Ian Manuel’s Life Story: A Kunhardt Film Foundation Interview

Activist and poet Ian Manuel details the circumstances that led him to being arrested at the age of 13 for attempted murder and being sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole due to a Florida law that treats children as adults. Manuel discusses spending 18 years in solitary confinement, the Tupac Shakur book that sparked his interest in poetry, becoming friends with the woman he shot, and how a letter from Bryan Stevenson in 2006 changed his life and would eventually get him out of prison after 26 years.

Ian Manuel is an activist and poet from Tampa, Florida who was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for attempted murder after his participation in a botched robbery. Manuel served 26 years in prison until Bryan Stevenson's Equal Justice Initiative secured his release in 2016. While incarcerated, Manuel began writing poetry, which he credits for keeping him sane and giving him hope. In his memoir, My Time Will Come: A Memoir of Crime, Punishment, Hope, and Redemption (2021), Manuel takes readers through his equally wrenching and inspiring story, from his upbringing as a poor Black kid from Florida, to the violent incident that changed the trajectory of his life, to the story of his redemption. Manuel performs spoken word poetry and was a 2017 MacDowell Fellow for nonfiction literature. He lectures and shares the story of his crime and discusses his experience with the US criminal justice system. Ian is a current Art For Justice Fellow, and works as Program Manager of Culture Change at the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice.

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Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:30: Ian's origin story
08:23: During the botched robbery attempt, Debbie Baigries suffered a nonfatal gunshot wound. Ian is caught for another crime and confesses to shooting Debbie.
11:53: Ian was charged as an adult with armed robbery and attempted murder.
21:11: Ian became one of the youngest children condemned to die in prison in the U.S.
28:29: Charged with a non homicide offense that resulted in Ian being sentenced to die in a Florida prison.
34:46: Ian’s grandmother
41:47: Sexual abuse and forgiveness expressed through poetry
48:50: Ian’s grandmother fades due to dementia and his mother is diagnosed with HIV in the same year.
53:52: Arrival to prison and the daily routine
01:06:47: Christmas spirit in prison
01:08:46: Ian becomes prison pen pals with Debbie Baigrie and the process of forgiveness.
01:19:39: Life in solitary confinement and complete loneliness
01:25:21: How Tupac inspired Ian to become a poet
01:32:14: Ian’s mom passes due to HIV
01:35:08: Protection from prison guards and barter system inside prisons
01:41:33: Receiving a letter from Bryan Stevenson and Equal Justice Initiative
01:46:04: Meeting Bryan Stevenson for the first time and sharing his poetry
01:47:29: EJI took on Ian's case and argued that it is cruel and unusual punishment to sentence a 13-year-old child to life imprisonment with no chance for parole.
01:55:41: EJI won Mr. Manuel’s release in 2016. He celebrated his freedom by having pizza with Debbie and EJI staff.
02:01:37: How you can support incarcerated people
02:03:39: “My Time Will Come”- Ian Manuel reading

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