After nearly 32 years of incarceration, the Maryland Parole Board unanimously recommended that Governor Larry Hogan parole me. With the recommendation, the governor had three options: grant, deny, or be inactive. Once the governor favored the later, after 180 days of inactivity, the decision of the parole board became definite.
On December 20, 2021, I was formally notified by the parole board that my parole was official in accordance with Correctional Services Article 7-301. I was ecstatic to say the least.
Scripture has taught me to rejoice in hope, preserver in affliction, and be in constant prayer. These virtues provided me the mental capacity to endure overwhelming odds.
I shut my eyes, then lowered my head momentarily, and thanked Jesus with every fiber in my body. It felt like a thousand-pound weight was lifted off my shoulders.
Since then, I’ve reflected on the impact the past three decades has had on my life. Considering all that I have experienced – both positive and negative, one poignant question comes to mind: What lessons have I learned?
The first lesson that I learned: One should establish a spiritual foundation. The initial phase of any construction is the creation of a solid base on which the building rests. The same can be said of our lives. To achieve a balanced existence, a foundation consisting of moral uprightness, decency, and self-respect is a prerequisite.
My past foundation was influenced by a culture that shamelessly embraces promiscuity, over indulgence, and winning at all cost. So, I decided to place my faith in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Scripture has taught me to rejoice in hope, preserver in affliction, and be in constant prayer. These virtues provided me the mental capacity to endure overwhelming odds.
The second lesson: Nurturing relationships are important. Family is what I longed for the most while in prison. I dreaded the holidays. They were the worst days. On holidays bitterness and resentment seized my soul as I laid in my cell, my mind plagued with memories of all the fun I once enjoyed with my family and friends.
Decades behind concrete walls and barb-wired fences deprived me of everything loving relationships pour into others. I eagerly utilized every method afforded me to remain connected to my siblings, parents, and friends such as phone calls, greeting cards, letters, and visits.
After 32 Years, I am Leaving the Dregs of Prison Life
On the Other Side
Visits were especially significant because they offered a brief escape, if only mentally from the dregs of prison life. I’m extremely fortunate to have met the love of my life, my best friend, and future wife, Ivy, through Port Of Harlem magazine. Having her in my life provided me hope and love. She is a constant encouragement who refuses to let me give up.
It is my earnest prayer that the tough lessons I’ve learned will be learned by others before it is too late for them and they harm another of God’s children, and become one of my ex-cellmates’ cell buddy.
A sad truth for many prisoners; however, is that their families abandon them. The younger the prisoner, the more devastating the separation from family and friends impose on their mental health. COVID-19 only exacerbates the strain to maintain connections.
The third and final lesson: Incarceration is not worth the crime. Hollywood has an infamous history of glorifying the immoral, the profane, and the detestable. Any lifestyle that tolerates Hollywood’s carnal nature is too often encouraged, celebrated, and re-tweeted.
It’s interesting how those who eulogize intemperance miserably neglect the effects of anti-social behavior: life in a cell the size of an average bathroom, and for some, being so addicted to drugs and alcohol that one is willing to take another’s life, and utterly willing to destroy oneself and entire family.
I am very fortunate to receive a second chance. I apologize and take responsibility for the harm I placed on my victim and his family, friends, and community. It is my earnest prayer that the tough lessons I’ve learned will be learned by others before it is too late for them and they harm another of God’s children, and become one of my ex-cellmates’ cell buddy.
Port Of Harlem is free and since we have gone to the less income-generating electronic format, we struggle to pay our contributors. We would like to raise $300 dollars to support and pay Michael for his upcoming articles as he lands on his feet, and finds a job and his new life. You can contribute today.
It is my earnest prayer that the tough lessons I’ve learned will be learned by others before it is too late for them and they harm another of God’s children, and become one of my ex-cellmates’ cell buddy.
A sad truth for many prisoners; however, is that their families abandon them. The younger the prisoner, the more devastating the separation from family and friends impose on their mental health. COVID-19 only exacerbates the strain to maintain connections.
The third and final lesson: Incarceration is not worth the crime. Hollywood has an infamous history of glorifying the immoral, the profane, and the detestable. Any lifestyle that tolerates Hollywood’s carnal nature is too often encouraged, celebrated, and re-tweeted.
It’s interesting how those who eulogize intemperance miserably neglect the effects of anti-social behavior: life in a cell the size of an average bathroom, and for some, being so addicted to drugs and alcohol that one is willing to take another’s life, and utterly willing to destroy oneself and entire family.
I am very fortunate to receive a second chance. I apologize and take responsibility for the harm I placed on my victim and his family, friends, and community. It is my earnest prayer that the tough lessons I’ve learned will be learned by others before it is too late for them and they harm another of God’s children, and become one of my ex-cellmates’ cell buddy.
You Can Welcome Port Of Harlem Contributor
Tyrone Colbert Home
Port Of Harlem is free and since we have gone to the less income-generating electronic format, we struggle to pay our contributors. We would like to raise $300 dollars to support and pay Michael for his upcoming articles as he lands on his feet, and finds a job and his new life. You can contribute today.
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