Everyone has had problems arise in their lives some kept in the dark and some brought to light. Many people make mistakes this does not mean that a person has not learned their lesson or should not be entitled to a second chance. As for my friend Nicole Lane, who I have known almost 12 years now, I was there through the good and the bad times. I saw her at her absolute worst and I am now getting the opportunity to see her at her best. She has went from a good person making bad decisions to an amazing person who puts her family and friends first trying her hardest to make the most sound decisions possible. Nicole and her husband would give the shirt off their back if it meant you would be warm. Let me be the first to tell you Nicole has made a complete 360 degree life change for her son and husband. I am proud to call her my friend and let my children call her aunt. It's amazing to know I could be a part of her journey to her new found life. I have started this petition to help her family mainly her sonRomello. Romello Lane is an extremely intelligent, overly sensitive, loving, religious and gifted young boy who believes one day he will change the world. If you met him even, for 5 minutes, he would instantly change your life too. Romello has helped in changing my family's life by bringing the lord into not only his parents lives, but mine and my children's lives as well. Just hearing him and his selfless prayers, as well as, him praying every night to keep take care of his mom and dad and his family together. Several years ago, Nicole had lost her way due to immense amounts of stress, postpartum depression, and feeling she had no where to turn. Nicole, unfortunately found her way out by turning to drugs which she had grown up around her whole life. For someone who grew up in a drug-filled environment as a child the only time she saw her mother happy was when her mother was high. This made for an easy transition into this lifestyle quickly resorting to the easy way out to escape from her problems she felt no one could handle or understand. After overhearing a phone conversation about, what Nicole had tried so hard to keep a secret, Anzio realized his wife had a problem and had gotten herself into more than they could handle leaving her husband to pick up the pieces. Nicole was simply asked by her drug supplier to find firearms in exchange for drugs and money to feed her drug habit. Any drug seeker who is addicted to drugs will do almost anything to feed the addiction. Her loving husband tried his hardest, almost giving up everything and going against his better judgement, morals, and values, he decided that the only way to get her and their son out of the horrible situation was to take charge leaving him to make absurd decisions relieving his wife from a dangerous environment to keep his family safe not realizing this would turn into a criminal case, leaving Romello alone and scared, but simply trying to put and end to this nightmare. Anzio relocated his wife and child to remove them from this lifestyle. Since then she has been clean for over 2 years, got away from the addiction of drugs and started her addiction to her family and The Lord. With the help of myself and support of her son, friends, family and many prayers she has completely changed her life around. They were both arrested years later for a crime committed while she was under the influence of her addiction and not in the right state of mind. When they were arrested in front of their child, Nicole was very confused and couldn't even recall what crime she had committed being as it was so long ago and her judgement was clouded during that time. It took her a long time to even go back to that nightmare and recall the series of events that led to her arrest. The court dismissed the motion to grant her drug addiction or anything pertaining to the addiction to be used in the case as part of her defense. As this was the main reason for her thoughtless decisions, the motion should have been granted as it is only fair. Nicole and her husband would never do anything remotely irresponsible if the addiction had not taken her over. They have been charged with Criminal Sale of a firearm in the 3rd degree, making it a violent felony for both. Nicole is facing a 3 1/2 year prison sentence while her husband Anzio will be facing 7 years in prison after time went on and lessons had truly been learned. Both Nicole and Anzio will be labeled as violent felons making it extremely difficult for Nicole to provide for her son and disabled husband with a well paying career. After research I have so easily found Children of incarcerated parents are exposed to many risk factors. Statistics show this increases their risk for developing anti-social and aggressive behavior. Children’s distress during a period of separation from both parents is experienced as tremendous anxiety and leads to “failure-to-thrive, depression, delinquency, and academic problems. Bonding between a mother and her children is a two-way street. For incarcerated women, developing and maintaining this bond is difficult. Mothers are unaware of where their children are, or what is happening to them. Children miss their mothers and blame themselves for the arrest. You would truly understand how detrimental it would be to Romello if he lost not one, but both of his parents even for a minute. I believe that this will change him, he would feel lost, abandoned and alone leaving him permanently damaged. While I feel as though punishment is deemed acceptable when necessary I also feel as though both Nicole and Anzio have learned many lessons even before their arrest and that Nicole's addiction was punishment enough for them all. Romello should not be punished based on action that were out of his control by losing his parents to the judicial system. With this being said I am asking the public to help Romello Lane to have at least one parent at a time delaying the time before imprisonment so that he may have one of his parents around for him in the best interest of him.