Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris - 37: Tony Wright, Exonerated After 25 Years (Bonus Episode!)

Episode Date: October 4, 2016

Tony Wright spent 25 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. This past August, a Philadelphia jury acquitted Wright of the 1991 rape and murder of an elderly woman after his lawyers, including two from Innocence Project, presented DNA evidence that supported his innocence. He was just 20 years old when he was arrested. During his time in prison, one of Wright's lawyers gave him Dan Harris' book, "10% Happier," and Wright started practicing meditation and yoga. He's now learning to readjust to life on the outside. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It kind of blows my mind to consider the fact that we're up to nearly 600 episodes of this podcast, the 10% happier podcast. That's a lot of conversations. I like to think of it as a great compendium of, and I know this is a bit of a grandiose term, but wisdom. The only downside of having this vast library of audio is that it can be hard to know where to start. So we're launching a new feature here, playlists, just like you put together a playlist of your favorite songs.

Back in the day, we used to call those mix tapes. Just like you do that with music, you can do it with podcasts. So if you're looking for episodes about anxiety, we've got a playlist of all of our anxiety episodes. Or if you're looking for how to sleep better, we've got a playlist of all of our anxiety episodes, or if you're looking for how to sleep better, we've got a playlist for that. We've even put together a playlist of some of my personal favorite episodes. That was a hard list to make. Check out our playlists at 10%.com slash playlist. That's 10% all one word spelled out. dot com slash playlist singular.

Let us know what you think. We're always open to tweaking how we do things and maybe there's a playlist we haven't thought of. Hit me up on Twitter or submit a comment through the website. For ABC, this is the 10% happier podcast. I'm Dan Harris. So all of our guests are special, but this week's guest is extra special. His name is Tony Wright and as we record this

interview, Tony is three weeks out of prison for a crime he did not commit. He spent 25 years behind bars for a rape and murder that he did not commit. He spent 25 years behind bars for a rape and murder that he did not do. And he was exonerated three weeks ago as we speak. And his story made national headlines, but it was a special interest to me because I heard from his legal team

shortly after he got out that he was really interested in, recently become interested in yoga and a little bit of meditation and had been of use to him behind bars. So I really wanted to talk to him to hear his story and particularly the last part. So let me ask you, how did you, we'll hear about all the crazy and infuriating things that have happened to you, but we'll just start with the yoga piece. How did you get into yoga? I did. I want to say on a dare, man. On a dare. Uh, uh, well, they just integrated that program into the county prison where I was being housed at the last two years. And I want to say, it's probably been there for probably about the last 12 months. A lot of guys there, I don't think anybody there has ever done yoga. And everybody signed up for, you know, there when you're in

the county institution, like that, you always confine, you all mean and you always lock them. So anything you get a chance to sign up for, whether it be yoga, school, or pro, any type of program, everybody signs up for those programs just so they wouldn't be locked down. And everybody signed up for the program that never did yoga. And I guess they thought they instruct the, you know, those, the I don't think, I mean, men do yoga or yoga is for men. So you thought the instructor was going to be a woman?

No, well, they thought I worked in the, I worked in the area where the program was being ran out, which was in the gym. So, you know, I worked in the activities department up there. So I had access to that area all the time. So I didn't need to sign up for the program. So, I see. If they was running a program, one of the perks of me working there was I'm able to go to the program. I'm like, everybody else, I didn't have to sign up. So, you knew it was gonna be a guy. No, I never knew until he came in. Everybody thought it was going to be a lady in there in tight and tight. So everybody thought it was going to be Becky. So when everybody came down the salt was Becky husband and tight instead of Becky. All the guys went back the other way, man. And I kind of felt bad for the guy.

And it was a good guy, man. So, you you know the first time he came I watched what was going on and I went out there and and joined the class man and and and I'm being on the meet I fell in love with the class man I thought yoga was of great benefits to somebody like myself I can't speak for nobody I want to speak for myself. You know, starting yoga class I learned a lot, man. It's something that strengthens the mind, you know, not only mentally, physically, spiritually, it strengthens everything. So, so, you know, it had a profound effect on me. Once I started, took that first class, I've never missed a class since I've been there

and since this guy's been coming in. What about it, did you find so useful? Mentally, man, I think it teaches you discipline in a place like prison, where yoga is a rare thing. I've only been there since my sentence was vacated two years ago. I come from the Penitentiary to the county. Let me just jump in for just to explain to people because they may not know your backstory. But you were arrested in 1990 for the rape and murder of an elderly woman, again, what

you did not do, and you were convicted wrongfully. And two years ago, there was DNA evidence that then led to your sentence being vacated. But the prosecutors decided to retry you, so you actually had to go from a prison to a county jail. And that was two years ago. And after landing in the county jail, that's when you encounter yoga. Yeah, that's when I encounter yoga.

