Sometime
during mid-October, I attended a hearing on solitary confinement at Temple
University. One of our members, Shujaa Graham, was chosen to partake in a panel
and give his testimony on the subject. I accompanied him during the hearing and
that was my main reason for attending. Shujaa is an amazing and resilient
individual who spent three years on death row and in solitary confinement, but
he had spent many years in prison before that. While he was giving his
testimony, his preacher-like charisma filled the room and many of us were
brought to tears, including myself. He spoke about the absolute torture that is
inflicted upon solitary confinement prisoners and that many of them are placed
there, not because of their potential danger to other inmates, but because of
their political views that could influence other prisoners to advocate for
themselves against an unjust system. His testimony was well received and as he
finished, people stood up, applauded and praised him for his powerful yet heart
wrenching words. I was so honored to be in his presence. Shujaa is a true
survivor; he won his freedom and affirmed his innocence “in spite of the
system.”
Being a part of Witness to Innocence
has made me a more aware individual about the injustices surrounding Capital
Punishment within the U.S. We are the only Western society that continues to
practice legal homicide. The death penalty continues to perpetuate the cycle of
violence within our country and it condemned our members to live a life that
they wouldn’t have otherwise. Many of them deal with addiction and Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) because of what they went through and had to
endure during their incarceration. It is a grave injustice that innocent people
can fall through the cracks within the criminal justice system because of its
racism, poor legal representation and overall flawed protocol. Upon being
exonerated, former inmates are not entitled to any type of benefits such as
compensation, mental health services, and/or transitional resources. Even
though they have been exonerated, their records still indicate that they have
committed a felony and it serves as a tremendous road block within their lives.
But through their resilience, they are able to travel throughout the world and share
their stories while educating the public about the death penalty and innocence.
The
road to world-wide death penalty abolition is far from over, but here at
Witness to Innocence, I am able to be a vehicle for social justice and help
those who have been inflicted by an unjust system. It is truly a blessing to
serve our members and to be there for them. I am very grateful to have been
chosen for this year of service and it continues to inspire me in my everyday
life.
Veronika Castellanos - Witness to Innocence -Philadelphia, PA
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