Congrats to Deneise Quintanilla – LIFE – Received Clemency on 1/17/17

deniese-qDeneise Quintanilla is #4 on the CAN-DO Top 25 Women – please sign her change.org petition. 

Name: Deneise Anne Quintanilla
DOB: 9/3/68
Race: White
Marital Status: Married
Age: 47
Children: 2 sons, 1 daughter
Grandchildren: 2 Grandsons, 1 Granddaughter
Charge: Conspiracy to PWITD & DIST Methamphetamine
Length of Sentence: Life
Served to Date: 15 ½ years
Sentence Start Date: 11/1/2001
Prior Offenses: Conspiracy PWITD 500 grams of Cocaine
Prison Conduct: Excellent
Clemency Status: Pending
Codey Spear Law Student @ Valparaiso University, under supervising attorney
David Vanercoy & Geneva Brown
Supporters: CAN-DO Foundation, Families for Justice as Healing, Family, Daughter Kerra Scrimshire
Accomplishments: Deniese has taken many courses and volunteer positions.   (CHOIR, PRAISE TEAM, CHAPEL TECH and a HOSPICE VOLUNTEER some of her accomplishments include:
1. ACE CLASS WORDPECT 8 2003
2. NEW LIFE BEHAVIOR STUDIES HEALING THE ANGRY HEART 2004
3. TONING 2005
4. BEGINNING STEP AEROBICS 2005
5. SELF ESTEEM CLASS 2005
6. SUPERSET 2005
7. STATE BOARD MODEL FOR COSMETOLOGY 2005 -2006
8. INTRODUCTION TO FITNESS/SEDENTARY LIFE STYLES 2006
9. LEISURE EDUCATION CLASS 2006
10. WALK/RUN 2006
11. CROSS STITCH 2006
12. THERE IS A BETTER WAY 2007
13. PROTESTANT CHOIR 2007-CURRENT
14. COMPUTER PERIPHERAL EQUIPMENT OPERATOR 2007
15. OFFICE TECHNOLOGY 2008
16. EMPOWERING KNOWLEDGE UNDERSTANDING ABUSE 2008
17. CHANGE PROGRAM 2008
18. HOSPICE VOLUNTEER 2008-CURRENT
19. ANOINTED TRANSFORMED REDEEMED 2009
20. WHEN GODLY PEOPLE DO UNGODLY THINGS 2009
21. ONE IN A MILLION 2010
22. THERE IS A BETTER WAY 2011
23. PRISONERS OF HOPE 2011
24. VOLUNTEER CARE COMPANION 2014-CURRENT
25. 12th ANNUAL MOCK JOB FAIR 2014
26. ACE MUST SEE PLACES CRUISES OF THE WORLD 2014
27. ACE HOW TO DEAL WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE 2014
28. SMART MONEY 2012
29. WINNING THE WAR AGAINST SATAN, HOW TO STUDY YOUR BIBLE, A LIFE THAT’S REAL 2015
30. JOHN AN EYEWITNESS REPORT, THE ART OF PERSONAL WITNESSING, CHRISTIANS ON THE MOVE 2016
31. OFFICE MANAGER CURRENT

According to Deneise:

Deneise with her children

Deneise with her children

I will never forget the day I told my family I was facing a life sentence and that a life sentence in Federal Prison means life without any possibility of good time or parole. To see my family, break down and cry is beyond any pain a person can imagine. My children at the time were young and could not understand why I could not come home.  This was the hardest thing to endure in my entire life.

There is not a day that goes by that I do not wish I could undo the hurt I have caused my children and family. Since my incarceration my grandfather and father have both passed away. There are days I still do not have closure because when I call home, I think one of them will still answer the phone, when in reality I will never hear their voices again. Even all the many years later that I have been in prison sometimes it still feels like a nightmare that I will never wake up from. My children are now grown and I am a grandmother of three beautiful children. My grandmother is now 87 and my mother is getting older each day.  She still has to pass the phone when I call because she cries to this day.

I understand that my mother, grandmother, children, grandchildren and the rest of my loved ones have to do this time with me. I am so sorry I have caused so much pain for them, they too have had too suffer.  To be given a chance of clemency, to have my time cut so one day I can get out of prison and be with the ones I love would be such a blessing to me. I would never take that chance for granted of how precious life and family are. I want to also be able to help others to see their self-worth and nothing is worth turning to crime and hurting other people. I want to reach out to the younger generation and those women in abusive relationships, to be a good example and role model to them. To share my story with others in hope that it will help someone else not make the same mistakes I have. Live is short and there is nothing worth losing it over by taking short cuts in life, that is something I truly realize now.

As I sit here today after 16 yrs. of incarceration I see how different my life could had been if I had never gotten involve with drugs. Back then I didn’t think I was hurting anyone, but today, I see things so different. I know that I’m just as guilty of knowing & allowing it to happen & not doing anything to stop it. I may not put any drugs into anyone hands but I did profit by being married to a drug dealer. I used that money to provide for my family & having nice things. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t feel the remorse of the choices I made back then and it’s not just because I’m sitting behind these walls. It’s because I’m truly sorry for anyone that has been hurt. Not just my family but for the family members who had to endure the hurt of the one who brought the drugs whether to use them or sell. I realize that person was someone’s father, mother, son, or daughter, ect. and that family endured the pain of their loved one being taken away or slowly killing themselves to the addiction of drugs. I know I can’t undo the past. But one thing I can do is show others that I’m not who I used to be. If given a chance for clemency, I want to give back to the community by sharing my life story with other’s and letting them know that there is no amount of drugs or money that can fullfil their life. Before my incarceration I had a void in my life that I was looking to fill and nothing filled it until I made Christ my Lord & Savior. He has made me complete I know God has changed my life for the better.  I have completed several courses since my incarceration and at this time I’m taken apprenticeship Office Manager to better myself and in hopes of one day of returning to society. I pray the President and Pardon Attorney will find me worthy.

Scroll to top