Wednesday, February 24, 2010

That Bird Has My Wings: The Autobiography of an Innocent Man on DeathRow by Jarvis Jay Masters

No matter what their neighborhood, no matter what their race, every child matters.

When Jarvis is a young boy he and his four siblings are taken away from their drug addicted, neglectful mother and placed in separate foster homes. Jarvis was fortunate to be placed in a loving home with the Prockes, a caring elderly couple who loved and nurtured him. Things began to fall apart when he is removed from the home due to the Prockes age and declining health. He is then placed in an abusive home with foster parents who are in it only for the money. They torture and abuse him. Feeling hopeless when no one believes what is happening to him in the home, Jarvis runs away only to end up in one group home after the next. Eventually, he is reunited with his family, but that is not necessarily a good thing. At the age of nineteen he ends up in San Quentin State Prison for armed robbery. While serving his time he is implicated in the death of a guard and ends up on death row. I found this to be a compelling story about the foster care system. One cannot help but to feel sorry for young Jarvis and all the other children who are in a similar situation. I highly recommend this gripping account of one man’s journey to coming to terms with his life and finding freedom while behind bars.

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