Photo by Tyler Rutherford
I was sentenced to 60 years in prison for a murder I did not commit. After 25 years of fighting against this injustice, I was acquitted.
I learned some hard lessons about our criminal justice system. I also learned that simple social protection schemes – like a modest guaranteed basic income or a child benefit with no strings attached – could have kept millions of young people like me out of trouble.
I had a beautiful childhood in Flint, Michigan, but we were poor and had few opportunities. My parents were loving and supportive, but they went into illegal activities to make ends meet. To me, this seemed normal, but I was in an environment where abnormal things were normalized.
Eventually I dropped out of high school, moved to Indianapolis and started a family, but when I was released, I plunged into drug addiction out of desperation, trying to do for my family what my parents had done for me.
One fateful night, I heard gunshots near the building where I ran my drug business. I didn’t think much of it – gunshots were not uncommon in this area. I finished my business for the day, proud of the money I had made, and went home to my family.
I later learned that a young man had been shot – and I was arrested for murder.
Someone with a drug-related grudge against me had pinned the blame on me. A passerby had identified a completely different man with a different physical description, but the detective hid that evidence. Lawyers found that evidence 25 years later and I was exonerated and released. I had spent a hellish 11 of those 25 years in solitary confinement.
While in prison, I worked as a teacher and mentor. Now I am committed to supporting people returning to society after serving a prison sentence.
I see the systemic barriers they face. Returning citizens are barred from working in hundreds of jobs, from education, health and government jobs to being a hairdresser or Uber driver. They are ineligible for welfare, public housing and student loans. They face discrimination in housing and job searches. They often have significant physical and mental health problems that they cannot afford to treat.
These are precisely the conditions that sometimes lead to crime and recidivism. Numerous studies have shown that people do not reoffend when they have secure employment and housing and the opportunity to receive an education and health care.
These people have already been punished and served their sentences – sometimes for crimes they never committed, like me. We should not be punished again as we reintegrate into our families and societies.
As part of my work, I volunteer for Michigan Liberation, a statewide organization that works to end the criminalization of Black families and communities of color. She recently participated in a conference on Guaranteed Income Now, co-hosted by Community Change and the Economic Security Project.
A guaranteed income can take many forms. It can be an extension of existing tax credits such as the child tax credit and the earned income tax credit. It can be an unconditional child benefit or a monthly payment to eligible individuals, families, unpaid carers, illegal immigrants and returning citizens – all of whom are currently ineligible for support.
There appears to be a new program in Flint that offers pregnant women and new parents a monthly checkup during the first year of their baby’s life.
If my parents had had a guaranteed minimum income, we would not have been in danger of falling into hunger and homelessness. They would have had a much better chance of finding well-paying jobs that would keep me safe – without having to rely on illegal activities.
If I had had a modest child benefit for my own children, I would not have had to resort to the most convenient route for me, namely the drug trade. I would not have been anywhere near the crime scene – and I would not have lost decades of my life to a false accusation.
It’s worth supporting our families and communities, no matter where we live or what we look like. When those who face the greatest systemic barriers receive adequate income support, economic security, prosperity, and freedom follow.
And I can tell you: there is nothing more beautiful than freedom.