They don't have yoga and impenetentiary. It teaches you discipline. Something that everybody should have in life, or you're running up, no matter, you know, it's something that soothes the mind, the body, and the soul. And true story and true story true story I'm sitting here man and I've reviewed by you today

One of my very beloved attorneys before all of this I Think I just took my first year with class and now I know where as a present I get a package And there's a package of books and it's 10% happier by Mr. Dan Harris. So oh my goodness. So so so you know I read the book you know several times and it's funny a lot of the things that you spoke about in the book you know I can see myself doing just trying to make myself a better person yeah I mean just trying to just you know, I can see myself doing. Just trying to make myself a better person, yeah, I mean, just trying to, just, you know, trying to, you know, I don't know if the best thing

is a complete person, man, but I'm just trying to, live my life better than I did the previous day. Each day, I'm trying to learn something and trying to be a better person than I was the day before, and I kind of got that from you, you know, trying to find yourself, trying to find yourself, trying to these gurus,

and trying to find your lane, so to speak, to be the best, you know, person you wanna be. And that's what I got from reading a book, 10% happy, man. And it's so funny, you know, a lot of time, you know, you see this guy, you looking at him like, what is this guy talking about? As you say, it's, man, absolutely, I'm not doing this.

And that's how I felt about yoga. I mean, like, you know, especially in prison. Yeah, I mean, you know, everybody want to be out for mell in prison. Yeah, I mean, you know, everybody want to be out for mail in prison. I mean, you want to walk around with your chest out, man, and all that, man. But yoga helped me kick that notion. And then being in there for what I was accused of being in there for and convicted of being in there for you feeling need to walk around with your chest out. Right. Because if you're accused of a sex crime, especially against an elderly woman, Victor are being in there for, you feel a need to walk around with your chest out.

Right, because if you're accused of a sex crime, especially against an elderly woman, you have a target on your back. Yeah, you know, one of the two things you definitely don't wanna go to prison for is a sex crime of any kind against anyone, let alone a elderly person or a child. I mean, so you might want to just go in there

with a bulls out on your forehead. Yeah, I mean, so it's dangerous. It's dangerous, man. And you know, praise be to God, man. You know, I was able to get through that. You know, a lot of guys in there that you know a lot of guys and they know me a lot of guys and they come from where I come from so you know it was a whole bunch of guys that knew me before I got there as a whole bunch of

guys knew that I wasn't a guy who was sure I would these things on the book never seen that new I was in table of a sad thing I can't remember when I have a disrespect of the woman let a long committed a crime against a woman I'm a I'm a guy that that that very protective of my mother my grandmother my mother, which are my aunts and stuff like that, man. But, but, you know, going there like that, man, you know, people would try to make me take like protective custody. I refuse to go into the solitary.

Yeah, solitary, because for fun, self solitary, I refuse to do that. I refuse to do that because I had no reason to do that. I wasn't running from anybody. I had no business to run from the body. I had no reason to hide from anybody. I didn't commit a crime. I was in jail accused and convicted of the most heinous, disgusting crime that anybody is, I can't even process my mind to even think, like, I mean, just the worst or the worst, I mean, it's the same, man. It is insane.

The story is, the story is insane. And I hear the story of how you were a 21-year-20-year-old guy with a four-year-old son. You had a job, you were working on construction with your uncle, and cops come knocking on the door at a Sunday afternoon, you're with your, at your mother's house, washing football, they take you downtown and all of a sudden you're in shackles and then you're convicted, all for the crime that you didn't do. The most amazing thing to me is you walk out and I've been with you now hanging out with you shooting a story for nightline, which hopefully people will be able to see and you don't

have any anchor. No, you know, I left before your boy out there, just like it was me, it could have been him. So, you know, 20 years old, 21 years old, 22 years old. I was upset. I was a lost soul back then, man. I was trying to find myself. Nobody had listened to me, man. I would just locked up and accused of the most despicable thing, any human being can do

to anybody, let alone a elderly person. I Had nobody didn't nobody want to touch me and I want to be near me family included man, you know You know Not many people reached out to me You know outside of my mother, you know, and a few other people, man, my brother. Nobody want to touch you, man. Everybody is a saint.

Everybody, city, innocent in prison. Everybody. Everybody, city, innocent in prison, man, and just to know that you are. Twenty-five years is a long time, man. And it's a lot Lot of people that was in a worse position than I but how could you not be angry? Because if you angry you live your life like that all the time It's the worst place. It's a barbaric lifestyle. It's the worst place to be like that I mean you would be ruined if you live your life like that

You'll commit crime after crime. You'll commit disciplinary hardship after hardship. It's so many people in prison need rehabilitation. And I felt like I was a help to a lot of those guys. Well, I think that's incredible what you're saying. But what about now? Because you're out. I know it's all new, it's just three weeks out.

But does it ever hit you that you got robbed? You don't, you don't, you don't, robbed? I don't, I don't, truthfully speaking. I don't think about it until I'm sitting here with you and you bring it up. That's behind me. I'm happy to be here. I'm happy to be alive.

