The next two years

Shamar has arrived at the Hazelton Federal Correctional Institution in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia where he will likely stay until December 2023. He is currently in Covid quarantine for another week or so, part of the regular admission process these days. Hopefully he will finally be able to get vaccinated soon.

We would really like as many people as possible to send Shamar a letter this month, so please consider reaching out to say hello or Merry Christmas. Find information about how you can send a book or write a letter here. If you want to learn more about what his experience at this facility will be like, you can read his Admissions and Orientation Handbook.

And now for the amazing news... on November 22, a young man named Patrick under the TickTock handle @officialnoodleboy posted a video about Shamar's case that went viral and has since been shared across platforms by tens/hundreds of thousands of people. At the time Patrick made his post, we had raised less than $5,000 dollars for Shamar through his GoFundMe page. As of today, over 3,300 people have donated more than $80,000.

If you are one of the people who has donated... thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! We haven't been able to reach Patrick directly--but if you're reading this, Patrick... WOW. We can't thank you enough for your support. Your video has finally brought national awareness to Shamar's story, and a flood of financial support along with it.

We are currently seeking advice from a financial advisor on the best way to manage donations in order to provide long-term stability and higher education for Shamar after he is released. Until then, some of the funds will be used for education programs, phone calls, food and other commissary while he is in prison. Again, thank you so much for your support. It means the world to him.