Hello, my name is John, I was formerly incarcerated at Red Onion State Prison, Sussex One State Prison and Nottoway Correctional Center. I have been free since July of 2021. Looking at the prisons I have been to and without any knowledge of my life it might make sense to you to write off my comments. But I am more than a former inmate. I have a daughter and a fiancé, I manage an equipment dealership and I have my own business as well. I have paid my court costs and have successfully completed probation. All in under 3 years. Many wrote me off as just another inmate but thankfully I had a release date which meant I had a second chance to prove I am an upstanding citizen of my community. While incarceration I met many who had made horrible lapses in judgment which landed them with no real hope of a second chance due to the laws of our day. Many of them acknowledge their shortcoming and have taken steps to ensure they could never make the same mistake again. My hope is that you push HB834 onward so it can be passed. A second look doesn’t even guarantee a second chance but it does provide hope. And hope, even in its smallest form, is the breeding ground for change and correction. Thank you.