[Ppnews] "Renees’s Story" by Sara Olson and Rene Gonzalez

[PPnews at freedomarchives.org]

Renees’s Story by Sara Olson and Rene Gonzalez

I

Women are entering U.S. prisons at twice the rate for men. Furthermore, we 
are sentenced to longer time than men for the same acts. I asked a young 
visitor, who is writing her Ph.D. thesis on the plight of women in 
America’s prison system today why this is so. She replied that it’s the old 
patriarchal reason; when women commit crimes we become “fallen women”. 
Women who step outside the norm of acceptable female deportment are worse 
than men who, after all are expected to:

A.     Be violent

B.     Love guns

C.     Act Crazy

D.     Make mistakes

Furthermore, women are getting very long or life sentences for aiding and 
abetting, after the same sentence they would already have gotten for 
actually committing the act.

This is Renee Gonzales’s story. She is serving life without the possibility 
of parole plus seven years. It wasn’t until she came to CCWF that she heard 
the word LWOP (pronounced El-Wop). Her roommate Jean P., a sixty year old 
woman who is also an LWOP, told Renee “when you came here there were 58 
LWOPs, six months later there are 62!”

Recently, a poll was taken in the Scott Peterson case. Californians wanted 
Peterson to be LWOPed rather than get the death penalty. They think it’s 
far worse. They’re right!! Renee agrees. She says “Go ahead and give me the 
death penalty. It would be cheaper for the state, and it’s worse to be 
LWOPed than get the death penalty. Just stick the needle in my arm”. Many 
women here who are LWOPed or face terms such as 75-to-life say the same 
thing. Unfortunately, as the culture of California and in the other states 
becomes more vengeance-oriented, these women may get their wish.

Mandatory sentence guidelines have hiked to unreasonable amounts. Citizens 
seem to support, or their governments do, spending tax money on punishment 
and imprisonment rather than for education, healthcare, and public works. 
The man Renee allegedly kidnapped and tried to kill had been, in the 1940s, 
convicted of manslaughter, served seven years and was released. He killed 
somebody. She asks, “What am I doing here? All I did was get out the 
masking tape and try to get him out of my house!”

California continues, under Governor Schwarzenegger, to rarely parole 
lifers. The Board of Prison Terms confers a parole on a lifer and, then, at 
its headquarters in Sacramento, other BPT staffers deny the decision, write 
the explanation and submit it to the governor who automatically concurs 
with the recommendation. Slick! In his first year in office, Schwarzenegger 
has denied 68% of parole Dates per BPT opinion. Alas, for LWOPS there isn’t 
even that small hope.

II

I want to ask you, is it fair? Is it justice to send a woman to prison for 
Life without Parole for trying to defend and protect her family? My name is 
Renee Gonzales. I am 47 years old and I am currently serving an LWOP 
sentence plus seven years at CCWF (Central California Women’s Facility) in 
Chowchilla, CA. Here is my story.

Yes, I’ve had problems with drugs in the past but I’ve worked hard to 
overcome them. Before this happened, I volunteered at the local senior 
citizens center in Perris, CA and I was paid by the state to be a caregiver 
for my father–in-law.

During this time, I was tested monthly for drugs by the state. I never gave 
them a dirty test. I have two daughters, ages 12 and 28, living with us at 
home. My husband Louis and I were both working with CPS (Child Protective 
Services) to regain custody of Marissa, our granddaughter. We were subject 
to random drug testing. The day after the alleged crime occurred, I went to 
Children’s Court in Riverside, CA and was awarded custody of Marissa, due 
to the fact that we were doing so well.

I have never been involved in a violent incident. Louis and I were trying 
to turn our lives around.

Here is what happened on August 8th, 2001: I was sleeping in bed. My 
husband woke me and told me to help him get Larry Esparya out of the house. 
Larry had been living with us for a few months. He was homeless when he was 
kicked out of his sister-in-law’s place. We felt sorry for him and allowed 
him to stay temporarily. He abused our kindness. He refused to work and he 
started to steal from us in order to supply his drug habit.

My husband asked me to help get Larry out of the house because he is messed 
up on drugs. Larry said he needed a glass of water so he went in the 
kitchen for it. He came back with a knife and attacked Louis with it, 
yelling that he wasn’t going anywhere.

I was scared for our lives. I tried to help my husband restrain Larry. I 
ran back and forth between the living room and the bedroom where my kids 
slept. I realize now that I should have called 911 but everything happened 
so fast that I just reacted and I didn’t think.

I saw the string and masking tape I was using earlier to bundle boxes and 
newspapers and I grabbed the tape. I wanted to tie Larry’s hands so he 
couldn’t knife anyone. I openly admitted in court that I tried to tie Larry 
up but it was a desperate moment. I thought if I told the truth, the jury 
would understand how scared I was. I didn’t know any better but I realize 
now it wasn’t the smartest thing to do.

My husband told me to leave. I got out of the house with my kids. We went 
to a friend’s house. The next thing I knew, I was arrested for kidnapping, 
torture, and attempted murder. An attorney was appointed to my case. I was 
in jail for a year and a half. During this time, my attorney never came to 
see me. He had a block on his phone so I couldn’t call him. I only saw him 
when I was scheduled for court. I asked him if the DA was willing to make 
any deals. He told me “no”. He said that I didn’t have anything to worry 
about because my case was about “a simple act of self-defense.”

After going back-and-forth for a year and a half only to be told another 
court date was postponed or rescheduled, my attorney said “Okay, we’re 
ready for trial.” I was just floored! I asked my lawyer how that could be 
when we hadn’t even discussed what or how we were going to proceed at 
trial. He reassured me and said that all I had to do was tell what 
happened; that it was “a simple act of self-defense.” When we chose the 
jury, he said he was not going to kick anyone off because we were going to 
send a message to the panel that, no matter what, they should find me and 
Louis innocent. I went along with his decisions thinking, “He knows best. 
He’s the expert.”

There was a case similar to mine at the same time in the same county. I 
have just learned that the woman in that case got seven years and two 
strikes. If our attorneys were looking out for our best interests, why 
didn’t they allow us to plea to lesser charges - a deal which was offered 
in chambers but never discussed with me and Louis?

So here I sit at CCWF, serving a term of life without parole plus seven 
years for trying to protect my family. I’ve lost my appeal and I have no 
resources left. I am a good person, I never intentionally tried to hurt or 
rob Larry. Larry is alive and well. I never kidnapped him. I don’t 
understand how you can kidnap someone by trying to throw him out of your 
own home when he becomes violent and dangerous. I cannot accept this sentence.

For more info: <http://www.breakthechains.net>http://www.breakthechains.net

The Freedom Archives
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