Your environment does not define who you are. And the reason why I decided to name, to name this specific commentary “Your Environment Does Not Define Who You Are,” is because a friend of mine — I’ve known this guy since I’ve been in the Maryland prison system, and he asked me to write, to write about him. And you know, he was like, “Man, just be honest. I want you — just anything that you think, anything that you think is worth putting on paper, on me, please put it on paper be honest about me.” So, I wrote to, I suppose, the Maryland Governor’s Office, Governor Wes Moore. I was pretty much like a character witness, and this is what the letter says. I wrote on his behalf:
“Greetings sir, I am a friend of Darryl Medley, who is currently incarcerated Jessup Correctional Institution. I have known Mr. Medley for the past — since I’ve been at this facility, back in 2022 and since I have known him, he has maintained a consistent conduct. The person I met, and knew since I’ve been here, is still the same person today. His conduct never wavered nor changed. But what initially gravitated me towards Mr. Medley was his positivity. This conduct that I’m alluding to is one you would expect from [unclear] person. Mr. Medley, man, he’s one of the most humble, kind and special people whom I’m honored to call a friend and a brother. Mr. Medley, man, he is the type of person, man, who, like literally, treats other people as he would like to be treated. Now, can you imagine what a world that would be if we all treated other people how we would like to be treated?
Anyway, I’ve been housed in the same housing unit as Mr. Medley for a number of years. Therefore, when I say that he treats others as he would like to be treated, this is something I personally witnessed and experienced far too many times. Helping other people in their time of need is one of the one of the qualities about Mr. Medley, which makes him stand out in an environment where selfishness prevails, and it’s also one of the qualities which I highly respect about him. Mr. Medley’s achievement while incarcerated includes participation and completion of programs offered at this facility, such as the SMART program (Self Management and Recovery Training), Alternative to Violence or Alternatives to Violence, Thinking for a Change, Purpose Driven Life and Successful Learning. These are merely some of the programs he’s completed, though, I’m certain he has completed far more programs than the ones than the ones I just mentioned.
He’s also a member of the VCR veterans group and a part of the music club in which he not only teaches how to play certain music instruments, but the facility placed him in charge of storing the music equipment once the band practice is over. I don’t like to assume or speculate, but the years which Mr. Medley has spent at this facility, he has earned the respect of the prison administration, which is why they placed him responsible of the music equipment. Mr. Moore, if you personally met and spoke with Mr. Medley, I guarantee that at the end of that interaction you will form the opinion that he is not only rehabilitated, but he is genuinely a good person.
However, LWOP (Life Without Parole) does not afford anyone a chance to show their progress over the years. But Darryll Medley today, is a polar opposite of who he was when he first came to prison. He is the blueprint of change and an inspiration to us. I asked Mr. Medley about this character witness, and I told him that I would be honored to write something about him, because I truly believe that given the chance, Mr. Medley would make the most out of it and be a positive contributing member of society. And it’s a decision that the parole board, Governor Wes Moore, and whoever else officially will be proud of.
Even in my own journey to recover, Mr. Medley has been there as a supportive friend who motivated me and encourage me even when at times I felt like giving up. This is the essence of who Mr. Medley is. Every criteria you would expect from a rehabilitated person — Mr. Medley does not only fit every criteria, but he is an embodiment of what you would expect from a rehabilitated person, and if given the chance once again, he will prove himself. Thank you for your time. This is a request submitted by me, Peter Murkuria. Thank you for taking the time to listen.”
These commentaries are recorded by Prison Radio.
