Kristen: “He does not blame circumstances for how his life has turned out.”
“If … you want something out of life, you gotta put in the work for it. Otherwise you’ll just always regret not doing this or that when you had the chance to. Trust me, I know because there’s a lot of things in life that I wish that I would have done but never did though.
Kristen is a psychologist who works in a prison in Australia. She has been writing to Quin for 12 years and traveled from Australia to Texas to visit him five years ago.
From the very beginning of our communication, Quintin struck me as someone with remarkable insight. Given his poverty-stricken background and historical trauma as well as length incarceration, I have found him to be incredibly attuned to who he is and how his past has impacted his life.
He acknowledges a troubled past but does not externalize blame for his current circumstances, nor does he hide from taking responsibility for what he did. He speaks frankly about what happened to him as a child and teenager and is able to understand the impact of this on his development and resulting life choices. He does not blame these circumstances for how his life has turned out.
Over 12 years, I have learned so much about who he is. Every letter starts with well-wishes for me and a statement of gratitude and positivity about his current position. We have maintained contact through my own anxieties and he is able to relate, provide his own reflection and offer support.
With his execution date set, I respectfully ask that Quintin’s death sentence be reduced to life in prison. To let him stand as a representative of a life saved through self-guided rehabilitation seems the most just conclusion for this kind and thoughtful man who offers genuine remorse.