Nick Morfin

At age 17, Nick Morfin was wrongfully convicted of double homicide and sentenced to life without parole. After spending 25 years in prison, he was exonerated and released. Today, he is rising above the trauma and negative effects of unjust conviction and imprisonment to work toward his professional and personal development goals, and to empower youth in his community. 

The Heavy Weight of Wrongful Incarceration

Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, Nick was surrounded by his loved ones. He describes his childhood as “normal,” with his whole family of grandparents, uncles, and cousins living “within three blocks” of each other. His grandmother, the pillar of this tightly knit community, watched and nurtured all her children and grandchildren in the family from infancy to independence. He earned good grades and had no major issues in school. “Around 16, I got into a little bit of trouble, but nothing serious,” he says. In fact, Nick was set to graduate high school early until his life took a drastic turn. At age 17, police unjustly arrested him for double homicide. “Friends of mine did something, and I ended up getting locked up for it,” he remarks bitterly. After years of judicial procedures, Nick received a life without parole sentence, the mandatory minimum for a child convicted of double murder at that time and started serving his sentence in Pontiac Correctional Center when he was just 19 years old. After a few months, the state transferred him to Stateville Correctional Center, where he spent approximately two decades.

For Nick, the first years behind bars were the most difficult. “As a young kid in a grown man’s prison, I was just trying to get used to the environment, to the structure; I was just trying to maneuver and find my way,” he says. He emphasizes that at the beginning he had no artistic outlet. “I didn’t know how to paint, I didn’t know how to draw. For a few years I didn’t even have a hobby. I developed my artistic outlet later.” Moreover, given the length of his sentence, he did not have access to education as facilities reserved courses for people with release dates. “I couldn’t get my GED. I couldn’t do a lot at the time,” he says. During those dark years, Nick’s mindset reflected his frustration at the prospect of dying in prison. “My whole outlook was, ‘I have a natural life sentence. What are they going to do to me?’” he recalls. However, rather than engaging in destructive behavior, he channeled his energy toward productive activities, especially his job as a cook. He also learned how to paint, and this became one of the coping strategies that helped him manage the strain of wrongful incarceration.

Youth Advocacy

While the trauma of a lengthy and unjust incarceration has not completely disappeared, and may never will, Nick is confident in the emotional stability he has attained in the years following his release and is ready to assist others. He is particularly interested in helping youth at risk of incarceration by showing them how new skill sets can create a different path forward. “If I can teach them how to make money with their hands, they will be a gold mine because people will invest in them.” His experience is also a testament to the vital role counseling can play in a young person’s decision making. “I tell them, ‘If you keep doing (the wrong thing), you are going to face adult consequences that you are not mentally prepared for, because it’s not hard to just sit in the prison cell; it’s hard to mentally adjust and retain yourself. This is your own world, so whatever you want to see it become, make it happen!’” He adds, “Nobody told me that. Everybody just told me not to get drunk,” which was not very useful.

Nick equally advocates for safe spaces where youth can escape violence. “How does society expect youth to focus and succeed when they don’t feel safe at home and/or in school?” he asks. In his opinion, instability at home, as well as lack of consideration and empathy in school, is particularly concerning because it usually leads to kids’ isolation or dismissal in the short term, and to incarceration in the long term. He thinks safe environments can counter “chaotic family dynamics” and disrupt the “school-prison pipeline” that have been destroying youth and their communities. 

When talking about community, Nick cannot help but have a thought for those who supported him during his darkest moments. And although he still bears the scars of a wrongful conviction and incarceration, he is very much aware of and thankful for his loved ones. “I have a good family support system and quite a few good friends. I am lucky I have been able to lean on them since I came home,” he says. 

Getting and maintaining a job in the construction industry has allowed him to finally give back to his relatives, especially his mother. “I don’t care whether or not she needs it, I can give her my whole check because I know I was able to call her in a pinch for anything, I mean anything, and it was done. So I’m happy to be able to reciprocate, to give back to her,” he says. 

Financial stability has also contributed to Nick’s emotional balance, and overall well-being. “I have found something that keeps my interests. I like being a ground up carpenter. I like getting dirty every day working with my hands. I am able to see everything that I built, and I am literally changing the face of the skyline of the city.”