My name is Jose Alberto Lozano Jr. I am currently incarcerated in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. I am 32 years old, and have been incarcerated since December 8th 2012. Initially I was given an eighty year prison sentence for murder but eventually my conviction was overturned, reversed and remanded to the Dallas County trial court by the Criminal court of Appeals. I awaited trial 3 years and four months. I then proceeded to trail on August 26th 2019. After four days of testimony both the state and defense rested and on Friday August 30th I was found guilty of manslaughter by a jury of my peers. While awaiting the punishment phase my attorney erroneously misinformed me that if I signed a plea bargain at the punishment phase that I could still appeal the sentence. During this time of duress and basically being pressured to sign the deal, I signed with the echo of me being able to to appeal in front of my peers from that point I was numb all I remember is seeing my parents, sisters, brothers, cousins, aunts, and girlfriend at the time crying.
I will be the first to admit at the time of my offense I did not understand the severity of the situation or how my devisions could affect ad impact so many lives nor did I have any sense of direction or guidance. In. Other words I was lost and making decisions that were irresponsible and dangerous, that affected many lives thru a ripple effect.
I will not blame my situation or circumstances on anyone or anything but myself and I take full responsibility for the decisions that made, or will make. To say I have been a model inmate would far from the truth, I came to a point of what love is and when I began understanding its power and, what it is.
Here goes a little about my background and upbringing at the age of nine me and my biological sisters where homeless and didn’t have anywhere to go due to my mothers incarceration. We then went to stay with our biological father, that up until that point we really did not know. During this time we all were abused physically, and mentally, (due to me being the only boy I had it worse.) I still have the burn marks and after finally understanding I have gotten over the mental thoughts/ feelings of not being good enough by understanding we are all unique and have certain abilities, talents, characteristics that can help others.
By the age of thirteen I was back in the streets, running with the wrong older crowd, but the search for the top, and to be accepted is what drove me for so long. It wasn’t until I was given that eighty year sentence that I began searching and reading books on self help, and about life and. Through these books I learned how to think and understand things about life, myself, my decisions, my family and how all my actions affect others whether good or bad. I began reading vigorously and shielded away from prison politics, and gangs, which at times put me at a disadvantage, but I knew I didn’t want to be in prison the rest of my life, but going through some of those incidents furthered my understanding of who i am and want to be.
I finally landed at a unit in driving distance to my family and it changed my life. Getting the opportunity to speak of all the pain, and hurt to my family allowed me to heal, forgive and better myself as a man. This love has shown me that love can change anybody in any way, and on any given day.Since then I have enrolled in about every class provided and am currently in my 2nd year of faith based program, I have gotten. My automotive fundamental certification. I have developed a sense and urge to help others understand that without love, faith, or hope life is void. Since I have come to this understanding my life has changed dramatically and during this time I have created an idea/invention that I have gotten patented and am actively pursuing to make this product a reality. My motto is “We change lives by helping save lives.” I now know that a man is a person. Of integrity, of morals, standards, and works for everything he has to provide for those he loves and to help others when. He can and, sacrifices when he cannot. The understanding I have is that “If we want to see a change in society, we must become the change we would like to see”. Thank you for your time and God Bless also any business mentors would be greatly appreciated.
