Memoir

My Cousin Spent Half His Life in Prison

That’s a lot of lost time

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Twenty-five years. That’s a lot of lost time from one’s life.

My cousin Carl can’t seem to follow the rules of society. He keeps doing things leading to an arrest, conviction and time behind bars. His prison time was not served all at once. He’s been in and out, like a revolving door at a department store. He’s living proof that rehabilitation doesn’t always work.

A downward spiral

His criminal career began in 1986 when he was charged with criminal sexual abuse. It was an unfortunate situation. He was 19 and dated a much younger teen.

Her parents pressed charges after they found out Carl had sex with their daughter (neither of them were virgins and it was consensual). Yes, it was bad judgment on his part because in the late ’80s this age gap was not acceptable or legal.

When my grandma married my grandpa, she was 16 and he was 25. No one thought anything of it. Today, my grandpa would be called a pervert and possibly be incarcerated. Times change and we have to try to adapt, although it’s not always easy.

This offense was coupled with the fact that Carl had a shotgun without a permit. A friend gave it to him, and for whatever reason…