ABOUT ME
I am Giovanni. Most people call me Gee or Gio and those who are close to me affectionately call me Jerry. I grew up at 1912 Dickinson Street in South Philly. I lived with my mom, dad, brothers and sister. I am the youngest of seven kids. I attended Childs Elementary, Vare Middle School, and Southern High School. I was an average kid with lots of friends that always extended myself to anybody that needed help.
In the summer of 1991 before I entered my senior year at Southern, I witnessed a murder. Within the blink of an eye, I went from being an innocent eyewitness to an accessory and subsequently was charged with conspiracy to murder. How could this happen to me? I’ve never been arrested in my life! I've been incarcerated since I was 16 years old for a crime that I did not commit. I've been sentenced to live the rest of my natural life in the State Correctional Institution at Graterford.
Coming to the penitentiary at such a young age coerced me to change certain aspects of my personality, but the core "Giovanni" is still intact. I've always been quiet and somewhat shy. I am at my happiest moments when I'm doing things I enjoy such as praying, cooking, mentoring to younger guys, and spending time with family during weekend visits. In all my years of incarceration, I’ve never received a disciplinary infraction.
Since coming to prison, I always made a continuous effort to better myself because I have always believed that one day justice will prevail and I will return home. I earned my G.E.D. in 1994 and have taken courses with Montgomery County Community College, Villanova and Temple Universities. I earned my paralegal degree from the Blackstone School of Law and have attained my journeyman’s license in culinary arts. I avail myself whenever prison officials ask me to speak to at-risk youth or other members of the community and assist other prisoners with fighting their cases.
Over the years, a ton of exculpatory evidence (evidence proving my innocence) has surfaced, but a select few individuals within the Philadelphia Police Department and Philadelphia District Attorney's Office don't want to admit the truth - that is, that they made a terrible mistake in 1991. Sadly, my mom did not live to see me regain my freedom. She lost her battle to breast cancer on March 17, 2008; I never got the chance to say goodbye.
Thank you for visiting my site.