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 Tracy Ingle: Another Drug War Outrage; from Reason Magazine (US), 5/7/08 |
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Tracy Ingle: Another Drug War Outrage; from Reason Magazine (US), 5/7/08 |
Gardenia Jackson
19 years, 7 months for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base
My name is Gardenia Jackson. I am serving a ten-year to life sentence under the federal mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines. As I write this, I amlooking back over the past eight years of my life in this federal prison. My mind has been stretched to the limits of sanity. Mostly, I cannot fathom how and why in any way I should be spending this staggering amount of time behind this razor wire, away from my beloved son, Alex.
I was a drug addict. Today? Most of the time I lose all strength to fight; my days are consumed with worry over my son and his well being, afraid that I may lose him to the cold, cruel streets.
In order to help care for Alex financially I work at the government run factory, UNICOR, which pays very little per hour. After purchasing personal items for myself, I send the remainder home to help care for my son. He is only eleven years old, and at that age there is very little that he can do for himself.
I am a nonviolent drug law violator with a sentence much harsher than many violent offenders. I have acknowledged and accepted responsibility for the wrongs I committed during my drug-induced past, but I cannot accept that it's right for me to lose all this time apart from my child's life. Every day I hope and pray for comfort and one more chance at a fulfilling future with my son, and to live and work as a role model for him and other minors in a large, parentless community where stumbling blocks are a major part of life.
Yes, I have lost the connection with the natural rhythm of life because of all these years serving an unjust sentence, but with time, perseverance, and determination I can reassimilate myself into the outside community through infinite grace and wisdom. I refuse to allow this cruel and unusual punishment to defeat me or define me. I am a person, a woman, and a mother. I refuse to give up and let my son become a victim of this vicious cycle.
I am a loving mother in a very precarious situation, I made some mistakes, but I don't feel that taking away my life, and leaving my son without his mother is "just" punnishment.
Gardenia Jackson 47633-004
FCI Tallahassee
501 Capital Circle NE
Tallahassee, FL 32301
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