From Prisoner to Advocate: Help Me Fund Law School

Hello everyone,

My name is John Vance, and I’m reaching out to share my journey with you.

As early as 6 years old, I faced severe beration, neglect, and beatings. My mother was a drug addict whose version of punishment was to lock me in a closet without food, water, or light for days on end. As I got older, the abuse only got worse, and like many children, I did not know if I would be able to eat or have a roof over my head.

By the time I was 15, years of this psychological and physical torment, with no outlet for expression, caused anger to fester within me. I became rebellious. I followed the lead of an older boy, and we committed a horrible crime for which I was sentenced to a lifetime in prison. While still a juvenile, I was directly sent into the general population of the notorious Indiana State Prison.

When I entered prison, I had no idea what to expect. I was a scrawny, white kid from the suburbs unfamiliar with street life just trying to cope with the guilt, remorse, and shame I felt for what I had done. I was left to spend day after day, year after year, longing for the freedom, safety, and help that I feared would never come.

Amid the chaos, education and service became my guiding light. I set myself on a trajectory of self-improvement by obtaining my education and participating in a variety of programs including over 17,000 hours of U.S. Department of Labor apprenticeships. As I learned, I felt a responsibility and commitment to share my knowledge with others. I served as a tutor, a mentor, and a liaison between staff and the incarcerated. I helped guide inmates through the grievance process and found success as a jailhouse lawyer. I also began to speak to kids and students seeking careers in criminal justice about the perils of coming to an adult prison. I even helped propose and organize fundraisers for local community charities.

Slowly but surely, I rebuilt myself as a man whose character would honor my victim, my community, and my loved ones as a servant leader. With newfound faith in myself, I successfully petitioned to appeal my conviction and after a hard legal battle, I prevailed. In his decision, the judge saw in me a “a man who, by dint of sheer will, has remade himself during the last thirty years spent in the Indiana Department of Correction.” After serving 31 years in prison, over 60% of my life, I am finally a free man.

Since my release a little over a year ago, I’ve been working tirelessly to contribute positively to society. My experience behind bars has instilled in me a passion for advocacy and a desire to help others navigate the criminal justice legal system, especially as it relates to juvenile convictions. This has led me to my current position as a paralegal at the Marion County Public Defender Agency.

I am happy to say that I have also been accepted to complete a J.D. at Indiana University McKinney School of Law. However, the financial burden of educational expenses is a significant obstacle standing in my way. As someone with a criminal record, securing financial aid and scholarships has been difficult. While I've been working tirelessly to save money and explore all available options, I still need assistance to cover the remaining costs. That’s why I am reaching out to you for support.

By contributing to this campaign, you'll be investing in more than just my education. You'll be investing in the future of someone who is committed to making a difference in our legal system. With your help, I can break the cycle of my past and pave the way for a brighter future.

Every donation, no matter how small, will make a significant impact on my journey. Any support you can offer means the world to me. Whether you're able to contribute financially or simply share my story with your network, your support is invaluable.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for believing in me and my dreams. Together, we can prove that second chances do exist and that with determination and support, anything is possible.

With gratitude,

John T. Vance