
00:38:32,185 --> 00:38:34,604
What he did with that get out of jail free card

798
00:38:34,604 --> 00:38:36,481
was went out and committed more crime.

799
00:38:36,481 --> 00:38:39,734
He kidnapped someone and he committed a robbery

800
00:38:39,734 --> 00:38:42,987
to the tune of $750,000.

801
00:38:42,987 --> 00:38:45,281
So at the same time while Edward is sitting

802
00:38:45,281 --> 00:38:47,116
in federal prison for life,

803
00:38:47,116 --> 00:38:49,953
this cooperator is out committing more crime.

804
00:38:49,953 --> 00:38:51,579
And many times what I find

805
00:38:51,579 --> 00:38:54,249
is if you don’t surrender your trial rights,

806
00:38:54,249 --> 00:38:56,334
if you exercise your Sixth Amendment right

807
00:38:56,334 --> 00:38:58,461
to a trial and you lose,

808
00:38:58,461 --> 00:39:00,004
you’re going to prison for life.

809
00:39:00,004 --> 00:39:02,257
And that’s really not about public safety.

810
00:39:02,257 --> 00:39:05,552
That’s about prosecutorial efficiency,

811
00:39:05,552 --> 00:39:07,428
which is not justice.

812
00:39:07,428 --> 00:39:09,222
You know, if you do something,

813
00:39:09,222 --> 00:39:11,683
you’re supposed to be held accountable for it.

814
00:39:11,683 --> 00:39:13,184
I truly understand.

815
00:39:13,184 --> 00:39:14,894
But I’m just saying, to give people

816
00:39:14,894 --> 00:39:17,855
the time that they give them just for drugs

817
00:39:17,855 --> 00:39:21,359
and you’ve got people-- I’ve been around rapists,

818
00:39:21,359 --> 00:39:24,487
murderers while I was in there,

819
00:39:24,487 --> 00:39:26,948
and they had less time than me.

820
00:39:26,948 --> 00:39:29,033
From the time MiAngel called me

821
00:39:29,033 --> 00:39:31,286
and asked me about taking the case,

822
00:39:31,286 --> 00:39:32,912
and I said, "I don’t have any money,"

823
00:39:32,912 --> 00:39:34,539
she said, "You don’t need any money.

824
00:39:34,539 --> 00:39:36,624
I didn’t ask you for a dime.

825
00:39:36,624 --> 00:39:37,750
I want to do this."

826
00:39:37,750 --> 00:39:40,295
And when I met her,

827
00:39:40,295 --> 00:39:43,548
she looked nothing like I thought she would look like.

828
00:39:43,548 --> 00:39:46,759
I’m thinking of this older person and whatever

829
00:39:46,759 --> 00:39:50,013
and she walked in here looking like a little girl to me.

830
00:39:50,013 --> 00:39:54,601
You know, and I go like, "My God, you are a young lady,

831
00:39:54,601 --> 00:39:56,686
and you’re doing all of this?"

832
00:39:56,686 --> 00:39:58,855
It’s a thing with MiAngel and with Bella

833
00:39:58,855 --> 00:40:02,609
where they taught me about healing, right?

834
00:40:02,609 --> 00:40:05,945
About sometimes it’s more than what’s happening

835
00:40:05,945 --> 00:40:07,739
and more about reflection.

836
00:40:07,739 --> 00:40:09,032
And it was at the moment

837
00:40:09,032 --> 00:40:11,159
when I knew Douglas was coming home

838
00:40:11,159 --> 00:40:13,453
that every day was worth it.

839
00:40:13,453 --> 00:40:15,288
Oh, my God, yes.

840
00:40:15,288 --> 00:40:19,459
Like every day was worth it because it was like--

841
00:40:19,459 --> 00:40:20,877
and she doesn’t charge people.

842
00:40:20,877 --> 00:40:23,630
-Like, this is free. -Yes, my God.

843
00:40:23,630 --> 00:40:29,093
And there is no 9 to 5 that can make up for how I felt.

844
00:40:29,093 --> 00:40:30,553
And even with me being in the military--

845
00:40:30,553 --> 00:40:33,473
I’ve been in the military since I was 18 years old.

846
00:40:33,473 --> 00:40:36,017
So I understand service before self,

847
00:40:36,017 --> 00:40:38,227
but they still pay me.

848
00:40:38,227 --> 00:40:42,106
So it was something about this that was different.

849
00:40:42,106 --> 00:40:43,691
-Yes. -And it was like,

850
00:40:43,691 --> 00:40:46,194
okay, my life isn’t a secret.

851
00:40:46,194 --> 00:40:50,573
My father being incarcerated is no longer a secret.

852
00:40:50,573 --> 00:40:52,533
-I don’t have to hide that. -That’s right.

853
00:40:52,533 --> 00:40:55,578
That’s right, baby.

854
00:40:55,578 --> 00:40:57,747
She just found out a week ago.

855
00:40:57,747 --> 00:41:01,042
And I’ve been working for her for almost over a year now,

856
00:41:01,042 --> 00:41:02,919
and she didn’t know.

857
00:41:02,919 --> 00:41:06,839
But I’m 27 and no one around me knows.

858
00:41:06,839 --> 00:41:09,467
But he’s like my best friend.

859
00:41:09,467 --> 00:41:11,469
Like when I was an undergraduate,

860
00:41:11,469 --> 00:41:14,055
I worked extra jobs to put money on his book

861
00:41:14,055 --> 00:41:16,140
to be able to do calls.

862
00:41:16,140 --> 00:41:18,309
Like when they were talking about their collect calls,

863
00:41:18,309 --> 00:41:20,269
those eight dollars used to hurt me.

864
00:41:20,269 --> 00:41:22,313
-Mhm. -Right, but that eight dollars

865
00:41:22,313 --> 00:41:25,483
was nothing compared to the 15 minutes

866
00:41:25,483 --> 00:41:27,360
that I had with him.

867
00:41:27,360 --> 00:41:30,446
’Cause that would be my only time with him.

868
00:41:30,446 --> 00:41:31,906
And there’s times where I would have to go

869
00:41:31,906 --> 00:41:34,534
a year without seeing him, because I would get deployed

870
00:41:34,534 --> 00:41:37,036
or because they’ll move him again.

871
00:41:37,036 --> 00:41:39,497
So I never got to see him.

872
00:41:39,497 --> 00:41:42,125
So all we had was our communication.

873
00:41:42,125 --> 00:41:44,836
So I’m so grateful for MiAngel,

874
00:41:44,836 --> 00:41:48,214
because her selflessness and her passion

875
00:41:48,214 --> 00:41:49,924
and her following her purpose

876
00:41:49,924 --> 00:41:52,093
led me to tap into mine.

877
00:41:52,093 --> 00:42:00,184
♪

878
00:42:00,184 --> 00:42:02,687
My name is Eric Wilson,

879
00:42:02,687 --> 00:42:07,692
and I was incarcerated for 22 years.

880
00:42:07,692 --> 00:42:11,279
I was in federal prison as a first-time offender

881
00:42:11,279 --> 00:42:13,906
for a nonviolent drug offense.

882
00:42:13,906 --> 00:42:17,326
Never been in the state prisons or anything.

883
00:42:17,326 --> 00:42:19,245
Straight to the feds,

884
00:42:19,245 --> 00:42:22,206
straight to a life sentence for drugs.

885
00:42:22,206 --> 00:42:25,877
♪

886
00:42:25,877 --> 00:42:28,296
My brother Eric was my hero.

887
00:42:28,296 --> 00:42:30,673
He did everything a man was supposed to do,

888
00:42:30,673 --> 00:42:33,760
so I thought he’d marry his high school sweetheart,

889
00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:37,638
have children, and provide for his family.

