Even though I was subsequently sentenced to 40 years, I still was happy that I found a positive avenue that I could invest my time into and hopefully become a better person. (read the rest of the letter)The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole sentences are unconstitutional. A bill dealing that would have brought Colorado into compliance with the supreme court was killed before receiving a hearing on April 2, 2013. Click this link for in-depth information about the issue, and our next plan of action. fromlifetojustice.pendulumfoundation.com
But things didn’t go as planned. No one inside the system wanted togive me a chance. They argued that it would be a waste of resourcessince I had so much time and my degree I obtained would be invalidafter a dormant 10 years. Student advisors shunned me. DOC casemanagers ignored my correspondence course requests. Evenvocational teachers inside the system didn’t want to touch me. I felt likeI was forced onto a path of “prison politics.” Concerning myself withonly the happenings of prison and my future here. I spent 9 aimlessyears just “doing time.”Then I heard about your program. I wrote and you denied me likeeveryone else had done in the past. But something told me to try againand we were able to find some middle ground. I remember the lettersaid, “You’re technically ineligible because of the date of your arrest,but timing is so close and we really applaud your desire to continueand education. I will help you.” I don’t think you know how much youchanged my life with that letter. You created better options for my dayto day activities which in turn created better options for my life. You hadmy back when there was no one else. You gave me an opportunity todream about a life outside of prison, a successful life, a responsiblelife.I’m currently taking my final course of my A.A. degree at Adams State.Yep, a big milestone for me, but not the end. Other people saw thesuccess I had with the course you paid for and eventually they openedthe door up for me too. Yeah, all the people who told me NO in thebeginning saw my dedication due to the opportunities you gave me. SoI’ve been able to do a lot of patchwork with different colleges.Mary Ellen Johnson, the confidence, maturity, knowledge, andopportunities available to me now are all because of you and I thankyou and appreciate you with all my heart. Please stay as beautiful asyou are because you are changing lives.
A COMMUNITY OUTREACH ORGANIZATION
Because everyone deserves a chance
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JLWOP DOCUMENTARY WITH COLORADO CONNECTIONS PREMIERES
The AFI Docs Film Festival announced that "Lost for Life" was accepted to
that prestigious documentary festival; it will premiere at the Smithsonian
Portrait Gallery across the street from Verizon Center at 5:30 PM on June
22, and then play at the AFI Theater in Silver Spring the next day. On June
30, the film will screen at the Nantucket Film Festival.
We the Pendulum Foundation have expanded our bylaws to exercise the
capacity of this 501(c)(3) as a charitable organization. Our revised mission is to
Where do I begin with this letter? I
remember when I first was arrested, I
wanted to find something positive to
invest in and immediately turned toward
education. I studied for about a month
and then I went and took my GED tests.
THE LITTLEST THINGS CAN
CHANGE A LIFE
Won’t you please support learning for our
young men and women?
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled mandatory juvenile
life without parole sentences are unconstitutional. A bill
dealing that would have brought Colorado into
compliance with the supreme court was killed before
receiving a hearing on April 2, 2013. Click this link for
in-depth information about the issue, and our next plan
of action.
fromlifetojustice.pendulumfoundation.com
