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He drives around, all over the town...
http://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/sports/preps/daily/0530nelloms.html
Q&A WITH CHRIS NELLOMS
Former track star says he's innocent, but regrets not taking plea agreement
By Mark Gokavi
Staff Writer
LEBANON |
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As a world-class sprinter, time was on Chris Nelloms' side. But as inmate A372261 at Warren Correctional Institution, time is his enemy.
Nelloms has served seven-plus years of a 40-to-life sentence for four child-sex crimes against a young girl who was in his care. He entered prison Feb. 26, 1999, and has no chance of parole until 2039. He'll be 67.
Nelloms, a former Dunbar High School and Ohio State track and field standout, contends he is not guilty. A message left for his accuser, now 19, was not returned.
During a recent 75-minute interview, Nelloms made repeated references to religion, family, his Ohio State days and his career.
Q What's a typical day?
A After I read my Bible, I get into my praise and worship. After that, it's the count time, which is 10 o'clock. I'm on merit status, so we're first to call for chow. (Then) I go to work, which is at recreation. My rec starts at 12:30. We've got count again at 3 o'clock. I go back to rec. I also go to church. ... Nine o'clock is when count is, but I normally get back about 8.
Q When do you fall asleep?
A Once the doors lock, my cellmate goes to sleep and I get into my Bible a little bit more and I pray. There's time when I lay there and I think of what could have been. And I think of what was. But the majority of the time, you make the best of the environment that you're in and use the strength that God has given you to make it through.
Q Is there ever a time when you wake up and you don't believe that you're here?
A I'm not ... I don't believe that I'm doing the 40 years to life. I don't believe God saved me from being shot in '92, five minutes from being dead, to ... do the rest of my life in prison. I'm here for preparation. I'm taking that preparation the best way that I can to prepare myself for the streets. ... I may not be free physically, but I am free emotionally and mentally. My body's incarcerated behind walls but I'm free within myself.
Q Does it seem like you've served seven-plus years?
A To be honest, it just seems like yesterday. At the only point where it seems like I've done seven-and-a-half years almost, is when my daughter (Allyia Nelloms) comes to visit. I remember when she was an infant. Now she's 7 years old. That's the only time when time really catches up with me, because you see it from year to year to year. You realize that you are missing out on a lot of things.
Q What other communication do you have with family and friends?
A That's a hard one. Other than my agent and my mother and (ex-Dunbar track coach) Randy (Waggoner) and Mrs. (Evonne) Lyons (one of his youth track coaches) and my father — all my friends, I haven't heard anything from. I get some letters from some fans or people that I haven't seen in 10, 15 years, they may send me an encouraging letter or note.
Q What is the worst thing about being in prison?
A (Long pause) Before I came to prison, I was in a county (jail) and a gentleman said, 'You need to watch your back.' He tried to explain some of the things that carry on in prison. But, today's prison is not like yesterday's prison used to be. If you notice, they call it an institution. It's not a penitentiary anymore. ... I try to limit myself away from a lot of things. I try to present myself every day the way I would want to be respected and represented in the inmates' eyes.
Q Do you have track competitions here?
A We have a Fourth of July event. We have the mile, the three-mile, the 4x1, the 4x2, the 50 and the 100. ... Yeah. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to run anymore.
Q Why?
A (Laughing) Because every time I sign up, don't nobody sign up to run against me. ... The people who head it, they felt like it would be best if I didn't do it so everybody else can enjoy themselves and do it.
Q Do most inmates know who you are and your past?
A Some didn't. It came about once the track and field actually took place. Even though I'm 34 years old, I feel like when I came to prison, I was a child coming out of the womb coming into a new world. As childish or stupid as it may sound, I didn't know that this was actually the way that it is. I've learned a lot.
Q What do you miss most?
A (Pause) I miss my children. I miss my family the most. Umm, regardless of what the courts, what the judge, what the jury, what the community, what people say, I am a family-type person. I love my kids. I took responsibility for my (two) children. I hate that I missed an opportunity to be with my children. I hate that my career was taken away from me in my prime. I was 27 years old. (Sprinters) can make it until they're about 36 years old. It's over after that.
Q Are you still adamant about your innocence?
A Oh, very — 100 percent. That's the only thing that's keeping me alive, you know. My innocence. It's hard to know that you're incarcerated for something that you didn't do. But it's also hard to know that, wow, they offered me three years (Articles in the Dayton Daily News reported 10 years) for a plea, knowing that I was facing 100 years. And I say to myself, 'Why didn't you take that three-year plea and maybe you could have been home?' ... Like I told my mother and I told my attorney and I told the judge — and I still stand (on it) — I did not commit this crime. I'm going to fight 'til the last nail is driven in.
Q What do you want people to know about you or think when they hear your name?
A As far as track goes, I don't think that's going to go away. Incarceration, anything that I could ever have done in life could never change that. That's something God gave me. He gave me a gift. I didn't abuse it. So when it comes down to the track and field part, I think that's something that will always be spoken about. And I'm grateful about that.
Q Do you hear from your college friends?
A No, I don't really hear much from them. I've learned that time goes on. I'm incarcerated. Being incarcerated, I guess, this is what comes with it. You lose your family. You lose friends. Death comes upon you. People pass away. So you lose a lot of things. You have to find yourself and make the best of what it is. If you are looking for letters and people to come and visit you, you're going to lose yourself.