890
00:42:37,638 --> 00:42:39,474
Eric is still my hero

891
00:42:39,474 --> 00:42:42,477
because he don’t blame the system,

892
00:42:42,477 --> 00:42:45,396
he didn’t blame anyone but himself

893
00:42:45,396 --> 00:42:47,106
for being locked up.

894
00:42:47,106 --> 00:42:50,526
He says it was the decisions that caused the situation.

895
00:42:50,526 --> 00:42:52,570
Eric has never pointed a finger

896
00:42:52,570 --> 00:42:56,199
at anyone but himself.

897
00:42:56,199 --> 00:42:59,202
As a man, I have to respect his truth.

898
00:42:59,202 --> 00:43:01,162
♪

899
00:43:01,162 --> 00:43:04,540
My brother missed out on a lot in 20 years.

900
00:43:04,540 --> 00:43:06,584
♪

901
00:43:06,584 --> 00:43:11,255
In January 2017, right before Obama left,

902
00:43:11,255 --> 00:43:13,674
Obama gave me a clemency,

903
00:43:13,674 --> 00:43:16,219
and he knocked my time down,

904
00:43:16,219 --> 00:43:18,262
and that’s how I came home.

905
00:43:18,262 --> 00:43:22,433
To go from 22 years, get a phone call,

906
00:43:22,433 --> 00:43:26,521
and get kicked out of prison the same day.

907
00:43:26,521 --> 00:43:30,107
So it’s like I was in a dream.

908
00:43:30,107 --> 00:43:32,276
And sometimes it’s like I’m still in the dream

909
00:43:32,276 --> 00:43:36,113
when my phone rings and I can answer

910
00:43:36,113 --> 00:43:38,491
or I can call somebody at will.

911
00:43:38,491 --> 00:43:40,159
♪

912
00:43:40,159 --> 00:43:42,829
(squealing and laughing)

913
00:43:45,998 --> 00:43:49,168
Oh!

914
00:43:49,168 --> 00:43:52,255
-Oh, how are you doing? -Oh, my God!

915
00:43:52,255 --> 00:43:56,217
♪

916
00:43:57,093 --> 00:44:05,309
♪

917
00:44:05,309 --> 00:44:06,310
She’s straight ahead.

918
00:44:06,310 --> 00:44:08,646
She’s in that van.

919
00:44:08,646 --> 00:44:09,438
The black one.

920
00:44:11,732 --> 00:44:12,942
-You look beautiful! -Thank you!

921
00:44:15,403 --> 00:44:17,697
Well, I can get into the back.

922
00:44:17,697 --> 00:44:27,623
♪

923
00:44:29,292 --> 00:44:31,878
I’m going to DC to meet with Cory Booker,

924
00:44:31,878 --> 00:44:33,504
Senator Cory Booker.

925
00:44:33,504 --> 00:44:34,922
How are you feeling about that?

926
00:44:34,922 --> 00:44:36,132
I feel great.

927
00:44:36,132 --> 00:44:39,510
I feel great because it has a purpose,

928
00:44:39,510 --> 00:44:42,597
why I’m going, so like I said,

929
00:44:42,597 --> 00:44:45,808
I feel great just to advocate for the guys that I left.

930
00:44:45,808 --> 00:44:48,311
’Cause they was my family for 16 years,

931
00:44:48,311 --> 00:44:50,897
and I was thinking, you know, at times I was thinking

932
00:44:50,897 --> 00:44:54,025
that they would be my family for life, you know?

933
00:44:54,025 --> 00:44:56,611
’Cause I had that life sentence,

934
00:44:56,611 --> 00:44:59,739
so it was a bittersweet moment

935
00:44:59,739 --> 00:45:01,991
when I walked out the door,

936
00:45:01,991 --> 00:45:04,452
especially seeing my sisters and them.

937
00:45:04,452 --> 00:45:07,705
And then the bitter part was just leaving the guys.

938
00:45:07,705 --> 00:45:10,458
We started The Decarceration Collective

939
00:45:10,458 --> 00:45:13,753
with money that we saved up as federal defenders.

940
00:45:13,753 --> 00:45:17,006
Like as public defenders, our personal savings.

941
00:45:17,006 --> 00:45:20,092
So the first year was, like, extremely difficult,

942
00:45:20,092 --> 00:45:23,054
’cause you’re working nonstop.

943
00:45:23,054 --> 00:45:25,681
You’re not paying yourselves.

944
00:45:25,681 --> 00:45:27,683
And I think part of that is the nature

945
00:45:27,683 --> 00:45:31,062
of starting a nonprofit

946
00:45:31,062 --> 00:45:33,856
and trying to be true to the values

947
00:45:33,856 --> 00:45:35,316
of indigent defense,

948
00:45:35,316 --> 00:45:39,153
and that is understanding that people can’t pay.

949
00:45:39,153 --> 00:45:41,238
So we always told ourselves

950
00:45:41,238 --> 00:45:43,783
our mission was to be the best lawyers

951
00:45:43,783 --> 00:45:45,576
that money could not buy

952
00:45:45,576 --> 00:45:48,579
for people who could not afford counsel.

953
00:45:48,579 --> 00:45:50,915
But it’s a very, very difficult process

954
00:45:50,915 --> 00:45:53,376
to stay faithful to that.

955
00:45:53,376 --> 00:45:56,963
I think part of it is just being committed to doing it

956
00:45:56,963 --> 00:46:00,007
even when the money isn’t flowing,

957
00:46:00,007 --> 00:46:03,260
even when you don’t know how you’re gonna pay the rent

958
00:46:03,260 --> 00:46:04,845
the next month.

959
00:46:04,845 --> 00:46:06,973
It has been amazing, because she showed me

960
00:46:06,973 --> 00:46:11,435
how to not just be someone’s attorney.

961
00:46:11,435 --> 00:46:16,190
She showed me how to be like a caretaker.

962
00:46:16,190 --> 00:46:19,819
So she’s helped me learn how to have the interaction

963
00:46:19,819 --> 00:46:21,320
to let them know that I care.

964
00:46:21,320 --> 00:46:24,240
I care beyond this piece of paper.

965
00:46:24,240 --> 00:46:26,450
I know that you’re a human,

966
00:46:26,450 --> 00:46:28,327
I understand that you’re a father,

967
00:46:28,327 --> 00:46:30,496
or I know that you like music,

968
00:46:30,496 --> 00:46:32,206
so I’m gonna relate to your music.

969
00:46:32,206 --> 00:46:34,750
This is the music I listen to, what do you listen to?

970
00:46:34,750 --> 00:46:37,253
Beyond what’s on this piece of paper,

971
00:46:37,253 --> 00:46:40,131
because music, that has nothing to do with your case

972
00:46:40,131 --> 00:46:42,550
but has everything to do with you.

973
00:46:42,550 --> 00:46:44,760
And MiAngel helped me see that.

974
00:46:44,760 --> 00:46:47,263
(vocalizing)

975
00:46:47,263 --> 00:46:51,350
♪

976
00:46:51,350 --> 00:46:53,811
Hi!

977
00:46:53,811 --> 00:46:55,104
How are you doing?

978
00:46:55,104 --> 00:46:56,313
I am good.

979
00:46:56,313 --> 00:46:57,940
-You make me happy. -Do I?

980
00:46:57,940 --> 00:47:00,109
You make my soul rejoice.

981
00:47:00,109 --> 00:47:01,902
-Nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you, too.

982
00:47:01,902 --> 00:47:03,112
Really nice to meet you, man.

983
00:47:03,112 --> 00:47:04,488
I feel like I already know you.

