18 Years Lost: Phenlee Needs Your Support

My name is Phenlee Rey De Silva (formerly Milton Lemons). I served 18 years and 10 months in prison after I was convicted of murder. In 2012, the Michigan Innocence Clinic began representing me. After 12 long years of being represented by the Innocence Clinic, I was finally released from prison after the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that my conviction should be overturned because new evidence showed that a new jury would probably find me innocent. I was released on August 23, 2024. Despite the Michigan Supreme Court's ruling, the state said that it planned to re-try me for the murder. After a lot of reflection, I decided to accept a plea deal instead of taking a chance by going to trial again. I pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and the state agreed to a sentence of time-served, meaning I would not have to return to prison. I took this plea because I could not imagine having even a 1% chance of returning to prison. I am a proud trans woman but when I was locked up, I was in a men's prison and lived in fear everyday. I was assaulted several times. The thought of living with that fear again paralyzed me, and I decided that taking the plea deal was the best thing for me.

Because I took this deal, I am not able to get compensation from the state for those 18 years and 10 months of my life that I suffered in prison. Now, I'm asking for your help. When I was first released, I had nothing. I moved in with relatives and then to an apartment funded by the state. Now that it's been almost a year since my release, I have to move out and find my own place by August 23. But since I was released from prison, I've faced constant challenges. I wasn't able to get a job for six months because the state wouldn't give me an ID card. Then, I fractured my foot which kept me from getting a job for four more months. Now, I finally have a part-time job but I'm still struggling.

And the stress of losing my apartment has made my health even worse. I'm trying to put my life back together after almost two decades of being locked up. But I can't do it alone. Right now, I barely have enough money to stay off the streets. I would be so grateful for any help you can give me to help get my life back on track after so much of it was taken from me.

Thank you,

Phenlee Rey De Silva