Bad Call

Hotep,  

Some years ago, state lawmakers concluded that juvenile capital offenders sentenced to die was cruel and unusual punishment.  This simply means if a defendant was under the age of 18 at the time he/she is charged with first-degree murder, the death penalty is not an option for the state.

At that time, scientist revealed that the human brain isn’t fully developed by the age of 17, which drew them to conclude that decision making for these individuals would more than likely result in them making bad calls – when it came to making life – altering decisions.  This same scientific study has led state lawmakers to broker that the sentence of life without parole for a juvenile offender is now unconstitutional.  Now, this is the part where I politely ask that you keep your emotions on the cooler, because I’m about to bring the heat.  Na mean?

Living on death row for the past 15 years, can somewhat explain why I might empathize with a convicted killer.  I mean, I’ve been convicted of killing somebody’s loved one just like everyone else on the row.  Without delving into crime scene specifics let’s just say that bad calls were made on both sides of the gavel.  SMH.

Once a life is taken; it’s gone.  Nothing anyone does or says will bring that life back.  At any rate, there are unique circumstances in which a person involved in a crime of this magnitude can grow from the tragedy and become a solid asset to today’s society.  Feel me?

Allow me to introduce you to Ms. Sharon Wiggins.  At 17, she was involved in a bank robbery (12/2/68).  In the course of the robbery, she fatally shot a customer.  Her defense attorney argued that Sharon panicked when the male customer began walking toward her, in an attempt to disarm her.  Sharon obviously made a bad call.  Right?

Her bad call as a juvenile resulted in her becoming a graduate of Penn State University.  She heads the “Back-on-Track” group for parole violators and she also tutors in math – helping inmates to attain their G.E.D.  If her work as a “peer assistant” and diligent efforts to run groups on everything from relationships to violence prevention, to drug and alcohol abuse can’t meet the standard of successful rehabilitation, then maybe the accomplishments of becoming a licensed cosmetologist, mechanic and upholsterer will.  Oh, did I forget to mention she’s also training in photography, drafting, architecture, construction, maintenance, electronics, computer programming and catering?  Real talk.

With all that said; Sharon’s accomplishments will never bring back the life she took – let alone warrant the forgiveness from a society that routinely judges individuals based on their last bad call.  It is this particular mindset that plays a major role in the ridiculously high rates of recidivism in this country.  Word is bond!

From personal experience, I can tell you that a person doesn’t achieve this level of rehabilitation unless they genuinely want to change.  You see, doing time can be like planting a garden.  You may not like playing in the dirt, but the time and effort spent enriching the soil, sowing ample seeds – and the day-to-day optimism of knowing that you’ve provided a means for others to harvest the fruits of your labor – will in some way exhibit your will to grow the best of what dwells inside of you.  Feel me?

Bad calls were the topics of discussions for the first three weeks of 2k12 NFL regular season, but bad calls don’t just impact games; they affect lives as well.  Keeping Ms. Sharon Wiggins in the penalty box for 44 years is simply a bad call.  Ya heard?

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/juvenile-lifer-sharon-wiggins-followed-court-cases-in-hopes-of-freedom-682381/

Keep it 100,

MannofStat

Copyright © 2013 by Leroy Elwood Mann