Serving life without parole, Mississippi author Gregory Greenwood speaks with Making Headline News about his life-altering new book
Andre Johnson 
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Philippians 4:13 KJV)
DISPLAYING AGAPE LOVE
Gregory Greenwood was just 16 years of age when he found himself bound between the walls of a jail cell.
So, what exactly was going through the mind at the time of this kid, whose rash of ill-advised decisions had led to a disheartening, life-altering incarceration?
“As I sat inside my cell in solitary confinement, I thought of all the bad choices I’d made in life to wind up there and I felt it was imperative to the youth, and those who grew up,” Greenwood told Making Headline News during a recent interview, explaining what was the single, most underlying reason he chose to produce a book that figures to generate a wave of media presence.
A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Greenwood is the mastermind behind LoveLockedAway his newly-assembled, spiritually gut-checking written work that depicts the life of a then-16-year-old whom, just before his 17th birthday, was ordered to serve time in the infamous Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, a maximum-security prison farm that’s housed in the unincorporated Sunflower County, or the Mississippi Delta region.
Greenwood, in fact, was sentenced to Juvenile Life Without Parole (or JLWOP).
BUY GREENWOOD’S BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/LoveLockedAway-Gregory-Greenwood/dp/1648260063
“Here unfolds his true story of growing up behind the walls of one of the most violent and dreadful prisons in the country only to transcend these circumstance and ultimately discover the Savior of the world…..and love,” said a spokesperson for Greenwood’s newly-released book at Amazon.com.
In essence, Greenwood’s LoveLockedAway is a remarkably tear-jerking story of what this Mid-South author refers to as “triumph and victory.” In a nutshell, his and genius endeavors appropriately distribute his story and accompanying poems, not only as an inspiration to those in similar situations, but as a message to the entire world or as Greenwood vividly acknowledged, “even the most dire circumstances must succumb to the divine power of faith, hope, and love.”
A compelling written document he commenced to writing sometime in 2006,” Greenwood needed somewhere in the neighborhood of nearly a decade-and-a-half to complete LoveLockedAway, which made its ceremonious release in June 2020.
“But back then it was only unformed chapters floating within an unfocused mind,” said Greenwood, referring to the infancy stages of his book. “I finished the book in 2020, adding my own energy to the hopeful majority who all desire 2020 to produce something positive.”
As for the divine message Greenwood aspires to send to his reading audience through his 106-page book, the one familiar word he senses the world needs customarily keeps coming up: love.
“The divine message I’m sending is one of love,” Greenwood says without hesitation. “The essence of love cannot be held at bay, not even by the strongest bars or thickest concrete. Love is that all pervading force that has the potential to work miracles within the lives of everyone who believes in it.”
To his credit, Greenwood has become the beneficiary of an array of favorable feedback since the recent release of his masterpiece of a book.
“Overall, the response to my book has been very positive with many people expressing surprise that JLWOP is such a prevalent issue,” Greenwood said.
BUY GREENWOOD’S BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/LoveLockedAway-Gregory-Greenwood/dp/1648260063
All things considered, Greenwood doesn’t shy away from the notion that LoveLockedAway aligns with the divine purpose for which he was created.
“I think this book is a part of God’s purpose for me, because throughout my life, I have caused so much hurt and harm,” Greenwood said. “I think finishing this book is God’s way of giving me an opportunity to do something good and right.”
And, as far as Greenwood is concerned, pleasing Almighty God is all that matters — even while being incarcerated.
“I wrote LoveLockedAway for a number of reasons,” Greenwood said. “I wanted to share my personal journey through the prison system as an adolescent serving life without parole. I also wanted to bring awareness to the injustice of sentencing children to die behind bars.
“Though the United States Supreme Court has addressed certain issues dealing witness JLWOP and similar sentences, there remains much work to be done,” Greenwood continued. “Most people I meet are simply unaware that this is even happening. Many want to know what it means to be a child, serving a lengthy sentence. I hope LoveLockedAway sheds light on some of the issues affected underage individuals serving these sentences. I also hope my story encourages others serving similar sentences to share their stories. Together, let’s finish the fight and put an end to the unjust banishment of minors to die behind bars.”
For more information about Mid-South Author Gregory Greenwood, to inquire about his book or, connect with him via social media at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gregory.greenwood.129. Also, send email to: [email protected].
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Andre Johnson is the award-winning Founder and Publisher for Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former staff reporter of sports for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division from Dallas, Texas. To reach Johnson, send email to [email protected] or to [email protected]. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist or Instagram at @makingheadlinenews.
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