984
00:47:04,488 --> 00:47:05,740
My guardian angel there.

985
00:47:05,740 --> 00:47:07,950
-Nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you as well.

986
00:47:07,950 --> 00:47:10,119
-Thanks for having us so much. -Are you kidding me?

987
00:47:10,119 --> 00:47:10,995
I’m so grateful.

988
00:47:10,995 --> 00:47:12,329
Who’s this, your bodyguard?

989
00:47:12,329 --> 00:47:13,581
Yes.

990
00:47:13,581 --> 00:47:15,374
(mixed remarks)

991
00:47:15,374 --> 00:47:18,502
(laughing)

992
00:47:18,502 --> 00:47:20,504
I gotta make sure my people are okay!

993
00:47:20,504 --> 00:47:22,506
I hear ya, I hear ya!

994
00:47:22,506 --> 00:47:24,050
But y’all ain’t got no security like we got.

995
00:47:24,050 --> 00:47:25,342
I know, I know!

996
00:47:25,342 --> 00:47:26,677
Two Douglases.

997
00:47:26,677 --> 00:47:28,471
Get the two Douglases together.

998
00:47:28,471 --> 00:47:30,431
Both men about liberation.

999
00:47:30,431 --> 00:47:32,975
I’m proud to stand here with Edward Douglas,

1000
00:47:32,975 --> 00:47:36,312
and you are the first person to be liberated

1001
00:47:36,312 --> 00:47:37,646
thanks to the First Step Act.

1002
00:47:37,646 --> 00:47:39,231
You were unjustly incarcerated.

1003
00:47:39,231 --> 00:47:41,650
Man, it was like enough drug to--

1004
00:47:41,650 --> 00:47:43,652
-Lighter than a baseball. -Right.

1005
00:47:43,652 --> 00:47:45,529
-And you got a life sentence. -Life sentence.

1006
00:47:45,529 --> 00:47:47,198
Life sentence because of two priors

1007
00:47:47,198 --> 00:47:48,616
that didn’t have any jail time.

1008
00:47:48,616 --> 00:47:49,867
Right.

1009
00:47:49,867 --> 00:47:51,368
And I just want to say, to me,

1010
00:47:51,368 --> 00:47:53,913
you represent what’s possible

1011
00:47:53,913 --> 00:47:55,456
and what has to happen, right?

1012
00:47:55,456 --> 00:47:56,665
-Exactly. -Do you have any message

1013
00:47:56,665 --> 00:47:58,334
you want to send to folks?

1014
00:47:58,334 --> 00:48:01,670
I just want to say thanks for everything, you know,

1015
00:48:01,670 --> 00:48:03,506
and the fight continues.

1016
00:48:03,506 --> 00:48:05,549
The fight continues, ’cause you have too many

1017
00:48:05,549 --> 00:48:06,675
other brothers that you know

1018
00:48:06,675 --> 00:48:08,636
that are unjustly incarcerated as well.

1019
00:48:08,636 --> 00:48:10,346
These disproportionate sentences.

1020
00:48:10,346 --> 00:48:11,806
-Exactly. -All right, man.

1021
00:48:11,806 --> 00:48:13,140
And what did you say the first thing you ate

1022
00:48:13,140 --> 00:48:15,142
when you came out of prison was?

1023
00:48:15,142 --> 00:48:17,520
Popeye’s Chicken.

1024
00:48:17,520 --> 00:48:19,105
-Popeye’s Chicken? -Popeye’s Chicken.

1025
00:48:19,105 --> 00:48:20,189
Better than anything in prison?

1026
00:48:20,189 --> 00:48:22,608
Ooh, better, way better.

1027
00:48:22,608 --> 00:48:24,944
When I went in a restaurant,

1028
00:48:24,944 --> 00:48:26,153
the people behind the counter,

1029
00:48:26,153 --> 00:48:28,906
you know, in Kentucky Fried Chicken,

1030
00:48:28,906 --> 00:48:30,658
that’s where I went,

1031
00:48:30,658 --> 00:48:33,619
there’s a lot of young people that work there.

1032
00:48:33,619 --> 00:48:36,122
Teenagers, and now I’m sitting there

1033
00:48:36,122 --> 00:48:37,373
and they’re looking at me,

1034
00:48:37,373 --> 00:48:42,211
and I’m in a gray jogging suit from prison,

1035
00:48:42,211 --> 00:48:43,712
and they don’t know I’m from prison,

1036
00:48:43,712 --> 00:48:45,631
but I’m looking at the menu,

1037
00:48:45,631 --> 00:48:48,092
and I’m trying to figure out how the menu goes,

1038
00:48:48,092 --> 00:48:50,678
because it wasn’t like that 20 years ago.

1039
00:48:50,678 --> 00:48:52,179
So I’m looking up at the menu

1040
00:48:52,179 --> 00:48:56,100
and I’m trying to piece together a meal,

1041
00:48:56,100 --> 00:48:58,477
and they’re looking like, "Can we help you?"

1042
00:48:58,477 --> 00:49:00,396
And I’m like, "Oh, one minute, please.

1043
00:49:00,396 --> 00:49:01,897
I gotta figure this one out."

1044
00:49:01,897 --> 00:49:04,275
♪

1045
00:49:04,275 --> 00:49:07,111
When I went downtown to see the probation officer,

1046
00:49:07,111 --> 00:49:09,446
I get on the bus, I use my mother’s card.

1047
00:49:09,446 --> 00:49:11,699
I mean, my daughter gave me a couple of cards

1048
00:49:11,699 --> 00:49:15,327
that you put in the bus, whatever, the gold...

1049
00:49:15,327 --> 00:49:16,912
-Ventra card. -The Ventra card.

1050
00:49:16,912 --> 00:49:19,915
I put the Ventra card in the money slot, right?

1051
00:49:19,915 --> 00:49:22,418
So, he’s looking at me like, "What you doing?"

1052
00:49:22,418 --> 00:49:23,878
I say, "What you mean, what am I doing?"

1053
00:49:23,878 --> 00:49:24,920
He said, "It don’t go there,"

1054
00:49:24,920 --> 00:49:26,422
I said, "Well, I don’t know."

1055
00:49:26,422 --> 00:49:28,883
So then--so he said, "No, it goes there,"

1056
00:49:28,883 --> 00:49:30,217
so he let me go.

1057
00:49:30,217 --> 00:49:31,719
So then I go to see my daughter

1058
00:49:31,719 --> 00:49:33,971
after I leave the probation officer, right?

1059
00:49:33,971 --> 00:49:37,516
So my daughter stays on 35th in them townhouses,

1060
00:49:37,516 --> 00:49:38,893
and I’ve never been over there,

1061
00:49:38,893 --> 00:49:42,771
you know, so I’m like, "Okay, I got my phone."

1062
00:49:42,771 --> 00:49:45,107
I don’t know how to use my phone, so I’m like...

1063
00:49:45,107 --> 00:49:48,027
So I’m still, like, "Uh, where they live?"

1064
00:49:48,027 --> 00:49:49,320
And I’m walking all through.

1065
00:49:49,320 --> 00:49:52,531
So I go to the CTA Department,

1066
00:49:52,531 --> 00:49:54,033
so when I get in there, I asked the man,

1067
00:49:54,033 --> 00:49:56,202
I said, "Hey, do you got a pay phone in here?"

1068
00:49:56,202 --> 00:49:58,829
He looking at me like, "We don’t do pay phones no more."

1069
00:49:58,829 --> 00:50:02,499
And I’m like, "Uh, I don’t know," you know?

1070
00:50:02,499 --> 00:50:05,085
So he was like, "Ain’t no pay phone."

