The past five years have been the most harrowing of my life. They were a struggle I never would have imagined for my family and me to experience. Nevertheless, it happened, and we are all stronger individuals and a more resilient family because of it.
I was incarcerated at the Monroe Correctional Complex for those five years for crimes I committed in December 2010. I was addicted to prescription drugs and robbed several local coffee stands in order to feed my addiction. They were foolish crimes that I believe were a cry for help, asking anyone who would listen that I needed help! On Nov. 23, 2015, my sentence was up. I fulfilled my debt to society and was ready to re-enter the community with a new outlook on life and a fresh start.
Little did I know, events would soon occur that almost destroyed everything I had worked so hard for. On Dec. 27, 2015, three state Department of Corrections officers and two Snohomish County deputy sheriffs arrived at my parents’ home, where I have been living since being released, wishing to serve a warrant saying my sentence was under question and I needed to return to prison. My sentence had been miscalculated because of an error in Corrections software that incorrectly credited me with time off for good behavior. Fortunately, I was not home and I was not put under arrest that day. I returned home the next morning and waited as my family contacted several Corrections employees looking for answers and a way to keep me free. My family succeeded in contacting the necessary officials, and I was put on furlough for the next month. The decision was made for me to be supervised by a community corrections officer for one more month. I followed all the rules and did as I was supposed to. On Jan. 22, 2016, my sentence was up again, and I was free for a second time.
I can’t help but wonder how different my story would be if I had been home that Sunday afternoon. I was a model inmate while in prison and have been a model citizen since being released. I have a good job, I go to work every day, and I am doing all the things I am expected to do to ensure I never go back to prison again. Not because I am afraid; it’s because I know it’s the best thing for my family and me. To keep us safe.
The Department of Corrections and our government need to take a long hard look at how they are conducting their business. If I was at home that day, I would probably still be sitting in prison right now, not contributing to society, burdening my family all over again, and most likely, without a job once released. For what? So the state could fix its mistake. Who decides who should be sacrificed for the mistakes of others?
I am one of the fortunate ones, but there are so many others who are living productively whose lives have been completely flipped upside down.
Chad Kluth is a resident of Everett.
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