Jason Rodriguez

In 1972, Jason Rodriguez was born in Spanish Harlem but raised in the Bronx. He was the only child of Jose and Maria Rodriguez. His parents sent him to Catholic schools to avoid the pitfalls of life in the South Bronx. Even though his mother suffered two failed Kidney transplants, was on dialysis and a diabetic she wanted the best for her only son. In 1988, he was arrested at the age of sixteen and charged as an adult. He was convicted of Manslaughter and sentenced to 8 1/3 - 25 years in prison. He was sent to maximum security prisons and while incarcerated he educated himself during which time college and vocational programs were being eliminated from the New York State Department of Corrections. While incarcerated he lost both of his parents; his mother to a stroke in 1996 and his father to a heart attack in 2002. During his incarceration he was denied parole five times and ended up serving seventeen years. After 16 years and 8 months he was finally released on July 1, 2005 at the ag