1071
00:50:05,085 --> 00:50:08,964
And then when I order a soda, I order an orange soda

1072
00:50:08,964 --> 00:50:10,466
and they give me a cup.

1073
00:50:10,466 --> 00:50:12,051
And I’m like...

1074
00:50:12,051 --> 00:50:14,678
Then they’re like, "Oh, you gotta fill it over there."

1075
00:50:14,678 --> 00:50:18,140
And that wasn’t so when I left.

1076
00:50:18,140 --> 00:50:20,392
They fill the pops and everything.

1077
00:50:20,392 --> 00:50:23,062
Now they got it over to the side.

1078
00:50:23,062 --> 00:50:25,397
It takes a little getting used to.

1079
00:50:25,397 --> 00:50:26,690
They got a "detox" one.

1080
00:50:26,690 --> 00:50:27,816
Did they have these, though?

1081
00:50:27,816 --> 00:50:29,401
-That’s all that I need to know. -No!

1082
00:50:29,401 --> 00:50:31,195
This wasn’t around...

1083
00:50:31,195 --> 00:50:32,947
This was around, I had them.

1084
00:50:32,947 --> 00:50:35,699
This wasn’t around.

1085
00:50:35,699 --> 00:50:36,909
I want to be the first one

1086
00:50:36,909 --> 00:50:39,078
to get you some Jalapeno Cheddar Cheetos.

1087
00:50:39,078 --> 00:50:41,413
Yes, Cheetos, man, I got a couple of bags

1088
00:50:41,413 --> 00:50:43,624
of regular Cheetos at the house.

1089
00:50:43,624 --> 00:50:46,877
♪

1090
00:50:46,877 --> 00:50:48,128
Cory Booker, how are you?

1091
00:50:48,128 --> 00:50:49,964
I’m doing all right, I’m doing all right.

1092
00:50:49,964 --> 00:50:51,423
-Nice to see you. -Nice to see you, too.

1093
00:50:51,423 --> 00:50:53,425
Nice to see you, too.

1094
00:50:53,425 --> 00:50:56,053
You don’t want to shake my hand, sir.

1095
00:50:56,053 --> 00:50:57,179
What’s up?

1096
00:50:57,179 --> 00:50:58,514
How you doing? Okay!

1097
00:50:58,514 --> 00:51:00,516
Keep that same energy!

1098
00:51:00,516 --> 00:51:02,601
(indistinct remarks)

1099
00:51:02,601 --> 00:51:03,936
What you represent to me now

1100
00:51:03,936 --> 00:51:06,855
is more than just a symbol of what the past was.

1101
00:51:06,855 --> 00:51:09,775
You represent a symbol of what we still have to do.

1102
00:51:09,775 --> 00:51:12,486
Every prison I go to, I tell this story all the time,

1103
00:51:12,486 --> 00:51:15,364
I ask wardens, you know, these are the people in charge,

1104
00:51:15,364 --> 00:51:16,573
I would say to them, "Are there people

1105
00:51:16,573 --> 00:51:18,033
that don’t belong here?"

1106
00:51:18,033 --> 00:51:19,451
And they go, "Yeah, there are people

1107
00:51:19,451 --> 00:51:20,744
that just should not be here."

1108
00:51:20,744 --> 00:51:23,122
You know, part of it is, I think,

1109
00:51:23,122 --> 00:51:24,999
and this is not something that’s just endemic

1110
00:51:24,999 --> 00:51:26,583
to The Decarceration Collective.

1111
00:51:26,583 --> 00:51:30,504
It is part of being within a system

1112
00:51:30,504 --> 00:51:34,675
that funds prosecution but not decarceration.

1113
00:51:34,675 --> 00:51:38,721
That we channel hundreds of thousands

1114
00:51:38,721 --> 00:51:43,142
and millions of dollars into prosecuting people,

1115
00:51:43,142 --> 00:51:47,438
but their re-entry is woefully underfunded.

1116
00:51:47,438 --> 00:51:49,565
Organizations that support re-entry,

1117
00:51:49,565 --> 00:51:52,693
mental health services, legal services,

1118
00:51:52,693 --> 00:51:54,403
woefully underfunded.

1119
00:51:54,403 --> 00:51:56,697
And that’s part of the system or the apparatus

1120
00:51:56,697 --> 00:51:58,741
that, quite frankly, my clients had experienced

1121
00:51:58,741 --> 00:52:00,951
before they went to prison.

1122
00:52:00,951 --> 00:52:03,245
And then they experience when they get out.

1123
00:52:03,245 --> 00:52:05,456
And so part of it is understanding

1124
00:52:05,456 --> 00:52:07,374
I think America has to choose.

1125
00:52:07,374 --> 00:52:10,461
Are we going to fund decarceration for people?

1126
00:52:10,461 --> 00:52:13,964
If we’re really committed to ending mass incarceration,

1127
00:52:13,964 --> 00:52:16,508
then that has to be a systemic shift

1128
00:52:16,508 --> 00:52:21,096
in how we prioritize and invest our money into people.

1129
00:52:21,096 --> 00:52:23,098
’Cause people are getting out of prison,

1130
00:52:23,098 --> 00:52:26,560
and the question is to what support?

1131
00:52:26,560 --> 00:52:27,770
For many of my clients,

1132
00:52:27,770 --> 00:52:29,646
the first system that ever really paid

1133
00:52:29,646 --> 00:52:32,441
any focus, attention to them

1134
00:52:32,441 --> 00:52:34,485
was the criminal justice system.

1135
00:52:34,485 --> 00:52:35,944
It wasn’t the educational system,

1136
00:52:35,944 --> 00:52:37,863
it wasn’t the mental health system,

1137
00:52:37,863 --> 00:52:39,740
it wasn’t the healthcare system,

1138
00:52:39,740 --> 00:52:41,450
but you get a lot of attention

1139
00:52:41,450 --> 00:52:43,369
when it’s the United States of America

1140
00:52:43,369 --> 00:52:47,039
versus Edward Douglas or you or I.

1141
00:52:47,039 --> 00:52:49,625
And so I think the shift has to be

1142
00:52:49,625 --> 00:52:52,920
when do we really recognize people as whole human beings?

1143
00:52:52,920 --> 00:52:55,756
♪

1144
00:52:55,756 --> 00:52:58,175
As a man incarcerated in federal prison,

1145
00:52:58,175 --> 00:53:01,053
I have made positive steps to change my life.

1146
00:53:01,053 --> 00:53:02,888
I have earned a GED,

1147
00:53:02,888 --> 00:53:05,182
completed drug education programs,

1148
00:53:05,182 --> 00:53:07,226
completed a parenting course,

1149
00:53:07,226 --> 00:53:09,812
received college credits in business management,

1150
00:53:09,812 --> 00:53:13,357
have completed courses in futures in the stock market

1151
00:53:13,357 --> 00:53:17,653
while working 10-plus years in Prison Industries UNICOR.

1152
00:53:17,653 --> 00:53:20,280
In jail, they teach you, you program,

1153
00:53:20,280 --> 00:53:21,490
you’ve gotta get a schedule,

1154
00:53:21,490 --> 00:53:23,283
you’ve gotta get something to maintain,

1155
00:53:23,283 --> 00:53:25,285
to keep yourself busy,

1156
00:53:25,285 --> 00:53:29,123
and I kinda practiced that in a sense in the free world,

1157
00:53:29,123 --> 00:53:32,167
because right off the back, I know, okay...

1158
00:53:33,168 --> 00:53:34,711
...what are your goals?

1159
00:53:34,711 --> 00:53:36,547
You want to get a job,

1160
00:53:36,547 --> 00:53:39,299
you got a felon, so you’ve gotta get a trade.

1161
00:53:39,299 --> 00:53:40,634
So what you was doing in jail?

