Dallas, Texas native Jeremy Busby lost his single mother at the tender age of three. He grew up in the unstable foster care system, and was introduced to selling street drugs for survival at a young age.
In 1998, when Jeremy was 21 years old, he and a female companion were approached by two men in a motel parking lot. The two men thought Jeremy was there to purchase drugs, and when informed that they were mistaken, one of the men became hostile. Jeremy was repeatedly threatened with physical violence, and after repeated attempts to avoid the confrontation, ended up shooting the man once out of fear for his life. Jeremy had no previous arrests for violence.
After spending four months in Dallas County Jail, Jeremy was represented at trial by a defense attorney who conducted no pretrial investigation and called no witnesses. Jeremy was convicted of murder and sentenced to 75 years in prison by an all-white jury in 1999. Jeremy remains incarcerated, despite the the fact that “Stand Your Ground law” has been codified in Texas since 2007, which renders his self-defensive action legal.
Jeremy’s Accomplishments
After entering the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), Jeremy immersed himself in the prison’s law library, studying the law and developing an interest in political advocacy for his fellow inmates who had less access to education. Jeremy obtained his GED before enrolling into college. He holds three Associates Degrees from Lee College, and a graduate degree from the University of Houston-Clear Lake.
Jeremy founded a newsletter from his cell for educating prisoners on their legal rights. He eventually became the first black staff writer for the Texas prison newspaper The ECHO. Jeremy’s writings have been featured in numerous publications including the San Francisco BayView, The Crime Report, The Marshall Project, Minutes Before Six, Prison Writers, The Huntsville Item, The Houston Chronicle, and Slate Magazine.
Jeremy is a certified Peer Health Educator, TDCJ Chaplaincy Volunteer Worship Leader, peer mentor, GED/college tutor, and a member of Toastmasters America. He has worked with progressive prison officials to implement more positive programming within the TDCJ.
Jeremy has also volunteered with numerous civil and human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, ACLU of Texas, Incarcerated Family Association, Texas Cure, Prison Justice League, Texas Abolition Coalition, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Prison Reform, Be Frank 4 Justice, Solitary Watch, Prison Policy Initiative, and Empowerment Avenue.
Select Articles by Jeremy
The Death Chamber Next Door, The Marshall Project
Published April 25, 2019
Don’t believe the hype: Retaliation is the rule, not the exception, San Francisco Bayview
Published May 25, 2019
How Standing My Ground Earned Me 75 Years in Prison, Crime Report
Published April 21, 2022
Lockdown is only making prisons’ problems worse, Houston Chronicle
Published September 16, 2023
Incarcerated Journalist Calls Out ‘Relentless’ Retaliation by Prison Officials, Freedom of the Press Foundation
Published November 7, 2023
Incarcerating the Internet: Social Media Bans Censor People in Prison, Freedom of the Press Foundation
Published July 19, 2024
Overdoses and Suicides in Texas Prisons. Does Anybody Care?, Prison Writers
Published July 2024
This Might Be the Worst Thing Happening in Texas Right Now, Slate Magazine
Published October 20, 2024