The Road Home
Prison Renaissance
Charlie Spence dreams of going home after two decades in prison, but because of the decisions he made as a teenager, that dream may never come to pass.
Spence gave up on school when teachers humiliated him; he started using drugs so other kids would accept him. When he was 16 years old, he committed his first robbery.
"My earliest memory was of my father trying to urinate on my baby brother in his crib," Spence said, retelling the moments in his life that he believes led him to a place where he was able to commit violence against another human being. "My mother tried to stop him, and he just beat her."
Spence said that two abusive father figures damaged his ability to form relationships with other males. Mistrust led to an isolation exacerbated by placement in Special Education at school.
He eventually started hanging out with drug users, and the resulting, communal substance abuse eased his sense of alienation. "It didn't matter that I was stupid. It didn't matter that I was worthless. Those guys accepted me."
According to Spence, court records reflect that during the robbery that put Spence in jail, his friend, Thomas, tried to rob the victim while Spence was using the bthroom. The victim grabbed for Thomas' gun, and Thomas pilled the trigger.
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