1162
00:53:40,634 --> 00:53:42,928
I was MIGing and TIGing in jail,

1163
00:53:42,928 --> 00:53:44,304
so why not go to school for it?

1164
00:53:44,304 --> 00:53:46,849
So immediately, I go to school for it.

1165
00:53:46,849 --> 00:53:53,355
So now I’m positioning myself to be successful out here

1166
00:53:53,355 --> 00:53:56,692
like I was in jail and able to achieve the goal

1167
00:53:56,692 --> 00:53:59,236
to get the clemency and get my freedom back.

1168
00:53:59,236 --> 00:54:04,533
And now I have a goal to position myself to stay free.

1169
00:54:04,533 --> 00:54:06,910
I’m building all the foundation around me,

1170
00:54:06,910 --> 00:54:09,746
school, good people, you know what I’m saying,

1171
00:54:09,746 --> 00:54:14,001
and I’m still in tune with my legal team

1172
00:54:14,001 --> 00:54:16,712
that helps me and guides me.

1173
00:54:16,712 --> 00:54:18,213
So I’m all right.

1174
00:54:18,213 --> 00:54:20,174
And then I got my family,

1175
00:54:20,174 --> 00:54:26,096
so I got the support on the outside to succeed,

1176
00:54:26,096 --> 00:54:28,724
and that’s what I want out here,

1177
00:54:28,724 --> 00:54:33,562
because it took me 22 years.

1178
00:54:33,562 --> 00:54:35,355
Why would I give it back up?

1179
00:54:35,355 --> 00:54:37,232
♪

1180
00:54:37,232 --> 00:54:40,110
As a child,

1181
00:54:40,110 --> 00:54:41,653
my father taught me...

1182
00:54:41,653 --> 00:54:43,947
♪

1183
00:54:43,947 --> 00:54:45,949
...from the age of 14 years old

1184
00:54:45,949 --> 00:54:47,910
how to take care of myself,

1185
00:54:47,910 --> 00:54:49,703
and be a productive young man.

1186
00:54:49,703 --> 00:54:51,872
♪

1187
00:54:51,872 --> 00:54:55,083
And I let him down. I went to prison.

1188
00:54:55,083 --> 00:55:05,010
♪

1189
00:55:09,097 --> 00:55:12,851
Well, today--I’m sorry.

1190
00:55:12,851 --> 00:55:15,771
♪

1191
00:55:15,771 --> 00:55:17,439
I spend a lot of time with family,

1192
00:55:17,439 --> 00:55:21,193
but with my grandkids, I spend the most time with.

1193
00:55:21,193 --> 00:55:25,280
My kids, they was born when I got locked up.

1194
00:55:25,280 --> 00:55:28,158
So, my grandkids had to come,

1195
00:55:28,158 --> 00:55:31,078
so it’s like I got a do-over with the grandkids.

1196
00:55:31,078 --> 00:55:34,122
So I’m all the time with them, taking them to Chuck E. Cheese,

1197
00:55:34,122 --> 00:55:35,916
I’m spending time with them and stuff,

1198
00:55:35,916 --> 00:55:39,378
so it’s like, when I’m with them,

1199
00:55:39,378 --> 00:55:42,422
that helps you stay focused on the goal.

1200
00:55:42,422 --> 00:55:46,176
You know, hey, you got this second chance.

1201
00:55:46,176 --> 00:55:48,262
It’s like a second chance all the way around

1202
00:55:48,262 --> 00:55:50,597
with raising kids and everything.

1203
00:55:50,597 --> 00:55:57,104
So family is way important, especially the little ones,

1204
00:55:57,104 --> 00:55:59,022
because they keep me focused.

1205
00:55:59,022 --> 00:56:00,566
He was peeking around the corner,

1206
00:56:00,566 --> 00:56:03,318
I came in, ’cause I dropped everyone off at the door,

1207
00:56:03,318 --> 00:56:05,237
you know, you have to park on the street.

1208
00:56:05,237 --> 00:56:07,990
So I went and parked my car and I came in,

1209
00:56:07,990 --> 00:56:11,285
and I was taking my coat off right there at the freezer

1210
00:56:11,285 --> 00:56:13,745
and everybody was just looking at me around the corner.

1211
00:56:13,745 --> 00:56:16,248
I didn’t even know it was him peeking around the corner.

1212
00:56:16,248 --> 00:56:17,708
He looked just like my brother.

1213
00:56:17,708 --> 00:56:18,875
I promise I didn’t know it was him.

1214
00:56:18,875 --> 00:56:20,127
I was like, oh, there you go!

1215
00:56:20,127 --> 00:56:23,046
Like, "Oh, my God, no, wait!"

1216
00:56:23,046 --> 00:56:25,424
I expected to cry, but I didn’t.

1217
00:56:25,424 --> 00:56:28,635
I was just in my head, like, crying is over.

1218
00:56:28,635 --> 00:56:31,054
It’s over!

1219
00:56:31,054 --> 00:56:33,515
I didn’t cry and I was so shocked at myself.

1220
00:56:33,515 --> 00:56:36,476
Like, it’s over! I don’t have to cry anymore.

1221
00:56:36,476 --> 00:56:40,731
I can say this, and I mean this from my heart,

1222
00:56:40,731 --> 00:56:41,982
I know it’s favor,

1223
00:56:41,982 --> 00:56:44,735
I know how hard these women worked.

1224
00:56:44,735 --> 00:56:50,073
That it’s over 2,000 people in jail

1225
00:56:50,073 --> 00:56:51,950
that I’ve read of

1226
00:56:51,950 --> 00:56:56,288
that’s in there for life for drugs and everything.

1227
00:56:56,288 --> 00:57:01,585
Yet my son walked out the door.

1228
00:57:01,585 --> 00:57:03,503
And everybody else is still there

1229
00:57:03,503 --> 00:57:05,213
trying to get out.

1230
00:57:05,213 --> 00:57:07,174
These women worked hard.

1231
00:57:07,174 --> 00:57:10,344
When I told her, I said, "What’s your next step?"

1232
00:57:10,344 --> 00:57:12,596
"I gotta rest a few days."

1233
00:57:12,596 --> 00:57:14,640
I said, "Well, do you have other cases?"

1234
00:57:14,640 --> 00:57:15,974
"Oh, yeah, I’ve got other cases,

1235
00:57:15,974 --> 00:57:19,269
but I rest a few and then I go back to them."

1236
00:57:19,269 --> 00:57:21,188
Where are we at moving forward?

1237
00:57:21,188 --> 00:57:22,356
My staff is already going back to work

1238
00:57:22,356 --> 00:57:24,608
on drafting the second step.

1239
00:57:24,608 --> 00:57:25,901
This is just the first step,

1240
00:57:25,901 --> 00:57:27,653
so we’ve gotta get another one.

1241
00:57:27,653 --> 00:57:28,987
You know? Let’s go.

1242
00:57:28,987 --> 00:57:30,614
’Cause there’s still issues.

1243
00:57:30,614 --> 00:57:32,491
What’s in the second step?

1244
00:57:32,491 --> 00:57:33,825
We’re talking about what should it be.

1245
00:57:33,825 --> 00:57:35,911
I mean, everything from when people come home,

1246
00:57:35,911 --> 00:57:37,245
banning the box.

1247
00:57:37,245 --> 00:57:39,206
The biggest employer in our country

1248
00:57:39,206 --> 00:57:43,752
is the federal government and federal contractors,

1249
00:57:43,752 --> 00:57:45,796
but you still have to check that box.

1250
00:57:45,796 --> 00:57:48,131
So when guys do come home, help them to get

1251
00:57:48,131 --> 00:57:50,759
a better chance of getting a job.

