William Garrison
Photograph of William Garrison, courtesy of Yolanda Peterson, by way of Detroit Free Press.
William Garrison was a friend, brother, and advocate. He passed away in Lenox Township, Michigan on April 13, 2020, just 24 days shy of his expected release date. “He was looking forward to getting out,” Yolanda Peterson said of her older brother. “He wanted to work as an advocate for people in jail. He was a very knowledgeable person.” William taught himself how to read and write at the age of 16. He eventually learned the law and used this knowledge to help friends in prison with their legal concerns. Becky Hahn, one of William’s lawyers, describes him as a “zealous advocate for himself and for other incarcerated persons.”
William would have been 61 years old at the end of May, and Ms. Peterson had been busy planning his birthday celebration. It was to be the first birthday the two would have spent together outside of prison walls in 44 years. A bedroom had already been lovingly prepared for William at Ms. Peterson’s home in anticipation of his arrival. “I’m the only person who closely stood with my brother for 44 years and walked this road with him. We’re heartbroken because he was coming home,” Ms. Peterson told Angie Jackson of the Detroit Free Press.
William was eligible for parole in January 2020 when new guidelines allowed him to be resentenced. His release was approved, but William declined parole. To him, parole was not freedom, but merely a continuation of his sentence, and he did not want to be subjected to ongoing supervision and restrictions. “He was trying to get free,” Ms. Peterson said. William was eligible for release without parole in September of this year.
When COVID-19 became a serious concern in March, William knew his health would be at great risk and reconsidered parole. His release was again approved in late March. However, a mandatory 28-day period is required to allow the prosecutor to appeal the decision. William died before the waiting period lapsed. A postmortem test confirmed he had contracted COVID-19.
“Justice should be served because my brother shouldn’t have died,” Ms. Peterson said.
William had a kind heart and a strong mind. The world mourns the loss of this passionate, determined man, a fighter till the end.
This memorial was written by MOL team member Lindsey Addams, with information from reporting by Angie Jackson of The Detroit Free Press and Bill Hutchinson of ABCNews.