Steven’s Testimony

Myname is Steven Brumfield I've been incarcerated in tdcj since July of 1995.I shot a man in the head after a day of drinking at lake Waco in 1994 labor day weekend. I pled guilty and received 15 years aggravated . When I came to prison had just turned 21 I joined a prison gang to help me defend myself in October of 1997 the gang I was a member of went to war with a rival gang after a small riot a inmate named Osgood died after being assaulted. I was fighting with another inmate who was also a rival gang member because of my participation in the fight I was charged with capital murder and placed in administrative segregation. I took it to trial and received a capital life sentence stacked on to of my original sentence. so three years into my 15 year sentence I turned it into life! after my trial returning to my solitary cell I was so devastated I didn't understand how this could happen to me. listening to my mother cry in the court as her oldest boy was sentenced to life was the most horrible experience of my life!! I was physically I'll I could not understand how god could let this happen to me. one day I stood up on my bunk and looked out my small window and just looked at the clouds,the blue sky and the sunshine and realized that I was still alive and could still enjoy the small things in life the simple things like a baseball game or just a pretty day visiting with my family things like that. I had given my life to god before I had even went to Sunday school as a child. I became angry with god especially as the years passed by and I lost my appeals and l realized I most likely would never get out of prison! I became very bitter and angry! I exed out the gang I was in and eventually got out of segregation I went to church a lot seen a lot of different ministries but it seems like I always fell off after a while. I had stayed way from drugs most of my time until 2018. I tried meth amphetamine for the first time.i was on 8bldg because I had been caught with meth and had never even tried it before. I had decided that being good and staying out of trouble had done me no good. I decided to do time my way I started making wine and doing ice. I eventually became addicted to meth .I started lying to my family in order to get money to maintain my habit I didn't care who I hurt as long as I got my fix. numerous times I got skitzed out after staying up to long and started thinking everyone was trying to kill me! one time I swallowed a large amount thinking the drug dogs were coming and nearly lost my mind! I was drug tested after staying up 12 days straight and walking all the way to one building in my boxers . when I came down I was so depressed I was screwing my life uphurting my family but I could not stop I even contemplated committing suicide went as far as tying the sheet around my neck. after my second failed drug test I was in a solitary cell waiting to be sent to g5! my friend Roy Lewis was a few cells down and we would talk every day and he encouraged me so much I knew him at his worst and I seen the change in him.I knew I needed to ask god in my heart and break my addiction or I was going to die. simple as that! I think the final straw was meeting Wayne Edson and he had my good friend John with him who had gotten out and come back as a volunteer seeing John in free world clothes with the holy spirit in him!! it was amazing in my cell later I gave my life to god and asked him to take this addiction from me! after 14 months in the worst conditions I'm still clean and sober!! I realize now that God has always been with me through all these years through so many situations! he never left me he has been protecting me and guiding me cause I have a purpose to fulfill! god has a plan and through his amazing grace I will be free someday! never give up hope! special thanks to Roy lewis,john and Wayne Edson at inside the wire for believing in me!