1252
00:57:50,759 --> 00:57:52,010
So that’s one thing.

1253
00:57:52,010 --> 00:57:53,387
I still think we need to get rid

1254
00:57:53,387 --> 00:57:54,888
of mandatory minimums altogether.

1255
00:57:54,888 --> 00:57:56,556
-Oh, absolutely. -Lot of work.

1256
00:57:56,556 --> 00:58:06,566
♪

1257
00:58:07,776 --> 00:58:10,529
Words alone could never express the remorse I feel

1258
00:58:10,529 --> 00:58:13,281
for my choice to use and sell drugs.

1259
00:58:13,281 --> 00:58:16,243
I knew I had to pay a price for my bad decisions,

1260
00:58:16,243 --> 00:58:18,328
so now I try to take life as it comes

1261
00:58:18,328 --> 00:58:19,830
with no complaints.

1262
00:58:19,830 --> 00:58:21,540
I deal with life and everything else

1263
00:58:21,540 --> 00:58:24,835
for what it is, not for what I think it should be.

1264
00:58:24,835 --> 00:58:26,837
I have refused to grow bitter

1265
00:58:26,837 --> 00:58:28,839
and allow the mistakes of my past

1266
00:58:28,839 --> 00:58:30,382
and the weight of prison to bury me

1267
00:58:30,382 --> 00:58:32,175
before I’m physically dead.

1268
00:58:32,175 --> 00:58:34,010
I tell myself every day

1269
00:58:34,010 --> 00:58:36,471
it is not a disgrace to have been a criminal,

1270
00:58:36,471 --> 00:58:38,640
it’s a disgrace to remain one.

1271
00:58:38,640 --> 00:58:41,393
I want the chance to atone for my criminal acts.

1272
00:58:41,393 --> 00:58:42,853
I want to show my family

1273
00:58:42,853 --> 00:58:45,272
I am someone they can be proud of,

1274
00:58:45,272 --> 00:58:47,941
show society that there are people incarcerated

1275
00:58:47,941 --> 00:58:50,777
who made mistakes, but if given a chance,

1276
00:58:50,777 --> 00:58:53,947
will prove they are now fit to be a part of society

1277
00:58:53,947 --> 00:58:56,408
and ready to contribute.

1278
00:58:56,408 --> 00:58:58,702
I know it is not about what lies behind me

1279
00:58:58,702 --> 00:59:00,704
or what lies ahead of me.

1280
00:59:00,704 --> 00:59:02,247
It’s about what lies within me

1281
00:59:02,247 --> 00:59:04,374
that will help me manifest a bigger

1282
00:59:04,374 --> 00:59:07,252
and brighter future.

1283
00:59:48,251 --> 00:59:51,004
♪

1284
00:59:51,004 --> 00:59:53,548
I went to my first prisons in law school.

1285
00:59:53,548 --> 00:59:57,469
I’m almost embarrassed it took me 24 years to visit,

1286
00:59:57,469 --> 01:00:00,013
and I saw these guys with life sentences

1287
01:00:00,013 --> 01:00:01,681
that were-- just their whole life

1288
01:00:01,681 --> 01:00:03,642
was focusing on helping guys who were gonna come in

1289
01:00:03,642 --> 01:00:06,019
and go out far before them.

1290
01:00:06,019 --> 01:00:07,646
The way you sort of conducted yourself

1291
01:00:07,646 --> 01:00:10,148
while you were in there to say, "Hey, look.

1292
01:00:10,148 --> 01:00:12,067
I still have breath in my body, blood in my veins.

1293
01:00:12,067 --> 01:00:13,276
I can still try to make a difference

1294
01:00:13,276 --> 01:00:15,111
in the lives of other people."

1295
01:00:15,111 --> 01:00:16,655
That’s really profound.

1296
01:00:16,655 --> 01:00:17,906
Yeah, that was my intention,

1297
01:00:17,906 --> 01:00:19,741
’cause I wasn’t gonna let it dictate--

1298
01:00:19,741 --> 01:00:22,285
being in jail, I wasn’t gonna let it dictate me

1299
01:00:22,285 --> 01:00:23,745
doing the wrong things and stuff,

1300
01:00:23,745 --> 01:00:26,456
so I went in there and got my education,

1301
01:00:26,456 --> 01:00:29,251
working suicide watch and helping the guys.

1302
01:00:29,251 --> 01:00:31,711
I was commissioner of the sports program.

1303
01:00:31,711 --> 01:00:33,964
You know, ’cause it’s something,

1304
01:00:33,964 --> 01:00:35,590
it’s something being in there.

1305
01:00:35,590 --> 01:00:38,760
They can imprison your body, but they can’t cage your soul.

1306
01:00:38,760 --> 01:00:40,428
-That’s right. -Your mind.

1307
01:00:40,428 --> 01:00:42,013
And when they tell you you got a life sentence,

1308
01:00:42,013 --> 01:00:43,098
they’re* not just telling that judge,

1309
01:00:43,098 --> 01:00:45,976
"Well, I’ll be back."

1310
01:00:45,976 --> 01:00:49,104
-You know, I’ll be back. -Yeah.

1311
01:00:49,104 --> 01:00:52,274
It took a lot from me,

1312
01:00:52,274 --> 01:00:55,068
but I’m not bitter, I’m not bitter at all.

1313
01:00:55,068 --> 01:00:56,778
I can see it in your spirit right now.

1314
01:00:56,778 --> 01:00:59,656
It helped me grow as a man.

1315
01:00:59,656 --> 01:01:00,991
It helped me grow as a man,

1316
01:01:00,991 --> 01:01:04,828
so now I just want to help the other gentlemen

1317
01:01:04,828 --> 01:01:08,957
-that’s affected like I am. -Yeah.

1318
01:01:08,957 --> 01:01:10,333
Well, that’s my fight, too, man.

1319
01:01:10,333 --> 01:01:11,293
-Okay. -Yeah.

1320
01:01:11,293 --> 01:01:21,219
♪

1321
01:01:39,362 --> 01:01:41,781
The moment

1322
01:01:41,781 --> 01:01:44,200
my father was sentenced to life in prison

1323
01:01:44,200 --> 01:01:46,369
probably was the moment

1324
01:01:46,369 --> 01:01:48,914
nothing but weight was on my shoulders.

1325
01:01:48,914 --> 01:01:54,586
He raised me to think that I was going to save him.

1326
01:01:54,586 --> 01:01:58,298
So while granted, it was great to have him send me books,

1327
01:01:58,298 --> 01:02:00,175
send me things to read

1328
01:02:00,175 --> 01:02:02,969
to always help me with my career,

1329
01:02:02,969 --> 01:02:08,934
it also hurt to know that, if I didn’t do this,

1330
01:02:08,934 --> 01:02:11,853
I’m letting him down.

1331
01:02:11,853 --> 01:02:15,732
That I have to study for him.

1332
01:02:15,732 --> 01:02:18,193
I have to pull this all-nighter for him.

1333
01:02:18,193 --> 01:02:21,529
So any time I got tired, it wasn’t like,

1334
01:02:21,529 --> 01:02:22,948
"Okay, just take a nap."

1335
01:02:22,948 --> 01:02:25,450
It was, "Okay, if you don’t stay up,

1336
01:02:25,450 --> 01:02:28,328
it’s gonna be your fault that he rots in this cage

1337
01:02:28,328 --> 01:02:30,956
if you don’t do some jumping jacks,

1338
01:02:30,956 --> 01:02:33,083
get some coffee, get it together."

