‘People change’: Cyntoia Brown-Long wants Tennessee lawmakers to let people out of prison sooner, not later

Cyntoia Brown-Long was given a second chance after she was sentenced to life in prison as a teenager. Now a criminal justice reform advocate, she thinks others behind bars should get one, too.

But lawmakers are considering legislation that would do the opposite.

Brown-Long was supposed to spend the rest of her life in prison. That was the mandatory minimum sentence when she was convicted of first-degree murder for killing a man who paid her for sex when she was 16.

Brown-Long only served 15 years because then-Gov. Bill Haslam commuted her sentence. He thought it was too harsh. Now, Brown-Long wants Tennessee lawmakers to provide a path for other folks to get out of prison sooner.

“People change, and the people that I’ve been incarcerated with, you know, after they’ve served 20-something years, they’re completely different people,” Brown-Long said during a conversation with Haslam about her case at Vanderbilt University on Tuesday evening.

It was their first public appearance together since her release in 2019. Haslam says the two have since become friends.

Brown-Long told the audience the people she looked up to in prison, including those who encouraged her to enroll in college courses, were serving life sentences. Many had already been incarcerated for 15 or 20 years.

State law requires people sentenced to life imprisonment to serve at least 51 years before they can become eligible for early release through credits for good behavior. Even teenagers who are convicted of first-degree murder must spend at least half-a-century behind bars — though the Tennessee Supreme Court is reviewing a case that could overturn that mandatory minimum.

“They were living lives of meaning and of purpose there, and they were inspiring others. They were role models,” Brown-Long said. “They’re not the same person that they were whenever whatever happened. So, why can’t they have that opportunity to go before the parole board?”

Diverging views on sentencing reform

Brown-Long says she caught her first charge in juvenile court at age 13. She had been sent to an alternative school, where many of her classmates were involved in “more serious things.” From there, she cycled in and out of Department of Children’s Services residential treatment centers.

But Brown-Long didn’t feel like she was getting the help that she needed. Instead, she ran away. That’s when she was trafficked for sex.

In prison, Brown-Long received associate’s and bachelor’s degrees from Lipscomb University and started mentoring teenagers. Her case garnered national attention — even from Kim Kardashian. In 2019, she was released.

Since then, Brown-Long been pushing for reforms, like better support for teens who are sexually abused and more classes in prison. She wants the state to focus on prevention and rehabilitation, rather than punishment.

Meanwhile, lawmakers are debating several bills that would get rid of early release for many crimes. HB2656 / SB2248, for instance, would require people convicted of more than a dozen different crimes to serve 100% of their sentence, with no chance for parole or good time credits. The speakers of the House and Senate are sponsoring the legislation, which has already been recommended for passage in the Senate.

“This legislation is vital for holding violent offenders accountable for their actions while also protecting their victims and the public,” Rep. Bud Hulsey, R-Kinsport, said at a criminal justice subcommittee meeting last month.

But the retired police lieutenant said the bill also does something else.

“When a judge gives a sentence or a jury gives a sentence and the family who is left behind to pick up the debris asks, ‘When is this guy going to get out of prison?’ Nobody can give them an answer,” Hulsey said. “This bill fixes that with the violent types of crimes.”

Brown-Long thinks these bills would take the state in the wrong direction. She and other proponents of reform worry that getting rid of early release for many in prison would take away their motivation to seek out education and other programs to improve their lives.

“For some people, they give up,” Brown-Long said. “If I have no chance for parole, if I have no chance to do this and I’m still going to be here, I still have this long sentence over my head, there’s nothing that’s rewarding. There’s nothing that makes me feel like I’m really progressing. So, what do I have?”