Overcoming obstacles: The struggle for true freedom after paying my debt to society

Society has its laws and institutions that it applies to those who need correction and punishment for stepping out of the line. This is completely comprehensible and I fully agree with it. Everything that we do, every action, either good or bad, has consequences, reactions and repercussions that follow, unfailingly. But what happens after we have paid our debt to the society?

There is not a single country where the constitution allows double punishment by law. Once we have fully paid, either in flesh or, better yet, in time, we should be finally free. In my case, this process lasted almost 19 years. As I write this blog post I am not still free. Today I was at the courthouse, signing my second-to-last conditional freedom form, a process I have been going through for nearly eight years as I fight to regain back my citizenship and, one day, be a free man. Even when that happens I will still face the consequences of my past actions. And I am finr with that. Society and the justice system demand that we get back to work. Isn’t that the whole idea of being a law abiding citizen?

Well, my fellow human beings, it is not as simple as many people think. I can tell you from my personal experience that, until now, I have had many difficulties in securing honest work. I am a foreigner in another country without ID, social security number, address, bank account, family, health insurance etc. The list goes on. To this day I have been fired from a couple of jobs due to my history, and it always comes down to people who want make my path harder. The honest way of life does not make some people happy. Some want to send me back to prison for the rest of my life, to be forgotten in a dark, humid dungeon and possibly one day to be slaughtered and dismembered quartered just like many men I witnessed meet their end in Brazil's prison system, which is more close to a concentration camp or a slave ship than a correctional institution or facility. "Re-socialization" is the word used in these cases. But is the society truly ready and willing to this law which it self-exiges?

My encounters with the police - both good and bad - have taught me many lessons about how human beings act when they hate and fear something or someone. I can guarantee you that there are both kinds of people. The very good ones see my story as an achievement, while the very bad ones can’t accept or handle the success I've had. I understand both perspectives. What I want to say is that if justice demands that a condemned person works and pays taxes like everyone else after they are freed, that path is often made at least five times harder by people who want to make the path steeper and rockier. I never wanted the easy way; that’s why I became a professional criminal. And I don’t want it now either. The next time you encounter a ex-convict, ask yourself:

Will I help him to be a better person? Or will I close my eyes to the injustices they are forced to face?

This world can be a better place but it always starts with one person who has the courage to. withstand the obstacles some of us are forced to endure. Only a judge can condemn someone, but turning a blind eye to injustice is something far worse - and it’s illegal. Would a death penalty be a solution? I don’t think so. I am no innocent person but I have been condemned against proofs and injustice. Thankfully there is no death penalty in Brazil - at least not legally. However, the Brazilian prison system produces thousands of deaths every year like slaughter machine that never stops. Yes they are consequences, but they are not applied by law.

If the society will not do its part - through I understand why - will you do yours when the time comes? I will continue my deeds as a changed man. The fight has only just begun.

Thank you for reading until here. It means a lot to me and many others.

Preparing for a fight with my father behind