Bug’s Parole Hearing
Bug’s Background
My lil’ brother, Bug, was arrested at 16-years-old and convicted of second degree murder and given a twenty to life sentence. Bug has done a majority of his time at Pelican Bay for the exception of being transferred to Calipatria in Southern California. Now he’s in Ironwood State Prison. Bug has served almost double his life in prison, not ever been incarcerated until his arrest of murder as a child. Bug had no right to a life and he’s remorseful of taking another man’s life.
I believe that back in the Eighties Crack destroyed the Black middle-class family structure with the building of prisons & strengthening of the foster care system and the failing of the education system prescribing Ritalin, marginalizing communities as hyper-active, aggressive children: “Designing the Prison Pipeline”. Yes, Bug was wrong and served his time. Keep in mind he was sentenced before the Three Strikes Laws. Two wrongs don’t make a right!
My little brother has support, housing, employment; he’s still able to marry and father children and he’s in good health. I’m speaking out because I and my family are looking for resources to advocate for him to come home.
Bug’s Hearing
The Family traveled from Little Rock, Arkansas and Modesto, California to support our baby brother’s parole hearing. My little brother, Bug, has been incarcerated for second-degree murder. Although Bug has been to many parole hearings before over his thirty-five years of being incarcerated, we all thought that, “This Parole Hearing Felt Different”. Bug was hopeful of his release because of his many years in prison. Bug told me, his eldest sister, this is the first time he felt and imagined himself being granted parole. So, the family traveled from far and near to stand with expectations and hopeful spirits with our baby being paroled. Unfortunately, Bug was denied again, as his lawyer met family members at Ironwood State Prison entrance stating Bug was coming home, but not today, hopefully next year. As the attorney gave us words of encouragement for a future release. All I could think about of how my little brother must feel of being denied again.
Bug called us and encouraged us as a family with gratitude. At that moment God strengthened our hearts & spirits so we still 
celebrated our little brother release in God’s timing. Although Bug is still incarcerated in Ironwood State Prison he’s free in his mind and spirit standing on the Word that God has a purpose for his life to be a blessing to the troubled youth of today being entangled within the criminal justice system. Only God can keep and preserve a thuggish youth boy and change him into a self-confident remorseful man. Just like Daniel, when God releases Bug he won’t have the scent or appearance of over thirty years of incarceration.
Submitted by Yvette. You can contact her at:
victoriousblackwomen@yahoo.com
http://victoriousblackwomen.
Prison the Hidden Sentence supports ALL cultures and religions that provide positive support to the prison family. All people involved in the prison family are affected when a loved one is incarcerated. As you can see from Yvette’s story, it’s important for the prison family to support each other, no matter where their family members are. It’s also important to close the empathy gap so that people outside of their family support them and not pass judgement on crimes committed by a family member. When Bug is released, it’s important that he has his family and community support so that he can rejoin society as a contributing citizen. That being said, there is the initial healing process that the family will need to go through upon his initial release. This is where the family’s faith in their beliefs and each other will prevail.