Camille Swansey

Camille Swansey could not believe it when James, her intelligent, outspoken little helper, was arrested and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Coping with her son’s incarceration was stressful and overwhelming, but she never gave up. “I took one day at a time,” she says. When James was granted clemency and released in 2020, she was relieved and at peace. Today, she is his biggest fan as he advocates for compassionate laws and a more humane carceral system.

Mommy’s Little Helper

Camille fondly recalls James’ childhood. In school, “James was a wit. He was smart. He loved sports, and he had a lot of friends. He was always respectful. His teachers loved him, and they were always there for him,” she shares. At home, she could count on him to help take care of his younger siblings. “I was always working. I used to work at Marriott. I would leave the house at four, four thirty, or five o’clock in the morning, and James would help out as much as he could,” Camille says. He was a good son and “always there for anybody who needed him.” She also remembers how her son was mostly quiet but became more outspoken as he aged. 

When James didn’t come home one night, Camille could not have imagined he had been arrested. “We lived on one block, and he was arrested on another block. I had no idea where he was because they picked him up in the middle of the night. As he was coming home, they picked him up,” she recounts. When Camille found out, she was in shock. “I couldn’t breathe. It took me by surprise,” she comments. “I didn’t have any clue. I was like, ‘Where was I? What did I miss?’” 

As Camille started getting more information about her son’s arrest, she became extremely emotional. “I started finding out about what was going on, and it started hitting me. I was like, ‘No, this can’t be happening to me, not to my son.’ It was just devastating,” she recollects.

The longer James remained in police custody, the more difficult it was for Camille. With her son away from home, she was despondent. “I went to bed crying; I woke up crying; it was an indescribable pain,” she says. “I just needed my son home. I wanted my son to just come home, to just be there,” she adds. Camille became a shadow of herself, and her co-workers were quick to notice. “Everybody was like, ‘What’s wrong? What’s going on?’” she reveals. “But I didn’t feel comfortable sharing what was going on with them. So, I just kept things bottled up inside.” And for the first and only time in her life, she quit her job.

“Taking One Day at A Time”

Camille was overwhelmed by her son’s legal procedures, but his court appearances were particularly heartbreaking. “To be in that courtroom, wow! I was like, ‘I don’t want to know,’ I was like, ‘Oh my God!’ It just really blew my mind,” she says. “There was a lot. I didn’t want to believe any of it. That trial …” she trails off. “The trial was long, but I managed to keep my head up and to remain prayerful,” she concludes. When James received a natural life sentence, Camille lost her countenance and totally fell apart. “I couldn’t bear that. I couldn’t sleep; I really couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t do anything,” she explains. 

For years, Camille struggled to do her work effectively while taking care of her younger kids, who were six and nine years old when James was arrested. “I had to do everything at home. James wasn’t there anymore. He was my main support, and since he was gone, I had to figure it out on my own,” she says. 

Camille’s ordeal became even harder when most of her family members stopped helping her. “I had support from my family in the beginning. Everybody would send him letters, money whenever they could. But then, just like that, they vanished,” she recounts. Luckily, her sister continued to assist her, especially with issues related to James’ court cases. “She got him a lawyer, and we worked together to support him,” Camille says. 

Throughout the years, Camille has felt the financial, physical, and emotional pressure related to James’ incarceration, even as she had to be strong to raise her other two children. “I tried to do a lot of projects. I tried to work a couple of jobs, but I couldn’t. I just couldn’t focus,” she shares. “Every day, I thought about my son, and I kept asking myself, ‘How did this happen?’ And it just hurt. So I told myself I would just take one day at a time.” 

Camille visited her son in prison “as much as I could, whenever I could.” These visits were rays of sunshine amid difficult times. She does not remember precisely when her daughter introduced her to Julie Anderson, whose son was also serving a life sentence. But she knows it “eased up my burden a little bit to discuss with other people who were going through something similar.” Julie organized prison visits for loved ones of people who were incarcerated, and Camille and her daughter joined the group several times to go to Menard Correctional Center, where James was housed. 

Even though James was the person incarcerated, Camille reveals, “he was the one supporting her, always telling her, ‘Mom, it’s going to be OK. Just do the best you can do.’” Each time she left her son at the end of the visit, “he shared words of encouragement, hugs, kisses, and prayers. And they worked.”

