The U.S. continues to grapple with a pandemic and racial injustice in the midst of all of us continuing to worry about our most vulnerable loved ones. This is particularly true for those in nursing homes and prisons.

Gregory Cameron was born in 1958 into a middle class Christian family in Ft Lauderdale Florida. Greg married in 1981 and is the proud father of five adult children and eight grandchildren. He has been a Christian all his life, leading and counseling his family and those in his community. 

Greg was a teenager when his mother was diagnosed with bone cancer and subsequently succumbed to the illness shortly thereafter. Following this devastating loss while he was at a tender age and in the absence of support more commonly available today, Greg went off track, resorted to drugs, namely crack cocaine, and resorted to stealing to support his habit. 

Unfortunately, Greg has become a victim of Florida’s brutal and discriminatory habitual offenders’ law, which has devastated primarily the black community and was and continues to be rooted in racial bias. Greg’s crime was nonviolent, and he received a seventy (70) year sentence of which twenty (20) years has been served.

During his incarceration, Greg has been not only a model prisoner but a role model to his inmate peers by providing counseling service, educational direction and spiritual teachings and leadership to his fellow inmate. Greg has made good use of his time while incarcerated and he does not have a discipline record while being incarcerated.

Greg has and continues to struggle with health issues including prostrate and pancreatic cancers and other associated chronic illnesses that makes him extremely vulnerable to Covid-19. No one benefits by Greg serving the rest of his life in prison, but more importantly his life is specifically more at risk due to Covid-19 and his health conditions. It is well known that Covid-19 is on the rise in our prisons across this country that makes it a death sentence that cannot be avoided.

Greg poses absolutely no threat to society in his current state. He has always accepted responsibility for his crimes.  He deserves to spend the remaining period of his life – however limited it may be -- with his wife, Henrietta, and their now adult children and many grandchildren. In the face of seemingly insurmountable hurdles, we look for hope. We ask for empathy. We ask for compassion. We ask for help.

We have hired a Florida law firm that specializes in compassionate release applications to help Greg get a compassionate release. It has been shared with us that they believe we have a good chance but of course no promises can be made. If this first level is unsuccessful there can be an appeal. The initial process is estimated to cost $6,000. Anything you can contribute would go towards the initial legal fees and any subsequent appeal. Anything you can contribute would be greatly appreciated as we make a concerted effort to bring Greg home. Thank you in advance to any contributions and support provided.