Bobby Stewart: Medical Health & Elders Inside (Life After A Second Chance Series #1)

In collaboration with the Maryland Parole Partnership, the ACLU of Maryland is proud to introduce the “Life After a Second Chance” series. A project that puts real faces and real voices behind policies that do not serve our communities and what it means to give people who are incarcerated a second chance.

In this premiere episode, "Bobby Stewart – Medical Health & Elders Inside," you'll hear directly from Bobby - a father, grandfather and great grandfather, who was incarcerated for 42 years, and in that time lost his son. In his words, he wonders what kind of a mentor and father he could have been before his son’s death if he was released at least 10 years earlier. Bobby also mentions the vulnerability that elderly people face inside and how difficult things can be without efficient access to medical care or medical parole.

“We're human beings and we want to be respected as human beings. If you don't respect that a man's soul can be redeemed, then you sell humanity short. Elderly people are vulnerable people in incarceration. And the swift consideration of them being released, has to be, expedient.”

People change, and people deserve second chances. Stay tuned for more episodes like this as we dive deeper into the “Life After a Second Chance” series.

Learn more:

Maryland Parole Partnership

Video by Nehemiah Bester. Photos of Bobby Stewart by Nicole McCann.

TRANSCRIPT

00:00 – 00:05
Nehemiah Bester
Who is Bobby Stewart?

00:07 – 00:19
Bobby Stewart
Bobby Stewart is an individual, you know, that’s dedicated and manifested by thought to do whatever he can to help others. You know, to be free.

00:21 – 00:42
Bobby Stewart
By being incarcerated for the period of time that I was incarcerated, I want society to know that we not beast, we're human beings and we want to be respected as human beings. You know, if we don't respect that a man's soul can be redeemed, then you sell humanity short.

00:42 – 00:51
Bobby Stewart
Elderly people are vulnerable people in incarceration. And the swift consideration of them being released, has to be, expedient.

00:53 – 01:00
Bobby Stewart
Because so many of us, as being an been elderly person, we lose our families, we lose our loved ones.

01:00 – 01:22
Bobby Stewart
It took 42 years, 10 months, and 12 days for me to be revived. To know that I could be a responsible person, that I could not, I will not be a liability, but I could be an asset to whatever community that I live in.

01:22 – 01:40
Bobby Stewart
And it forsaken’s me that, in the time that I was gone that my son died. That I could've been a father. I could've been a mentor to him.

01:40 – 01:47
Bobby Stewart
And the question is what could have happened if you was released ten years earlier?

01:49 – 02:05
Bobby Stewart
It means a lot for my family to have me home. But the valuable thing that I respect today is that my grandchildren and my great grandchildren. Yes, I got great grandchildren.

02:05 – 02:16
Bobby Stewart
They look to me today as hey grandad, pops. You know, we glad to see you. We glad to have you back into our life.

02:17 – 02:35
Bobby Stewart
Be where we can be there for you, where we couldn't been there for you in the past. And we accept you. We respect you. Please, live the life that you need to live and stay with us. Love us, as we love you now.