Looking to the Future

Despite multiple parole denials, the incarceration of one post-conviction attorney, and the sudden death of another, Christina still has hope that she will make it out of prison one day. “I refuse to let this situation or prison define who I am... I will make it through this and see the other said and one day have a life,”  writes Christina.

However, the tension between maintaining innocence and pursuing parole weighs heavily on her. To receive parole, Christina must exhibit evidence of good behavior in prison, present a stable mental health history, and above all, must demonstrate remorse.

Christina has nothing but remorse for her decision to trust David, and blames herself for not bringing Amber to the hospital given Amber’s earlier bruising. In an interview with us she said, “Don’t think for a moment that I don’t take responsibility for Amber’s death. Because I’m the one that trusted David. I’m the one that brought him into our lives. I trusted him, and ultimately, that’s my fault.” She has also always taken responsibility for physically disciplining Amber. Yet her unwavering commitment that she did not cause Amber’s head injury appears to be the Parole Board’s biggest roadblock to her freedom, even though her guilty plea was premised on the notion that she could maintain her innocence and still have a chance at parole.

Christina has served 10+ years beyond the maximum sentence for cruelty to children. She has served well above the national average for second degree murder. She has done every program Pulaski State Prison and the Department of Correction has offered her. It is time for the State of Georgia to make good on their promise that Christina has a real possibility of parole while maintaining her innocence claim.

The most constant source of support and reassurance in her tumultuous life has been faith. Her relationship with God and prayer have always played prominent roles in Christina’s life, though she tells us she did not fully understand what it was like to truly have faith until after Amber’s death. In an interview with us, she said, “As I matured, I realized that [God is] not just a genie who steps in and poof your life is great.” “My faith is the only thing that has gotten me through . . . if I didn’t have God I wouldn’t be able to make it. I don’t see how people who don’t believe in God make it through the hardships that go on in life.”

Despite the trauma she has endured since she was a child, Christina does not consider herself a “victim.”

She writes, “Whatever storms I go through, God is the one that carries me. I refuse to let this situation or prison define who I am, though it has helped to shape who I will become. I am a survivor.” She has struggled with depression throughout most of her life. Though she says she spent many, many years in prison feeling overwhelmed by grief and despair over the death of her daughter, faith and therapy have helped her come to terms with her past and given her the strength to hope and prepare for a life beyond prison walls. 

Christina goes to Bible study regularly and prays often. She tells us that her faith has helped her grow in her commitment to helping others. Christina writes, “I’m someone that can be depended on to stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves...I know that this experience is no longer just about me. It’s about the others just like me that are stuck behind these walls.”

Media and legal attention has lent Christina an opportunity—and what she interprets as a responsibility—to remind the world that her case did not happen in a vacuum. Christina hopes to shed light on the broken nature of the criminal justice system, especially for women confronting the intersecting burdens of poverty, violence, and motherhood.

Even if the media attention to her story does not result in substantial changes in her life, Christina hopes that others will take up the cause of wrongful convictions and support those who might not have anyone else in their corner, just as Christina was so isolated all those years ago. 

Christina also supports her peers at Pulaski by tutoring those completing their GEDs. An avid reader and writer, she is also working on building out her own education. Christina is only a few classes away from graduating from Ashland University in Ohio with Bachelor’s degree in Communications with a minor in Business Administration. If Christina gets out prior to graduating, she will be able to complete her degree online as a free citizen. She has already received her Associate’s degree in Church Administration through the Christian College and Seminary.

Christina maintains connections with supporters and friends in the U.S. and abroad. She has a dedicated Facebook following of over 150 people, all of whom await her weekly updates, and some of whom write to her directly from around the world.

Finally, Christina recently connected with her birth sister, Michele. Though she learned that her biological mother died some years ago, Christina has several blood relatives eagerly waiting to meet her in person upon her release. 

Christina was never allowed to visit her daughter’s final resting place prior to her incarceration. When Christina leaves prison, the first thing she will do is lay flowers on Amber’s grave. Not a day goes by when she does not grieve her young daughter, and Christina prays for that moment of reconciliation and closure above all else. 

You can support Christina by signing her petition, donating, and connecting with Team Tina via the links below.