Ernest Mora

Joe: Yeah,  definitely tap into the community and the resources, right?

Ernest : Yes.

Joe: All right, that’s awesome advice.

Joe: Okay, #7. Is there a family member or someone close to you that you would like to speak to the impact of you coming home?

Ernest : Eileen Collins. She is my biggest support. She’s my cousin. She stepped into my life after the passing of my grandmother. We were cousins, but we weren’t always close. So, when my grandmother passed, Eileen promised her that she’d be there for me. I would find out where I was at, then maintain visits, maintain contacts. And so, she’s been my biggest supporter.

Joe: Yeah, yeah, I love Eileen. It’s ironic you say grandma because my grandma, may she rest in peace made a big impact on my life. I had a praying grandma.

Ernest : Oh, yeah, me too. My grandma was my best friend, she was more my mom than my grandma, but…We’re really close.

Joe: And with that in mind, how have you freed yourself from the trauma of incarceration?

Ernest : It’s a day by day process. We talk about…in our meetings that there’s a lot of residue from the prison life, from being incarcerated for so long. From the way we act, the way we talk, the way we carry ourselves and the things we’ve experienced, the things we’ve seen. And I wouldn’t say that I’m totally free. I’ve only been out for six months. We talk about the trauma. We have talking circles here at the transitional house. So, it’s being able to get it out and letting them know how it affected you being honest with you, being real with your feelings. I know as men that we don’t want to talk about our feelings, you know, we’re… we’re taught to ignore feelings, we’re taught to mail them home in an envelope and don’t deal with them. But when you’ve been through some trauma, not only incarceration trauma, but the trauma you experience from the life of being incarcerated, the things we see that go on there. From the level fours all the way down to the level two, there’s enormous amount of violence. And so that’s traumatic. And so being able to just talk about it, get in and out.

Joe: And you said that happens in the support circles where you’re at in the transitional housing?

Ernest : Yeah, we’re afforded talking circles, talk about whatever you want. There’s trauma meetings. And I guess it depends on all the transitional houses, but this transitional house. It’s all about healing and…Getting rid of the trauma and not really getting rid of it, but being able to talk about it instead of keeping it so repressed, you know?

Joe: Process it.

Ernest : Yeah. Processing it. Exactly. And, you know, I had dealt with a lot of it because from 2017 to 2020. I was a palliative care technician. I worked with the terminally ill, was a nursing assistant. I was the guy’s friend until he died. In that building I worked in, they only had 18 months to live, so I had a lot of patients, a lot of men that I interacted with on a daily basis that would… one day, they’re there, and next day I go to work, they’re gone. I’m like, wow, that’s how fast death would come. So being able to talk about that and process it like you said.

Joe: And what prison was that at?

Ernest : I was in the California healthcare facility in Stockton, California.

Joe: Okay, so shout out to that, to the Palliative Care in Stockton, and shout out to the transitional program, and that sounds like an awesome program. Lastly, how do you see ending the sense of life without the possibility of parole?

Ernest : What I would say…Just give every LWOP a chance to prove themself at the parole board. I think if they would allow more people who are serving a life without parole sentence to go to the parole board and show the changes that they have made in their life, not just the outward physical changes, but the mental changes, the internalization of everything. Give them a shot. And I believe the more people that earn their date, I had to earn mine. I got resentenced through the courts, went to the parole board, got evaluated by a psychologist, and went through the whole nine yards. I did it. I was found suitable my first chance that I was given to go to the parole board. I know there’s so many, so many outlooks in there. That can do it. I think that’s a start; giving them an opportunity and once they start seeing that, look, these guys can change, they can make a difference, they can give back to society, they were kids, when they made their mistake, you know or their bad decision. But I think that’s how it starts. And the more success that they have in granting parole to those who are once sentenced to life without parole. It will be easier for them to realize, man, they don’t even need this sentence. Because they’re going to do years as it is.

Joe: Right.

Ernest : And it’s not like you’re going to get found suitable the first time unless you’ve internalized everything, unless you’re truly remorseful. It starts on the inside. And then, like I said, there’s a lot of individual brothers and sisters who are serving life without parole. They just want that one opportunity.

Joe: Well said. Well said, Ernie. Thank you for that.

Ernest : Thank you.

Joe: And Moneaya, do you want to add anything or did we miss anything?

Moneaya : Well, no, Joe, you did an excellent job. What I do want to say to Ernie is congratulations on getting your driver’s permit. I am really proud of you. You are an amazing person; from the first time we met. Goodbye, have a positive attitude, you’re a go-getter. Just keep that same attitude. I’m wishing you the best.