Bill Garrett

Home After 20 Years

Bill Garrett was convicted of first and second degree burglary and vehicle theft in Santa Clara County.  In 2000, he was sentenced as a third striker to a total term of 25 years-to-life.

While incarcerated, Mr. Garrett engaged in a great deal of self-examination and gained significant insight into how he came to serve a life sentence in prison. Opening himself up to a journey of self-discovery and healing, he learned more about himself and his trauma.  It took him many years of incarceration to come to terms with his self-destructive behaviors. Today, he understands this journey as one of liberation: the reason he could finally stop running from himself.

On February 18, 2021, at the recommendation of Santa Clara District Attorney Jeff Rosen, and thanks to the support of Silicon Valley DeBug, Bill was resentenced to time served. He served 20 years and had 5 years-to-life remaining on his sentence.

Equipped with a newfound understanding of and appreciation for himself, as well as having worked incredibly hard to overcome the person he once was, Mr. Garrett is poised to take full advantage of his newfound freedom. Today, he lives in San Jose and paints houses for a living. He still attends self-help programming and enjoys fixing up and riding his bike.