Kenneth Washington

Home After 28 Years

In 1995, the court sentenced Mr. Kenneth Washington to a sentence of 50 years-to-life for residential burglary. Mr. Washington and a co-defendant committed a burglary, taking with them a portable phone and clock radio. The victim was not home during the burglary, and Mr. Washington served as the lookout without entering the apartment. This offense was his third strike, sending him to prison for life.

Facing such a lengthy sentence, Mr. Washington struggled to believe he would ever have a chance at freedom. However, in his last ten years of incarceration, something shifted. Mr. Washington became hopeful, committing himself to trying to come home. He immersed himself in a wide range of programs, including Narcotics Anonymous, Celebrate Recovery, restorative justice programs, Victim Impact, and others. He served as a certified Senior Inside Organizer for Initiate Justice and was an active participant in religious groups, the Protestant Choir, talent shows, and poetry contests. In 2019, he took the Pledge of Peace, committing himself to a life of non-violence.

After serving 28 years of his sentence, Santa Clara District Attorney Jeff Rosen recommended Mr. Washington be released.  Mr. Washington is now reunited with his wife and siblings, who are all very close. Today, he has been cherishing family time, caregiving for family members, and advocating for policy to innovate across the criminal justice system.