As the executive director, these days, I don’t get a lot of chances to meet people at the gate when they are being released. I recently had a chance to get back out and do the thing that I love while training a new welcome driver. In November, we welcomed…
Released in March 2021, Ronald Sky Carter survived the COVID-19 outbreak in San Quentin that took the lives of 28 inmates and one custody officer. “I was one of the lucky ones to get a medical release because of COVID-19”, said Carter. As for freedom, “I feel like a newborn. …
First of all, if there were still sainthood granted to people, David and Rebecca should be made saints. As far as I’m concerned, I cannot think of a nicer couple or more involved couple that have made a difference in so many people’s lives. And they’ve done it without any…
Q- How was that first day? That first day I was able to see my wife. It was a feeling I thought would never happen. I had been in and out of jail so many times that I made the decision to change my life. I learned empathy before I…
What have you done since you’ve been out that you are most proud of? “I’m off parole,” he boomed. “I don’t have to stress about the state anymore. For me, that’s a real goal–you should have a goal the day you get out.” As his company website, The Close the…
Jerry served 25 years and was released in January 2020. “To be honest, when I first heard about Bonafide I didn’t see the need,” said Jerry. I was planning to go back to LA. That all changed when I was forced to change plans and stay in the Bay Area…
They made me serve 24 years for something for which a person normally gets only 18 months! I walked out of the courtroom both stunned and in disbelief… They’ll never allow this three-strikes to stay as law. And year after year, I watched and hoped that there would be some…
UnCommon Law honored Bonafide’s Executive Director, David Cowan with the 2019 UnCommon Hero’s Award. Watch his speech here or read it below. Thank you so much, Keith Watley and Uncommon Law for this amazing award. I was just shocked to find out that I was going to get it and…
Every donation serves our mission of ensuring that people affected by incarceration have the material, emotional and advocacy support they need to both integrate into society and build healthy, productive lives going forward.