Second Chances
Yesterday, was the last day of April— "Second Chances" month. Yep, today is May.
I've only met Robert "Reentry Rob" Groves in person once. By the end of that PA Prison Society visit, I was doggy paddling in a sea of rippling emotions, with two main undercurrents: astonished inspiration amidst deadweight depression. I basically sat and listened, took intentional breaths and ultimately came upon a moment of clarity. I told Rob "I'd be willing to help in some way" with his project The Groves Notebook. Rob is down almost 27 years on a Life Without the Possibility of Parole (LWOP) sentence at SCI Phoenix, about an hour from Philadelphia.
Fast forward through seven months, over 100 phone calls and countless emails. Rob and I have collaboratively built up his project and extended it to two new platforms. FYI The Groves Notebook Facebook Page is managed for Rob by a man who was sentenced to LWOP at the age of 17, who received a second chance when the law was deemed unconstitutional after serving 30 years for a crime he did not commit. Now The Groves Notebook is on Instagram. Together, Rob and I co-host the "Life Without Parole" radio show to bring sound to the The Groves Notebook. It airs live on Fete Life Station every Friday 9-10am ET. We are working to develop The Groves Notebook into a non-profit clearinghouse of directly impacted voices.
My mindfulness practice keeps illustrating my common humanity with Rob, and why I am compelled to help ease his suffering. It points me to recognize this with each incarcerated lifer and loved one I interact with for the show. I rely on my practice to help me ground and focus while navigating this deep and highly emotional terrain where I typically feel completely out of my element.
I believe we are 100% accountable for our words and actions, and since mistakes are inevitable, we deserve the chance not only to repair our harm, but to participate in the transformation of our systems by working on the deeper issue(s) surrounding the offense. This concept, known as "transformative justice", is essentially how humans grow and thrive. As author Wes Moore puts it, "We are all better than our worst decision, our sense of justice should honor the redemptive possibilities inherent in every person, and our destinies are truly intertwined." This is the fundamental reason why I am grateful to do this work with Rob.
Rob and I were two strangers who miraculously became "partners in crime". We seek to amplify essential voices, to educate from a variety of perspectives and to build more support for sensible parole eligibility legislation. Our common state of PA is one of six states that provides NO eligibility for parole once sentenced to "mandatory life in prison". Since 2003 there has been a 66% rise in those serving LWOP sentences (The Sentencing Project). Representative Jason Dawkins and Senator Sharif Street (recently an L-WOP Radio guest) are working to move Bill 135 forward to combat death by incarceration. Senator Street provides an easy online template for contacting your legislator to support the Senate bill.
It's probably a rare person who feels at peace with the idea of dying in prison. What or whom are YOU struggling for a second chance with? If you are reading this, then you are gifted not just with the capacity to grow your heart, but the freedom to follow it.