Welcome Home James

Dear Friends and Family,


We have excellent news, James Walls, our friend, client, and volunteer partner has been granted parole after 43 long years!!

We are so proud of all the work James has done this past year and can’t wait for him to come home. He is a remarkable person with whom we have all become very close. He has uplifted us all with his humor, dedication and sincerity. 

James is a 68 year old man with an unfaltering spirit. His ultimate goal is to reunite with his family in Connecticut, where his sister has a room waiting for him. However, because interstate parole is not guaranteed and can be a lengthy process, he will be paroled initially to Westchester county. James may have to go to a shelter while he works to secure more permanent housing. He has never lived in New York State outside of prison and will need as much support as possible to land on his feet and build a life there.

In 1978 James made an impulsive decision that he deeply regrets - he agreed to commit burglary with two other men. James thought when he got into a van with his co-defendants that they would strictly be stealing property. Devastatingly, James was very wrong, and this crime resulted in the deaths of two women. It was uncontested, both at his trial and by the parole board ,that James was in no way personally involved in their deaths or any violence that day. Still, James has worked to pay tribute to these women by taking his personal responsibility for this crime very seriously. This spring James had the opportunity to make an apology video for his victims and worked hard to face his actions with genuine emotion and respect for the harm he caused. 

James hopes in the future to be able to help others in his situation work towards accountability and better express remorse and move towards healing. Please donate and help James adjust to life outside of prison and make the most of his time now that he can dedicate it to helping others.