Having been wrongfully convicted in 1996 for a robbery, and sentenced to 5 to 10 years after a jury trial, our Founder sought to learn the law while in prison. He took a legal research course earning a certificate. While in prison he became a jailhouse lawyer, assisting other prisoners with their individual cases. In one memorable case, he assisted a youth named Carlton on Riker’s Island in which the Manhattan district attorney had indicted him on 21 counts of Robbery. After reviewing his paperwork on his case, he saw that there was an issue with the identity of this young Black man. After sharing a manual on the "Science Behind Eyewitness Identification” and instructing him on how to study this manual, Carlton learned that the name of the arresting officer was withheld in the paperwork, and as a result, Carlton was not able to determine if the officer was also present at the witness' viewing of the suspects. Mr. Collins instructed him on how to present his finding to the court on his next court date. Doing exactly as advised Carlton raised his hand and the judge allowed him to speak. He asked the judge who was the arresting officer? The judge said, “Yeah that’s a good question.Who is the arresting officer in this case?” The judge told them that he’s going to adjourn the case and that they better find out who the arresting officer is. Before Mr. Carlton could exit the court, the A.D.A. offered him time served. Out of fear of the unknown Carlton accepted the offer.

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Too often this is the case with “Black and Brown” people. Often times we tend to plead guilty to crimes we didn’t commit to avoid the uncertainties of a trial with a court appointed attorney. With the litany of chicanery the Manhattan D.A. plays with cases involving police misconduct, according to Professor Lucian Servan at Belmont University College of Law, “Police can allow police misconduct to go unchecked, because mistakes and misbehavior often only emerge after defense attorneys gain access to witness interviews and other material, which they can use to test the strength of a government case before trial. The deal also exacerbates racial inequality, with Black defendants more often subject to prosecutors stacking multiple charges in drug and gun cases.” What the Founder was able to do by God’s Grace and wisdom for Carlton, he wants to do for other youth, which is consistent with their 6th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution to ‘assist in their defense’. Fresh-Mindz, Fresh-Livez, is the mentoring program that will reduce recidivism by cultivating professionalism and self-esteem in our misguided youth.