Q&A WITH CHRIS NELLOMS
Former track star says he's innocent, but regrets not taking plea agreement
By Mark Gokavi
Staff Writer
LEBANON |
- Editor's note: Mark Stegemoeller, who works at Warren Correctional Institution, helped arrange this interview with Chris Nelloms. He said Nelloms is on merit status for good behavior, is generally respected among inmates and is in the general population, which is unusual for inmates convicted of sex offenses against children. The 45-acre institution, which houses mostly Level 3 (on a scale of 1 to 5) inmates, includes notorious and dangerous criminals.
Enlarge photo<!-- tn -->
<!-- inset --><!--begintext-->
As a world-class sprinter, time was on Chris Nelloms' side. But as inmate A372261 at Warren Correctional Institution, time is his enemy.
Nelloms has served seven-plus years of a 40-to-life sentence for four child-sex crimes against a young girl who was in his care. He entered prison Feb. 26, 1999, and has no chance of parole until 2039. He'll be 67.
Nelloms, a former Dunbar High School and Ohio State track and field standout, contends he is not guilty. A message left for his accuser, now 19, was not returned.
During a recent 75-minute interview, Nelloms made repeated references to religion, family, his Ohio State days and his career.
Q What's a typical day?
A After I read my Bible, I get into my praise and worship. After that, it's the count time, which is 10 o'clock. I'm on merit status, so we're first to call for chow. (Then) I go to work, which is at recreation. My rec starts at 12:30. We've got count again at 3 o'clock. I go back to rec. I also go to church. ... Nine o'clock is when count is, but I normally get back about 8.
Q When do you fall asleep?
A Once the doors lock, my cellmate goes to sleep and I get into my Bible a little bit more and I pray. There's time when I lay there and I think of what could have been. And I think of what was. But the majority of the time, you make the best of the environment that you're in and use the strength that God has given you to make it through.
Q Is there ever a time when you wake up and you don't believe that you're here?
A I'm not ... I don't believe that I'm doing the 40 years to life. I don't believe God saved me from being shot in '92, five minutes from being dead, to ... do the rest of my life in prison. I'm here for preparation. I'm taking that preparation the best way that I can to prepare myself for the streets. ... I may not be free physically, but I am free emotionally and mentally. My body's incarcerated behind walls but I'm free within myself.
Q Does it seem like you've served seven-plus years?
A To be honest, it just seems like yesterday. At the only point where it seems like I've done seven-and-a-half years almost, is when my daughter (Allyia Nelloms) comes to visit. I remember when she was an infant. Now she's 7 years old. That's the only time when time really catches up with me, because you see it from year to year to year. You realize that you are missing out on a lot of things.
Q What other communication do you have with family and friends?
A That's a hard one. Other than my agent and my mother and (ex-Dunbar track coach) Randy (Waggoner) and Mrs. (Evonne) Lyons (one of his youth track coaches) and my father — all my friends, I haven't heard anything from. I get some letters from some fans or people that I haven't seen in 10, 15 years, they may send me an encouraging letter or note.
Q What is the worst thing about being in prison?
A (Long pause) Before I came to prison, I was in a county (jail) and a gentleman said, 'You need to watch your back.' He tried to explain some of the things that carry on in prison. But, today's prison is not like yesterday's prison used to be. If you notice, they call it an institution. It's not a penitentiary anymore. ... I try to limit myself away from a lot of things. I try to present myself every day the way I would want to be respected and represented in the inmates' eyes.
Q Do you have track competitions here?
A We have a Fourth of July event. We have the mile, the three-mile, the 4x1, the 4x2, the 50 and the 100. ... Yeah. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to run anymore.
Q Why?
A (Laughing) Because every time I sign up, don't nobody sign up to run against me. ... The people who head it, they felt like it would be best if I didn't do it so everybody else can enjoy themselves and do it.
Q Do most inmates know who you are and your past?
A Some didn't. It came about once the track and field actually took place. Even though I'm 34 years old, I feel like when I came to prison, I was a child coming out of the womb coming into a new world. As childish or stupid as it may sound, I didn't know that this was actually the way that it is. I've learned a lot.
Q What do you miss most?
A (Pause) I miss my children. I miss my family the most. Umm, regardless of what the courts, what the judge, what the jury, what the community, what people say, I am a family-type person. I love my kids. I took responsibility for my (two) children. I hate that I missed an opportunity to be with my children. I hate that my career was taken away from me in my prime. I was 27 years old. (Sprinters) can make it until they're about 36 years old. It's over after that.
Q Are you still adamant about your innocence?
A Oh, very — 100 percent. That's the only thing that's keeping me alive, you know. My innocence. It's hard to know that you're incarcerated for something that you didn't do. But it's also hard to know that, wow, they offered me three years (Articles in the Dayton Daily News reported 10 years) for a plea, knowing that I was facing 100 years. And I say to myself, 'Why didn't you take that three-year plea and maybe you could have been home?' ... Like I told my mother and I told my attorney and I told the judge — and I still stand (on it) — I did not commit this crime. I'm going to fight 'til the last nail is driven in.
Q What do you want people to know about you or think when they hear your name?
A As far as track goes, I don't think that's going to go away. Incarceration, anything that I could ever have done in life could never change that. That's something God gave me. He gave me a gift. I didn't abuse it. So when it comes down to the track and field part, I think that's something that will always be spoken about. And I'm grateful about that.
Q Do you hear from your college friends?
A No, I don't really hear much from them. I've learned that time goes on. I'm incarcerated. Being incarcerated, I guess, this is what comes with it. You lose your family. You lose friends. Death comes upon you. People pass away. So you lose a lot of things. You have to find yourself and make the best of what it is. If you are looking for letters and people to come and visit you, you're going to lose yourself.
