Stephen Smith

Home After 23 Years

Stephen Smith was convicted of first-degree residential burglary that he committed to sustain his addiction. Under the “Three Strikes Law,” he received a total sentence of 31 years-to-life. While incarcerated, Mr. Smith maintained an exceptional prison record—a truly remarkable achievement given the hardships of prison life.

Central to Mr. Smith’s rehabilitative journey was his steadfast commitment to programming—substance abuse recovery programming in particular. While incarcerated, Mr. Smith wrote: “The only way for me to become a successful member back in society upon my release from prison is to remain clean and sober. In the past, I allowed a lot of internal and external triggers to cause me to spiral out of control… so, in order to prevent this from happening to me again, I had to recognize these triggers and address them.” 

Through his rigorous programming, Mr. Smith did just that: he identified his triggers and has developed strong coping mechanisms to support himself. Today, Mr. Smith can proudly say that he has remained sober for over two decades.

In June 2020, Mr. Smith was recommended for resentencing by Santa Clara District Attorney Jeff Rosen. He was 56 years old and had served 23 years, with 8 years-to-life remaining on his sentence. Mr. Smith currently lives with his brother in Tucson, Arizona. He is surrounded by many other loving and supportive family members who also currently reside in the area.

Andrew Aradoz

Home After 13 Years

Andrew Aradoz was convicted of attempted murder for a crime he committed at the age of 14. He received a sentence of 24 years-to-life. At the time he committed his crime, Mr. Aradoz was an impulsive, easily influenced, misguided, and sad 14-year-old boy. During the 13 years he served in prison, he subsequently underwent a wholesale transformation. He formally renounced his gang affiliation, obtained his GED, took college courses and worked towards obtaining his college degree. Andrew firmly committed himself to the hard work of rigorous programming, such as conflict resolution and anger management. 

Through his programming, he identified the root cause of his destructive behavior, developed the ability to relate concepts learned in class to his own life, and actively applied the skills learned to real-world situations.  Equipped with all of these tools, Mr. Aradoz, now 27 years old, has a real chance at life.  

In August 2020, at the recommendation of Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig, Mr. Aradoz was released. He had served 13 years, with 11 years still remaining before being eligible for a parole hearing.  Today, he lives with his family in the Sacramento area. He welcomed a new baby into his family with his partner, and they are raising her together in a loving home.

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.

Aaron “Showtime” Taylor

Home After 24 Years

Aaron “Showtime” Taylor grew up in an underserved Los Angeles neighborhood, where he had access to all the wrong role models and none of the right tools. In 1994, Mr. Taylor attempted two armed robberies in the Los Angeles area—both times entering as if he was a customer and carrying a firearm. In 1996, he was sentenced to 50 years-to-life in prison.

While incarcerated, Mr. Taylor gained tremendous insight into the nature and magnitude of his commitment offenses. He got clean, gained insight into his target behaviors, forged new coping mechanisms, and focused on making the most out of his circumstances to build a new life, with new tools, as a new man.  Notably, he took direct accountability for his actions, writing letters to the victims of his crimes and digging deep into his impact. In San Quentin Prison, Mr. Taylor took on mentorship roles facilitating for other incarcerated people, and now famously, fostered a sense of community during prison yard basketball games with his booming, witty commentary. This earned him the nickname “Showtime.”  

For The People spent hundreds of hours working to understand his background ahead of Mr. Taylor’s parole hearing. We saw his true humility, drive, mentorship, and deep love for the game of basketball. It really doesn’t matter whether he’s announcing an after-school youth game, or a Golden State Warrior game—he just wants to be lifting others up. After his parole board hearing in fall 2020, Mr. Taylor was able to return home. 

Six months after his release, in April 2021, Taylor made it onto the Golden State Warriors’ court as a guest PA announcer thanks to an invitation from the franchise and Steph Curry. His performance was beloved by fans. In a post-game interview, Mr. Taylor spoke with Steph Curry about his journey, sharing his story with viewers across the Bay Area. Now, his story has captivated millions across the nation.

Note, Mr. Taylor’s case does not fall under AB 2942. For The People supported his case during Mr. Taylor’s Board of Parole hearing.

Hector Contreras

Home After 24 years

When Hector entered prison on a life sentence, he knew that he wanted to commit his time to rehabilitation. He started participating in various self-help groups and became active in both AA and NA. Today, he can proudly say that he has been clean since 2009. His real turning point, however, came in 2012 when he finally came to understand the seriousness of the pain he had caused his victims and family over the years. Hector immersed himself in rehabilitative programming and never looked back.

On March 15, 2021, at the recommendation of San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan, the court resentenced Hector and ordered his release. At 51 years old, Hector had served 24 years in prison and had 3 years-to-life remaining on his sentence. Today, Hector works in construction and lives with his family in California.

Hector Contreras lived in Mexico until he was 9 years old when his parents moved their family to California.  He had a difficult childhood marked by trauma, including physical and emotional abuse. Unable to cope with the trauma in a healthy way, Hector turned to substances as an outlet. 

In November 1996, Hector was detained by police for running a stop sign. Hector’s license was suspended and two passengers fled the scene. Police searched the vehicle and found a sawed-off shotgun that was unloaded on the rear floor. Hector was 26 years old at the time. He was soon convicted of his third strike: felon in possession of a firearm.  As a third striker, Hector was sentenced to a total term of 27 years-to-life.

James Riviera

Home After 21 Years

In November 1996, James was convicted by a jury of five counts of first-degree burglary—and due to a prior string of residential burglaries where he stole expensive jewelry—James was sentenced to 140 years-to-life in prison. Mr. Riviera was 60 years old at the time.

James was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He had eight siblings, and dealt with an abusive, alcoholic parent from a very young age. When James was 12 years old, his parents divorced. As a single mother of nine children, his mother supported their large family working as a seamstress in a custom dress shop.  In 1958, Mr. Riviera was drafted into the army. 

With a 140-years-to-life and entering prison at the age of 60, James expected to die in prison.  But, he decided to use his time productively and over the course of 25 years in prison he stayed clear of trouble with an exceptional prison record—a feat made more remarkable given the harsh conditions within prison.

On May 3, 2021, at the recommendation of San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan, the court resentenced Mr. Riviera and ordered his resentencing. Now 84 years old, James served 25 years in prison and had 115 years-to-life remaining on his sentence. Today, he resides in San Diego and is tending to his health.