The Testimony of Robert Moreno

            Hello, my name is Robert Moreno.  I’m 42 years of age and I was convicted of a gang related murder.  I was given a double-life sentence, a total of 52 years to life; and I’ve been incarcerated for 20 years. 

            I want to share my life experience with you in hopes of preventing one less criminal, one less crime, and one less victim.  The only thing gangs will bring you is death or a life sentence in prison.  I used to hear that from so many people; and yet, I continued to do what I was doing as a gang member and that was, committing crimes and hurting people. 

            As a young kid, you hear the warnings and you either choose to ignore them or the consequences don’t seem too important at the time.  For me, I always felt that I could get away with anything or survive anything.  I know most youths out there running around with gangs or committing crimes think they’re invincible in some way.  For gang members having that invincibility complex goes a long way as to how your homeboys will see you, either as a “down-homie” or a “scary-homie.”  However, these are just more mind games that gangs use to convince you to throw your life away for the good of the gang. 

            As a gang member you are congratulated for, as we used to put it, “getting busted.”  Go to jail or prison makes the gang look good, and you gain respect.  What they don’t tell you is everything that you will go through while you’re sitting in a prison cell with all your freedoms taken away.  In most prisons now, even to use the restroom, you are being controlled by getting only two flushes to use the toilet.  That’s just one of the hundreds of freedoms that will have been taken from you.  The true pain will come when you find yourself all alone away from your loved ones; and the homeboys you thought you had, are nowhere to be found.

            The consequences of my actions are very real.  I was 21 years old when I was incarcerated.  At first, I thought that I’ll do a few years in prison and then get out.  The sad reality is that I’ve been in prison for 20 straight years, and there’s a real possibility that I may never get out.  Just a reminder, the things I did for the good of my gang got me a life sentence in prison.  My ex-homeboys have long been gone. 

            I’m lucky because I made the decision a long time ago to surrender my life to my Lord, Jesus Christ, and to let go of my gang ties.  However, I know a lot of people in here that remain with the same gang mentality.  Unfortunately for them, it gets worse in prison when you keep that mindset.  Not only will you fall into the same deceptions a street gang gives you, but you’ll probably end up locked up in the hole (Administrative Segregation).  That means no contact visits, no phone calls, one-hour yard time by yourself, and just really being treated like a caged animal.  The warning is clear, and the consequences are real.  I was fortunate to end up in prison, but I know so many that weren’t so lucky because all that the gangs brought them was death.