Lamonte McIntyre working to help others wrongly imprisoned
A Kansas City, Kansas, man knows firsthand what it's like to be accused of a crime he did not commit -- and to pay a price he did not owe.
Lamonte McIntyre was put behind bars for a double murder when he was just 16. After 23 years in prison, he was exonerated.
Today he's free, and he's working on freeing others with his same fate.
It's a story that makes many who hear it cry foul -- it makes them mad. The one person who isn't angry is Lamonte himself.
"I'm not angry," he said. "I'm frustrated because I don't like to see this type of injustice happen to anybody. I hate it. I resent it. But I'm not angry, because you know, anger doesn't do nothing for me. Never did."
Freed from prison 22 months ago, he says he's not wasting a moment.
He's now the co-owner of the barber college from which he graduated, and a co-founder of the nonprofit Miracle of Innocence.
"We want to help innocent people come home, but we also want to make sure they're on solid ground once they get here," he said.
The group just helped Ricky Kidd after 22 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit.
"It's more than just clothes and shoes," McIntyre said. "I'm talking about counseling, license, car, job skills, learning how to fill out a resume. Most of these things he didn't have access to when he was in prison."
Life for those exonerated of crimes is different than for those who actually committed those crimes.
"A parolee -- he did his time and he's paroled," McIntyre said. "They have so many resources: housing, counseling, food stamps -- for an exoneree, there's nothing."
McIntyre said he's using his faith, his family and a firm resolve to help others who are innocent.
"The state is responsible for this man losing his life," McIntyre said. "But the state is not there to help him get his life back together. That's a problem."
With all that, there's no time, no place, and no way he's angry, McIntyre said.
"It took too much time from me. That's just too big of a price to pay. I'd rather just live life. I don't have no more time to give something like anger. I don't have time for it."
