Should this man still be incarcerated?
On January 31, 2011, two months into his 21st birthday, Cory Richardson was arrested in Rockford, IL and charged in connection with a 2010 shooting that resulted in somebody losing their life. Roughly three years later, he was convicted and sentenced to serve 32 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Because his sentence was imposed by the court pursuant to Illinois’ Truth-in-Sentencing statute, Richardson is ineligible to receive sentence credits for good behavior, proof of rehabilitation, completion of assignments, programs or schooling, and must serve 100% of his sentence.
Prior to this conviction, Cory was categorized as an at risk youth. As a child he grew up in a house plagued by drug addiction and domestic violence in the Chicagoland area. At 14, he dropped out of school. At 15, he was arrested for a drug related offense, and by 16 he was incarcerated in a juvenile detention facility for defending his family in a domestic dispute that turned violent. After being released he was 17 years old, homeless, bouncing from place to place in and around Chicago. At 18, in an attempt to change his life for the better, Cory tried to enlist in the Army, Navy, Marines, and National Guard but was denied by recruiters due to his pending criminal probationary period, and just alike, seeking employment was met with the same resistance.
Years of the same downward trend resulted in Cory making a bad decision. Feeling hopeless, unaware and in deep need of assistance, he chose to rob a drug house in hopes of making a quick dollar to help support his newborn daughter. He never intended to somebody to lose their life and still was sentenced to serve 32 years in prison without any opportunity to receive sentence credits for proof of rehabilitative progress.
Is that just? Is it really reducing recidivism to do away with our youth like Cory? Also, without any incentive to better while in prison, how can we expect people to do better when they get out of prison? It’s oxymoronic.
Fast forward to present day. Completely different than majority of the people exposed to similar circumstances, Cory has shown over the span of 16 years that he isn’t the terrible choice he made as a youth. He’s responsible, disciplined, a loving father, respectful, extremely intellectual, a great teacher with a professional work ethic, and ultimately somebody you would feel safe knowing he’s your neighbor. He has graduated four separate college courses, receiving certifications in paralegal studies, civil law, warehousing management, and culinary arts. Achieving honors in all. Although all of his accolades award sentencing credits that would normally permit for an earlier release, consequently, the judgement imposed by the court in Cory’s case deems ineligible to receive such awards.
I ask again is this just? In his 16 years of incarceration, Cory Richardson has maintained employment, graduated college four times, has helped hundreds of people and hasn’t had one violent infraction. Is fhe really irreparable and unable to flourish in society? Or did the court jmake a mistake with this one? Also if you’re seeking assistance with preparing legalb filings or pursuing legal action you can contact Cory Richardson directly on the CorrLinks app. His PIC# is M40400