Humanity & Incarceration Project

My name is Larnell Hendricks and I am 55 years old. At 23 years of age, my name became obsolete and I was identified from there on in as inmate 90A3072.

 

My son was just seven months old when I went to prison. As he grew up it was frightening to me to think about his life as a young Black man in urban America, and I worried about his uncertain fate. I am very much aware of how strong the magnetic force of the streets can be.

 

I made the strongest impact I possibly could in directing and guiding his steps. I’m proud to say that at the age of 36 he has acquired college degrees, is working, and has given me a granddaughter, who is now six. The relationship I enjoy with my son now almost makes me feel as if I haven’t been absent from his life all this time! Communication has been the key.

 

Family and friends often ask how I’ve been able to keep my sanity all these years. Honestly, I ask myself the same question. I believe it comes down to my strong will to live. I have faith that the truth about my innocence will come out. Hearing my son inform me that I’ve been instrumental to his growth and development, and watching him succeed, have also motivated me to survive. 

 

The other compelling reason for my emotional, mental, and spiritual stability is my wife and soulmate, Regina! For 25 of my 35 years in prison, God truly knew what I needed. Unconditional and unwavering in her support for me, this woman has given me part of her life, and I don’t even know where to begin to appreciate such a gift. I will always love, cherish, and protect our relationship. Priceless!

 

Regina and I met in 1998 and corresponded with each other for six years before making our decision to become one! Our union was legitimized on paper on April 28, 2004, but if you ask Regina, she’ll say we were married the day we met. 

 

What can one give a person like Regina who stands by you under these conditions? All I can give at present is my love, loyalty, and respect. But I came close to losing her because of her health issues. My wife is diabetic and has heart disease, which led to her having a series of heart attacks and receiving an emergency double bypass in 2013.

 

I have health issues of my own. In 2006 I was diagnosed with hepatitis B, with the virus attacking my liver. Although I’ve been on meds since 2006 in an attempt to save my liver, I can feel my body telling another story. In any event, if it is God’s will, my biggest wish is to be amongst family. On top of that I have cataracts that require more time for medical care than is allotted by the state. 

 

I have already lived through the passing of numerous family members. The first week in Downstate [Correctional Facility) in 1990, my father passed. It appears I lost a family member in that month every year up to 2000, with the most recent being my grandmother, in 2019. I’ve only been allowed to attend my two grandmothers’ funerals , out of more than 10 immediate family members. 

 

I keep going through it all, hoping and praying on Sundays. My wife and son help me maintain a resilient state of mind.