Camille insists that James was also an emotional stronghold for his siblings after she told them about his incarceration. “They were always wondering where he was. So, I eventually told them,” she explains. “And they wanted to know what happened. So, I started taking them to see him,” she continues. “From then on, they took it upon themselves to stay in touch. He was writing letters every day. He wrote to us all. I still have all the letters that he wrote,” she shares with a smile.

“A Perfect Day”

In 2012, the historic U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Miller v. Alabama made mandatory life without parole sentences for juveniles unconstitutional, giving James and other children sentenced to die in prison opportunities for resentencing and early release. Even though Camille did not “understand too much about the law,” she was happy that her son’s sentence would get another look. “When he explained this to me, I was like, ‘It’s a chance; it’s not only a chance for you, but it’s a chance for other juveniles too,’” she says. Now that she knows a little more about the law, she believes no child should be sentenced to die in prison. “I don’t think it’s fair for any child, any juvenile, to receive natural life. I’m not saying it doesn’t matter what a child does, but I think it’s just not fair. I’m glad [for that ruling]. I’m sure a lot of people appreciated that too,” she comments. 

The Illinois Supreme Court’s 2014 decision People v. Davis made Miller retroactive in the state, enabling James to file for resentencing in 2017. At the resentencing hearing, several wardens testified in support of James’ release. “I was happy to see some of these guards give statements for him. I was really thankful for that,” Camille says. She adds that, unlike her son’s previous court appearances, “the resentencing hearing was really emotional. All his boys were there. We were all there.” She concludes, “I think I was the strongest one that day. And then I broke down when I got home.” Camille was in tears not only because of the touching statements made in favor of her son, but also because she realized he was no longer doomed to die behind bars.

In early 2020, James and his lawyer petitioned for clemency during the COVID-19 pandemic. Camille still recalls her excitement later that year when she heard the petition had been granted. “I jumped, I hollered, I screamed. I was like, ‘Oh wow, my son is finally coming home.’” She continues, “I was overjoyed. I was really overjoyed. I felt really good about that. I felt really, really good.”

When James was finally released, she was ecstatic. She was too nervous to wait for him outside prison, so she waited for him at home, cooking and ensuring everything was ready for his arrival. “I was standing outside, and when he got out of the car, I ran just like a little kid and jumped straight up into his arms. It was wonderful!” she shares. “I told him, ‘I’m never letting you go ever, ever, ever again.” She goes on, “I had my son home. He had all his boys around. He had his brother and his sister. It was a perfect day! I’ll never forget it, never.”

“Things Might Have Been Different”

As Camille has reflected on her son’s incarceration experience over the years, she thinks more events and concerned adults could have made a difference in her son’s life. “Children need more community centers and more events that can keep them busy and away from trouble,” she says. “Adults should also communicate with children more often. If I had a chance to sit down once a week with all my children, things could have been different.” 

Camille also believes a professional could have helped her alleviate the burden and trauma of her son’s imprisonment and its impact in her home. “When my second son started acting up, I had no one to turn to. I couldn’t afford a psychologist or a social worker. If I had access to one of those professionals, things might have been different.”

A Proud Mom

With James’ return, Camille has found some peace. “It’s great to have him back. It’s a little more peaceful within myself because I know he’s home now. My mind doesn’t have to wander. It’s a lot of pressure off me,” she explains. “I can call him; I can see him. All I have to do is pick up the phone. ‘James, what are you doing? Come over! Let’s do this! Let’s do that.’” She says they both take advantage of every opportunity to make up for lost time. “He’s older, I’m older, and our relationship is much better.”

Camille’s biggest fear is to see her son rearrested, but she wants to remain positive and hopeful. “He is a very cautious person, he takes his time, he thinks before he speaks,” she shares. She is also aware her son has to face challenges “because he was gone for so long.” But she is confident he will overcome whatever hurdle comes his way because he is —and has always been — very determined. 

James has certainly accomplished a lot since his release in 2020. He started as an apprentice at Restore Justice in the Future Leaders Apprenticeship Program (FLAP) and is now the organization’s Policy Manager. He is also a registered lobbyist who advocates for more compassionate laws in Springfield, especially those related to children and young adults. “I thank Restore Justice every day. Since he came home, he’s made a big difference. I am so proud of him. I wish my mom could see him. I’m sure she would be very proud,” Camille beams.