1339
01:02:33,083 --> 01:02:38,505
And that world of feeling guilty, it’s real,

1340
01:02:38,505 --> 01:02:42,759
because as I celebrate Edward Douglas

1341
01:02:42,759 --> 01:02:46,346
and I’m so happy, I feel guilty.

1342
01:02:46,346 --> 01:02:49,391
The first person that I played a role in getting them out

1343
01:02:49,391 --> 01:02:52,268
was not my father.

1344
01:02:52,268 --> 01:02:56,690
And when I told my daughter about Douglas and the family,

1345
01:02:56,690 --> 01:02:58,316
she was so happy.

1346
01:02:58,316 --> 01:03:01,111
Her first words were, "So are we gonna be able

1347
01:03:01,111 --> 01:03:02,445
to do this for my granddad?

1348
01:03:02,445 --> 01:03:03,738
When is he getting out?"

1349
01:03:03,738 --> 01:03:06,241
That was the first thing she said.

1350
01:03:06,241 --> 01:03:08,702
And now I’ve transferred this weight on her

1351
01:03:08,702 --> 01:03:10,370
without even noticing.

1352
01:03:10,370 --> 01:03:13,498
Something my mother said to me

1353
01:03:13,498 --> 01:03:17,544
shortly after he was sentenced,

1354
01:03:17,544 --> 01:03:20,338
it was like she was congratulating me

1355
01:03:20,338 --> 01:03:23,341
about the work that I do,

1356
01:03:23,341 --> 01:03:26,344
but she said something like,

1357
01:03:26,344 --> 01:03:28,972
"I know God sent me you

1358
01:03:28,972 --> 01:03:33,351
so that you could help me get my son back."

1359
01:03:33,351 --> 01:03:36,229
♪

1360
01:03:36,229 --> 01:03:39,649
You know, and to think about

1361
01:03:39,649 --> 01:03:44,237
what type of pressure that puts on a young person,

1362
01:03:44,237 --> 01:03:47,615
like on a daughter, on a family,

1363
01:03:47,615 --> 01:03:51,828
to think that my accomplishments

1364
01:03:51,828 --> 01:03:53,913
can’t be my own.

1365
01:03:53,913 --> 01:03:57,417
It can’t just be about me trying to develop

1366
01:03:57,417 --> 01:03:59,294
and be the best person I can be

1367
01:03:59,294 --> 01:04:04,841
or use my talent to really weight it,

1368
01:04:04,841 --> 01:04:06,593
you know, it’s really--

1369
01:04:06,593 --> 01:04:09,679
like, and of course, there’s nothing more I want

1370
01:04:09,679 --> 01:04:12,640
that to free my brother, you know,

1371
01:04:12,640 --> 01:04:14,934
but to have that type of pressure,

1372
01:04:14,934 --> 01:04:17,771
I think about her saying that every day.

1373
01:04:17,771 --> 01:04:27,489
♪

1374
01:04:27,489 --> 01:04:28,865
But you gotta want it.

1375
01:04:28,865 --> 01:04:30,950
You gotta--I mean, it’s like

1376
01:04:30,950 --> 01:04:32,994
we’ve gotta want Edward’s freedom

1377
01:04:32,994 --> 01:04:34,454
more than we want five o’clock

1378
01:04:34,454 --> 01:04:36,873
or more than you want food, more than you want sleep.

1379
01:04:36,873 --> 01:04:39,084
You know, I feel like that’s what the work requires.

1380
01:04:39,084 --> 01:04:42,837
That’s what I hope that people learn from this

1381
01:04:42,837 --> 01:04:44,380
is like you have to want it.

1382
01:04:44,380 --> 01:04:48,009
We will scratch concrete until you are out.

1383
01:04:48,009 --> 01:04:50,845
She is one of the most selfless people I’ve ever met.

1384
01:04:50,845 --> 01:04:53,973
It’s been times where, even when working on his case,

1385
01:04:53,973 --> 01:04:55,683
I’m like, "Have you ate?"

1386
01:04:55,683 --> 01:04:58,019
Like, "Do you need me to feed you?

1387
01:04:58,019 --> 01:04:59,187
Do you want to take a break?

1388
01:04:59,187 --> 01:05:00,688
Go home!"

1389
01:05:00,688 --> 01:05:02,649
I’m still convinced she sleeps in the office,

1390
01:05:02,649 --> 01:05:05,610
but she says she doesn’t, but I’m convinced she does.

1391
01:05:05,610 --> 01:05:06,903
But she is definitely one

1392
01:05:06,903 --> 01:05:08,571
of the most selfless people that I’ve met,

1393
01:05:08,571 --> 01:05:11,282
and her work ethic can’t be described.

1394
01:05:11,282 --> 01:05:14,202
I don’t think anybody works as hard as she does

1395
01:05:14,202 --> 01:05:16,287
for other people.

1396
01:05:16,287 --> 01:05:19,499
Not a moment of her life has anything to do with her.

1397
01:05:19,499 --> 01:05:23,086
It’s times where we have to make her celebrate herself.

1398
01:05:23,086 --> 01:05:26,131
But she will gladly celebrate everybody else,

1399
01:05:26,131 --> 01:05:28,133
and she wants everybody else to be happy

1400
01:05:28,133 --> 01:05:31,094
and be free before she even breathes.

1401
01:05:31,094 --> 01:05:33,721
-Are you crying? -No! No!

1402
01:05:33,721 --> 01:05:37,016
-Are you crying? -No!

1403
01:05:37,016 --> 01:05:38,977
I’m never crying.

1404
01:05:38,977 --> 01:05:41,771
I have never in my life.

1405
01:05:41,771 --> 01:05:42,897
No.

1406
01:05:42,897 --> 01:05:45,066
Bella, talk about yourself.

1407
01:05:45,066 --> 01:05:47,402
-Bella. She’s crying. -No, I’m not.

1408
01:05:47,402 --> 01:05:49,279
-♪ See you ♪ -No, I’m not!

1409
01:05:49,279 --> 01:05:51,823
-♪ See you ♪ -Mr. Douglas.

1410
01:05:51,823 --> 01:05:53,449
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1411
01:05:53,449 --> 01:05:55,201
-♪ I ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1412
01:05:55,201 --> 01:05:57,036
-♪ I ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1413
01:05:57,036 --> 01:05:58,788
-♪ I ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1414
01:05:58,788 --> 01:06:00,540
-♪ I ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1415
01:06:00,540 --> 01:06:02,333
-♪ I ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1416
01:06:02,333 --> 01:06:03,960
-♪ I ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1417
01:06:03,960 --> 01:06:05,879
-♪ I ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1418
01:06:05,879 --> 01:06:07,547
-♪ I ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1419
01:06:07,547 --> 01:06:09,299
-♪ I ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1420
01:06:09,299 --> 01:06:11,050
-♪ I ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1421
01:06:11,050 --> 01:06:12,886
-♪ I ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1422
01:06:12,886 --> 01:06:14,762
-♪ I ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1423
01:06:14,762 --> 01:06:16,639
-♪ I ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1424
01:06:16,639 --> 01:06:19,517
♪ Look, I see you taking care of your mama ♪

1425
01:06:19,517 --> 01:06:22,061
♪ And your business, I admire your ambition ♪

1426
01:06:22,061 --> 01:06:23,813
♪ Double tap, keep my distance ♪

1427
01:06:23,813 --> 01:06:25,481
♪ Don’t wanna hog your attention ♪

1428
01:06:25,481 --> 01:06:27,567
♪ Don’t fall in love, you’ll start tripping ♪

1429
01:06:27,567 --> 01:06:29,319
♪ I just want to bear witness ♪

1430
01:06:29,319 --> 01:06:30,778
♪ To the purpose you fulfill ♪

1431
01:06:30,778 --> 01:06:34,032
♪ And no time for Netflix and chilling ♪

1432
01:06:34,032 --> 01:06:36,284
♪ While all these debtors keep billing my grandma ♪

