“Whether in prison or in free society, I’ll continue teaching and demonstrating, through my actions, how to channel negativity and frustration into positive behavior.” OP-ED
By JOHN MOORE, JR. • NY AMSTERDAM NEWS
Left: Moore (center) with daughter Rontika, son John Moore III, and grandson Nasir. Right: John Moore with his associate’s degree from Corning Community College. (Photo: Courtesy of John Moore Jr./A’dam News)
Thirty years ago, I was sentenced to life without parole for killing a young man on Buffalo’s East Side. I was twenty. Since my incarceration, I have been committed to change and to helping others find a path to rehabilitation. I have earned a college degree, counseled peers through crisis, and mentored at-risk youth trying to find a way out of the same violent environment I grew up in. The possibility of clemency — the opportunity for Gov. Kathy Hochul to reduce a prison sentence — has provided a new path to hope and freedom.
The widespread use of life without parole sentencing confines people who could otherwise be contributing to our communities. Without clemency, thousands of New Yorkers will die behind bars, many for crimes committed in their adolescence. In recognizing the harshness of excessive prison sentences and the value of redemption, Hochul should take bold action when it comes to clemency, particularly for people serving life sentences.