Naser's Story - Help Give Him a SecondChance
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This is Naser's Story (his own words)
I'm currently 29 years old and I have been incarcerated since I was 17. I'm serving 27 years in prison for armed robbery. I had a rough childhood. I have two sisters. One is disabled. My mother has severe mental health disorders and my father has drug issues. He has been in and out of prison and he was abusive. I wen through a lot growing up. I started battling with mental health issues at a young age. I never seeked treatment because I didn't understand what I was dealing with. I started getting in trouble at the age of 15. At the age of 17 I got charged with 3 armed robbery cases. I had 2 adult co-defendants that blamed everything on me. They made me out to be the mastermind which was not true. They influenced me. I was a stupid kid. I was scared to cooperate so I received 27 years and one my co-defendants got 4 years the other got 8 years. I should have cooperated. If I cooperated I would have probably gotten juvenile life. The firearm that was used did not work. It was broken. Nobody's life was in danger. I scared some people and deserve to be locked up, but I did not deserve all this time they gave me. Me and my co-defendants should have been punished equally. I did not have a paid attorney. My lawyer advised me to take it to trial so I did. I should have never did that. I was young and naive. I have been through hell since I been locked up for the past 12 and a half years. I was raised in the system. I have become institutionalized. It has been rough. I was supposed to go to a juvenile facility and never should have came to prison. Prison messed me up mentally. I've been to the juvenile facility, the jail, and three different prisons. I can't take it no more. In 2008 I got in some trouble and I tried to take my life. That's when I knew something was wrong with me. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I was prescribed two different medications. Ever since I have been taking the medicine and talking to mental health I have been out of trouble. My whole life I have been battling with mental health issues but nobody knew. I want to get back in court and get re-sentenced. I don't want to go home at the age of 45. I just want a second chance in life. I've been locked up long enough. I want to be with my sisters. I will never return to prison.
- Naser
I'm currently 29 years old and I have been incarcerated since I was 17. I'm serving 27 years in prison for armed robbery. I had a rough childhood. I have two sisters. One is disabled. My mother has severe mental health disorders and my father has drug issues. He has been in and out of prison and he was abusive. I wen through a lot growing up. I started battling with mental health issues at a young age. I never seeked treatment because I didn't understand what I was dealing with. I started getting in trouble at the age of 15. At the age of 17 I got charged with 3 armed robbery cases. I had 2 adult co-defendants that blamed everything on me. They made me out to be the mastermind which was not true. They influenced me. I was a stupid kid. I was scared to cooperate so I received 27 years and one my co-defendants got 4 years the other got 8 years. I should have cooperated. If I cooperated I would have probably gotten juvenile life. The firearm that was used did not work. It was broken. Nobody's life was in danger. I scared some people and deserve to be locked up, but I did not deserve all this time they gave me. Me and my co-defendants should have been punished equally. I did not have a paid attorney. My lawyer advised me to take it to trial so I did. I should have never did that. I was young and naive. I have been through hell since I been locked up for the past 12 and a half years. I was raised in the system. I have become institutionalized. It has been rough. I was supposed to go to a juvenile facility and never should have came to prison. Prison messed me up mentally. I've been to the juvenile facility, the jail, and three different prisons. I can't take it no more. In 2008 I got in some trouble and I tried to take my life. That's when I knew something was wrong with me. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I was prescribed two different medications. Ever since I have been taking the medicine and talking to mental health I have been out of trouble. My whole life I have been battling with mental health issues but nobody knew. I want to get back in court and get re-sentenced. I don't want to go home at the age of 45. I just want a second chance in life. I've been locked up long enough. I want to be with my sisters. I will never return to prison.
- Naser
Organizer
Vanessa Garcia
Organizer
Herndon, VA