1433
01:06:36,284 --> 01:06:37,452
♪ God said, "Forgive them" ♪

1434
01:06:37,452 --> 01:06:39,412
♪ Ratio one to a million ♪

1435
01:06:39,412 --> 01:06:41,206
♪ Talking heroes to villains ♪

1436
01:06:41,206 --> 01:06:42,749
♪ Shout-out all the Black women

1437
01:06:42,749 --> 01:06:44,459
who out here raising their village ♪

1438
01:06:44,459 --> 01:06:46,252
♪ Pray no more pillars are pillaged ♪

1439
01:06:46,252 --> 01:06:48,129
♪ Do pride in the absence of privilege ♪

1440
01:06:48,129 --> 01:06:49,672
♪ I see you ♪

1441
01:06:49,672 --> 01:06:51,424
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1442
01:06:51,424 --> 01:06:53,134
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1443
01:06:53,134 --> 01:06:54,844
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1444
01:06:54,844 --> 01:06:56,512
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1445
01:06:56,512 --> 01:06:58,223
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1446
01:06:58,223 --> 01:06:59,974
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1447
01:06:59,974 --> 01:07:01,684
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1448
01:07:01,684 --> 01:07:03,519
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1449
01:07:03,519 --> 01:07:05,230
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1450
01:07:05,230 --> 01:07:07,023
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1451
01:07:07,023 --> 01:07:08,733
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1452
01:07:08,733 --> 01:07:10,526
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1453
01:07:10,526 --> 01:07:12,195
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1454
01:07:12,195 --> 01:07:13,988
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1455
01:07:13,988 --> 01:07:15,823
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1456
01:07:15,823 --> 01:07:17,575
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1457
01:07:17,575 --> 01:07:19,410
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1458
01:07:19,410 --> 01:07:21,162
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1459
01:07:21,162 --> 01:07:22,956
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1460
01:07:22,956 --> 01:07:24,707
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1461
01:07:24,707 --> 01:07:26,459
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1462
01:07:26,459 --> 01:07:28,169
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1463
01:07:28,169 --> 01:07:29,963
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1464
01:07:29,963 --> 01:07:31,798
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1465
01:07:31,798 --> 01:07:33,424
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1466
01:07:33,424 --> 01:07:35,176
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1467
01:07:35,176 --> 01:07:36,928
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1468
01:07:36,928 --> 01:07:38,680
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1469
01:07:38,680 --> 01:07:40,431
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1470
01:07:40,431 --> 01:07:42,267
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1471
01:07:42,267 --> 01:07:44,018
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1472
01:07:44,018 --> 01:07:46,354
-♪ I see you ♪ -♪ See you ♪

1473
01:07:46,354 --> 01:07:48,273
If my dad was granted clemency,

1474
01:07:48,273 --> 01:07:50,191
oh, my goodness, um...

1475
01:07:50,191 --> 01:07:53,111
♪

1476
01:07:53,111 --> 01:07:57,657
Just knowing that he could be home

1477
01:07:57,657 --> 01:07:59,617
and that he would be home

1478
01:07:59,617 --> 01:08:01,536
and that I can actually...

1479
01:08:01,536 --> 01:08:05,415
♪

1480
01:08:05,415 --> 01:08:09,252
...see him outside of a prison

1481
01:08:09,252 --> 01:08:12,547
and see him free,

1482
01:08:12,547 --> 01:08:17,260
that would mean everything to us.

1483
01:08:17,260 --> 01:08:20,930
My children.

1484
01:08:20,930 --> 01:08:22,890
I know for my daughter, too.

1485
01:08:22,890 --> 01:08:24,975
♪

1486
01:08:24,975 --> 01:08:27,270
’Cause she loves the guitar, and I know that...

1487
01:08:27,270 --> 01:08:29,272
♪

1488
01:08:29,272 --> 01:08:31,441
...he could teach her a couple of things.

1489
01:08:31,441 --> 01:08:38,406
♪

1490
01:08:38,406 --> 01:08:42,452
Just having him home would mean everything.

1491
01:08:42,452 --> 01:08:44,412
Absolutely everything.

1492
01:08:44,412 --> 01:08:54,339
♪

1493
01:09:49,852 --> 01:09:55,817
Not only was I in prison, but I was locked up inside me

1494
01:09:55,817 --> 01:09:59,612
because I could not act as a free person.

1495
01:09:59,612 --> 01:10:03,741
Now I am free, because my mind is free,

1496
01:10:03,741 --> 01:10:05,535
my spirit is free.

1497
01:10:05,535 --> 01:10:09,539
And so I think that

1498
01:10:09,539 --> 01:10:13,126
I am free now

1499
01:10:13,126 --> 01:10:14,919
in more than one way.

1500
01:10:14,919 --> 01:10:24,846
♪

1501
01:10:33,813 --> 01:10:36,399
Good morning, everybody.

1502
01:10:36,399 --> 01:10:40,403
Another cold day.

1503
01:10:40,403 --> 01:10:43,698
Feels great to be free, though.

1504
01:10:43,698 --> 01:10:46,659
About to get my workday started.

1505
01:10:46,659 --> 01:10:49,077
(engines buzzing)

1506
01:10:49,077 --> 01:10:51,956
♪

1507
01:10:51,956 --> 01:10:53,541
The beauty of this situation

1508
01:10:53,541 --> 01:10:56,794
is working every day,

1509
01:10:56,794 --> 01:10:58,754
at the end of the day,

1510
01:10:58,754 --> 01:11:00,965
you have something to look forward to,

1511
01:11:00,965 --> 01:11:03,676
coming home to your family,

1512
01:11:03,676 --> 01:11:06,095
nice home-cooked meal.

1513
01:11:06,095 --> 01:11:08,556
♪

1514
01:11:08,556 --> 01:11:12,309
And the love of just being free.

1515
01:11:12,309 --> 01:11:18,107
♪

1516
01:11:27,909 --> 01:11:29,744
I’m just checking on you!

1517
01:11:29,744 --> 01:11:31,704
(indistinct talking)

1518
01:11:31,704 --> 01:11:34,332
Oh, y’all picked him up?

1519
01:11:34,332 --> 01:11:35,416
(gasping)

1520
01:11:35,416 --> 01:11:36,959
Ahhh!

1521
01:11:36,959 --> 01:11:38,669
Let me talk to him!

1522
01:11:38,669 --> 01:11:48,596
♪

1523
01:11:54,936 --> 01:11:57,688
Hey, Jamelle!

1524
01:11:57,688 --> 01:12:01,442
So, you’re in the car, huh?

1525
01:12:01,442 --> 01:12:03,402
I’m missing your pickup.

1526
01:12:03,402 --> 01:12:06,197
But I told your family I’m gonna come over tomorrow.

1527
01:12:06,197 --> 01:12:09,116
Yeah, okay, I’m sending you hugs.

1528
01:12:09,116 --> 01:12:11,827
I’ll see you tomorrow.

1529
01:12:11,827 --> 01:12:13,746
Okay, all right.

1530
01:12:13,746 --> 01:12:18,709
♪

1531
01:12:18,709 --> 01:12:22,088
Thank you so much for being a conductor.

1532
01:12:23,798 --> 01:12:26,133
Thank you, okay, love you.

1533
01:12:27,343 --> 01:12:29,720
Okay.

1534
01:12:29,720 --> 01:12:31,806
That was my other guy, he got out.

1535
01:12:31,806 --> 01:12:41,732
♪

1536
01:12:57,206 --> 01:13:07,133
♪