To my incarcerated brothers and sisters: My name is Delfino Muñiz. I’ve been incarcerated for over 33 years serving a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for a tragic choice I made at the age of 18. That decision changed the course of many lives, including my own, in my hometown of Compton, California. I’m writing to you not just with a reflection, but with purpose.

Despite the concrete and steel that surrounds us, we still have power. We still have a role in healing our community. Back in the 1980s I watched a close friend lose his life to gang violence. That moment shaped me, and sadly, it helped lead me down the wrong path. Now, in 2025, I’ve learned of the heartbreaking de@th of Rodrigo Emiliano Martinez, a 12-year-old boy from Compton. His life was also taken from the same kind of senseless g@n violence. This time at the hands of another young person.

When I heard this it hurt me — not just as a father and a grandfather, but as someone who once played a role in this cycle of pain. Rodrigo’s death is a devastating reminder of why the work we do of making amends from inside matters more than ever. We may be behind bars, but we are not powerless. In Rodrigo’s honor, through FUEL initiative, we are launching a donation drive led by incarcerated individuals — our way of showing that we are no longer destroyers, but part of the solution. This is transformative accountability. This is redemption in action. Every dollar we donate is a statement: we recognize the harm. We take responsibility. We chose to rebuild.

We can’t bring Rodrigo back, but we can honor him — and others like him — by standing for something greater than our past. If you believe in healing, in redemption, join us. Donate what you can.