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Ask HN: Just got an innocent man out of prison. What now?

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Re: Ask HN: Just got an innocent man out of prison. What now?

#171

Post by drawnalong »

I'm an Afghan combat veteran in Los Angeles who has recent first hand knowledge of how to navigate the homeless-to-housing pipeline through the West LA VA, along with a great resource list of other things: transitional housing, transport, getting into the VA system, psychiatric care, benefits claims, VSOs (veteran service organizations) and so on.

Also, if Ray wants to speak to a good counselor, a Vietnam combat vet and outstanding man, I can't speak any more highly than my own counselor. I credit with him with me still being around.

Happy to assist in any way whatsoever. My email is username at gmail.

Re: Ask HN: Just got an innocent man out of prison. What now?

#172

Post by spacehome »

peteforde wrote: post #169
ClintEhrlich wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm a big fan of Homeboy Industries, so I appreciate the suggestion. But I don't think it's fair to put Ray into a program for ex-gang members. Ray is a clean-cut, straight-arrow kind of guy, so it's been very hard for him to spend the last 11 years of his life surrounded by actual criminals. He really wants to become just another person — not an ex-con.

Look, you've really gone above and beyond here. I think that's awesome. But it's a bit of a drag to see you write off "ex-gang members" the way that you did. These are human beings that deserve your respect. If someone does their time and holds down a job, what's not to admire? Your man was a soldier and he survived 11 years in prison as an innocent man. I suspect that he'd really enjoy meeting the folks at Homeboy e…

I decide who deserves my respect, thank you very much.

Re: Ask HN: Just got an innocent man out of prison. What now?

#173

Post by drjesusphd »

anonbanker wrote: post #167
developer2 wrote: post #118

I know this is off topic to the direct question at hand but his case, assuming the talking points found on this page I found[1] are true, is scary. No evidence whatsoever, including fingernail DNA that excluded him? What the actual fuck. >> Mr. Jennings voluntarily submitted to hours of police interviews and interrogations and a polygraph test without objection or legal representation. >> The evidence presented again…

Don't speak to police unless you can handle your business.

This is dangerous advice. Chances are you cannot "handle your business" to such an extent that you can out-maneuver professionals with years of training whose sole aim is to put you behind bars.

Don't talk to police.

Re: Ask HN: Just got an innocent man out of prison. What now?

#174

Post by ZenoArrow »

spacehome wrote: post #172
peteforde wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Look, you've really gone above and beyond here. I think that's awesome. But it's a bit of a drag to see you write off "ex-gang members" the way that you did. These are human beings that deserve your respect. If someone does their time and holds down a job, what's not to admire? Your man was a soldier and he survived 11 years in prison as an innocent man. I suspect that he'd really enjoy meeting the folks at Homeboy e…

I decide who deserves my respect, thank you very much.

So someone who has made mistakes in the past but is trying to turn their life around doesn't deserve your respect?

Re: Ask HN: Just got an innocent man out of prison. What now?

#175

Post by wallace_f »

peteforde wrote: post #169
ClintEhrlich wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm a big fan of Homeboy Industries, so I appreciate the suggestion. But I don't think it's fair to put Ray into a program for ex-gang members. Ray is a clean-cut, straight-arrow kind of guy, so it's been very hard for him to spend the last 11 years of his life surrounded by actual criminals. He really wants to become just another person — not an ex-con.

Look, you've really gone above and beyond here. I think that's awesome. But it's a bit of a drag to see you write off "ex-gang members" the way that you did. These are human beings that deserve your respect. If someone does their time and holds down a job, what's not to admire? Your man was a soldier and he survived 11 years in prison as an innocent man. I suspect that he'd really enjoy meeting the folks at Homeboy e…

You make a good point that we should not completely condemn and deride people who have moved on from making bad choices and have become positive individuals for others to be around.

However, I think it is fair: someone who has spent 11 years in prison and continues to endure punishment for a crime they did not commit does deserve special treatment. He deserves to be where he would be had he never been falsely accused in the first place. I don't think that is with an ex-con/ex-gang recovery organization, no matter how good it is.

Re: Ask HN: Just got an innocent man out of prison. What now?

#176

Post by spacehome »

ZenoArrow wrote: post #174
spacehome wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I decide who deserves my respect, thank you very much.

So someone who has made mistakes in the past but is trying to turn their life around doesn't deserve your respect?

Honestly? If that's all I knew about this hypothetical person, then no, I would not feel they deserve my respect.

I feel like "trying to turn their life around" is code for doing the bare minimum to live in a civilized society. (Get a legal job, pay your taxes, take care of your kids, and don't break the law)

Re: Ask HN: Just got an innocent man out of prison. What now?

#177

Post by moptar »

I don't understand why there's such unanimous words of support for someone who directly contributed to the half million deaths in the Iraq war. I know it's unrelated to his case, but perhaps his prison sentence and current predicament can be seen as karmic retribution. I know that's not how justice works, but I don't think we'd see such enthusiastic support for a serial killer who had trouble supporting himself after getting released.

Re: Ask HN: Just got an innocent man out of prison. What now?

#180

Post by gmac »

drjesusphd wrote: post #173
anonbanker wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't speak to police unless you can handle your business.

This is dangerous advice. Chances are you cannot "handle your business" to such an extent that you can out-maneuver professionals with years of training whose sole aim is to put you behind bars. Don't talk to police.

I'm not qualified to say whether this is good advice from an individual's perspective, but from the point of view of a society that would like justice to be done this is just extraordinarily screwed up. How are the police going to solve crimes if nobody will talk to them?
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