Jose A. Saldana opens up about his life as a former Young Lord, committing bank robberies, surviving a violent police shootout, and spending 38 years behind bars. Arrested in 1980 for the attempted murder of an NYPD sergeant during a botched robbery, Saldana was sentenced to 25 years to life and denied parole four times before finally being released in 2018 at the age of 65. Now, he is the executive director of Release Aging People in Prison (RAPP), advocating for criminal justice reform and the release of elderly prisoners serving long-term sentences. In this powerful interview, Saldana shares his journey of crime, survival, and redemption.

#BankRobbery #PoliceShootout #PrisonSurvival #YoungLords #TrueCrime #ExConvict #CrimeStory #Redemption

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Connect with Jose A. Saldana:

RAAP: https://rappcampaign.com/our-people/

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Timestamps:

00:00:00 Introduction to Jose and His Advocacy Work

00:04:13 Aspiring to be a Puerto Rican Baseball Star

00:08:10 Transition from Drug Dealing to Activism

00:12:05 Finding Puerto Rican Identity in New York

00:16:05 Learning to Make Bombs from Books

00:20:07 Becoming a Wanted Fugitive

00:24:21 Discovering the Best Vegan Protein Powder

00:28:16 Surviving the Federal Prison System

00:32:16 Impact of Incarceration on Family Dynamics

00:36:25 Developing Conscious Building Programs

00:40:31 Adjusting from Federal to State Prison Systems

00:44:41 Facing a Life Sentence: The Trial Experience

00:48:41 Transforming the Parole Board System

00:52:49 Reintegrating After 38 Years in Prison

00:56:39 Addressing Interpersonal Violence and Community Readiness

01:00:25 Transformation and Redemption in Prison

01:04:21 Discovering the World of Podcasts

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