Peace to All…

My name is Andre Gay, also known as Shabaka. I am 66 years old and I am a juvenile lifer who has been incarcerated for over 50 years. I have finally gotten my life sentence vacated and am now eligible for parole. I hope to make parole in July and am looking forward to coming home soon!

Over the years, I have gone through several transformations, evolving from a student of history, politics, social studies, and psychology, to a prison activist, teacher, mentor, and now, an elder. I am proudly one of the co-founders of the Human Rights Coalition (HRC), an organization that has been defending the rights and lives of prisoners for the last 20 years. Along with other HRC co-founders, I drafted a template for a Prisoner’s Bill of Rights and I plan to continue the fight for the rights of people behind the walls when I come home.

During my time in prison, I spent years studying and educating myself. I have taken numerous college courses - until the Pell Grants were discontinued. The college courses that I’ve taken were Math (Algebra, Trigonometry, Calculus), Anthropology, Linguistics, along with several others. Throughout my time in the prison, I have worked and continue to work on Restorative and Transformative Justice Programs and I will continue to fight for social justice upon my release.

I am looking forward to finally coming home, however, since I no longer have any family (to speak of), I am seeking some support financially to help me be stable. I just need some support for long enough to get on my feet, while I network with other social justice defenders to serve the community to whatever capacity I can.

Your assistance would be greatly appreciated!

Sincerely

Andre (Shabaka) Gay