Jason Hernandez knew his path to freedom
would ultimately lead him back home.
He was the last person I saw
free back to a childhood
friend named Domien Guerrero.
I would walk from my house to his
house all the time but they lost
touch more than two decades ago.
Extremely different press.
The most extreme that you could imagine.
Jason was selling drugs on the Eastside
at 15 in prison for life. By 21
I was poisoning my community.
I have to live with that
for the rest of my life.
Life plus 320 years for a first
time nonviolent drug offender.
How are you good to see you man Trish?
How you doing, I'm good. How are you? I'm
doing great. Jason made a promise
to his brother the day the
president shortened his sentence.
Make up for all the wrong that I did come
home. I'm so proud of you. He's a good kid.
And build back Jason what he broke.
I've seen you in these streets selling drugs.
I see you now that the person that
you became you have told me changed
you have changed people's lives since
then. Jason started a nonprofit,
worked in criminal justice reform,
righted the wrongs with just about everyone.
Down Street I lived around
the corner over there
two friends who were separated
by a moment two decades ago.
It's changed dramatically.
It was an early morning in March of
1998 when Jasons house was raided.
Bamboo Domien was there. Two
cars parked right there on the side.
A new gallop. Their uncle
and aunt live over there.
He never left the east side now patrols
it with McKinney Police Lieutenant
Daniel Guerrero. That's all.
It takes one wrong turn and they
change your life forever that
morning. In 1998, he never left his friends
side because he's the man who arrested
him quite right. Quite right.
No talking. I don't think there's a
word said between us on the right of
the deal so bad, right? Fellas shamed
and couldn't look at you for years.
Jason couldn't face many
people here on the. Eastside,
I still feel
like I'm incarcerated.
This is where the path to freedom.
I never knew there was a street down there.
Takes a turn. I want to get my felony
conviction off me so I have all my
rights restored and want to vote.
I'm gonna ask President Biden to
grant me a full presidential pardon,
a true presidential pardon would wipe
his record, but it needs signatures
absolutely absolutely.
Sign this. Sean, concerning you.
Hey darling, it needs an old friend
who proudly agreed Jason
spent nearly twenty years in prison
and Judy came out a different person.
I knew right away that he had
good intentions and wanted to
make up for his past mistakes.
I'm proud to call Jason my friend.
Somebody believed in me, right?
Somebody gave me a second chance.
It just so happens it was the
man that. Don't be jealous.
There is one last signature,
one he'll never get. You basically lost
your life, so I could get mine back. His
brother JJ died in prison
and that's a shame.
Still there, Jason left his prison ID
here as a reminder of that promise,
2015 but I put it here to bury
it, to bury my past, but I'm gonna leave
it there and then something happened.
We cannot explain,
so they win a sign that's my
bro talking to me right there.
Brent air. Being released.
Finally, feeling released a pardon
from the president may never happen.
The signatures weren't for him.
They were for me. You're a
good boy. Yeah, I'm so sorry.
And for that wow,
Jason had to come home free.
I just feel freedom.
You know what I'm saying?
Yeah, that's what's up man.
We did it bro in McKinney. We did it.
Oh yeah, I'm joking Panikkar.