I'm happy to walk out that door and embrace my son. My son just had a 29th birthday a couple days ago. I was happy to be with him for the first time and that type of setting. It was unbelievable. I walk out that door. I'm happy my son places one-year-old daughter in my arms. I'm happy to, every time I walk through the threshold of my son home

that one year old little legs move fast as they can to run her pop-up to give me the biggest hug and kiss. That's what I dreamed about. That's what I look forward to for so many years. You know for so many years, you know, through all that, I never doubted that these days were upon me, where were for me. I never doubted this moment, not sitting here with you, but coming home to my family, that's the way I thought. I wouldn't think no other way, but I hope and prayed that the other book

didn't happen before that. Inevitable, you wouldn't even remember. And you know, the same way you walked in there, you wanna walk out. And that's not always the case, man. God's passed away in there every day. It's a scary thing. Not of natural causes.

A lot of natural causes and a lot of other ways. You know, my first day of state in the penitentiary somebody was killed. That's a barbaric lifestyle. That wasn't the life I chose man. So, you know, me walking in there as I stated earlier, you don't want to go in there for what I was accused of and convicted of. You don't want to go in there for what I was accused of and convicted of. You don't want to go in there for those type of crimes. I went in there prepared to die from day one. That's just what it was.

I refused to take lock up. I refused protective custody. I had no reason to be in protective custody. I didn't do anything to be in protective. I wasn't going to be in protect the custody. I didn't do anything to be in protect. I wasn't going to be in jail inside of a jail. I mean, so, you know, I wanted the right that every other inmate had in there. I mean, so, you know, I refused to take protect the custody man and you know just just my my business man you know and and prison is no secrets everybody can tell you why you're there but nobody can tell you why they're there that's how I said why I was so long because I didn't

care why anybody else was there you didn't get caught up in this man my own business man always stay where I was supposed to be man always done what I was supposed to done you know you know a lot of time man you know being accused of something you didn't do seem like it was the normal my life you know a few years ago before I got out I was confined in a hole for about a year for something I didn't do in solitary yeah in solitary confinement man so you know it's know, it's tough, man. It's tough. Yeah, I mean, again, man, you know,

every day, man, I'm the same way every day. Never changed. Yeah, man, I greet you with a handshake and a smile on my face. Handshake, man. I cried so many nights. Yeah, I mean, you know, cried so many nights. I mean, you know, cry so many nights, I still cry today, but they're different

tears. Tears of joy, you know, for my mother, I cry for my mother, you know, she passed away when she passed away 19 years ago. She passed away 19 years ago at the tender age of 44, I just turned 45 August the 29th, 19 years ago. She was 44 years old and a couple of weeks ago August 23rd, 2016 she finally had a chance to rest in peace. Her son made it. Hey there listeners, while we take a little break here, I want to tell you about another podcast that I think you'll like. It's called How I Built This, where host Guy Razz talks to founders behind some of the world's biggest and most innovative companies, to learn how they built them from the ground up. Guy has sat down with hundreds of founders behind well-known companies like Headspace, Manduka Yoga Mats, Soul Cycle, and Kodopaxi, as well as entrepreneurs working to solve some of the biggest problems of our time, like developing technology that pulls energy from the ground

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You can listen early and add free on the Amazon or Wondery app. I just want to tell people you you you got you had this retrial and the the jury found you not guilty in the time spent of five minutes and the jury for woman as you tell it when she was reading out your not guilty verdict she actually just shouted at the ceiling it was incredible incredible I can only I can see you know you're getting emotional talking about your mother and her resting in peace I can only imagine all of this is just incredibly overwhelming man, these past three weeks has been the best three weeks of my life. I've never witnessed nothing like this. I didn't want to overwhelm myself. My thought process was, put your best foot forward every day,

take baby steps. And my thoughts wouldn't allow me to think outside of me walking outside the prison gate. You know, that was my thought process. Get from inside that prison to outside that prison. I never could imagine everything that has happened, meaning how warm and gracious everyone has been to me, my family, and my legal team. So many people has reached out to all of us, uh, uh, uh, uh, to send warm wishes and, and, and, and people just want to hug you and take

pictures of what you, everywhere you go, man. It's, it's, I mean, these are complete strangers, man. And, you know, I don't know, you know, such a tragedy has breed such goodness. I don't know if I would have had the opportunity to meet people such as my legal team. People such as you, the circle of cross from Dan Harris and do this interview man. I'm honored. I can't believe I mean just to hear that This dumb little book that I wrote in my spare time would have some meaning to you is just beyond belief for me And and we should say you know, I you were doing some yoga you did some yoga in jail But you also were doing some meditation So can you tell me what kind of meditation you were doing and what how what impacted had on you? Oh man, you know again discipline what impacted had on you? Oh man, you know, again, discipline, we all need structure in our life.

And that's what meditation does for me, just to sit there and I had no idea. I had no idea, you know, trying, you know, trying meditation, I'm actually hooked on it and I'm anxious to meet this guy again. Your teacher? Yeah, my teacher. When he taught you meditation, he would have you tell it.

You tell it. Well, you know, we'll be sitting there and we'll have whatever in front of us, whatever we was using during that program, whether it be blocks or balls and something to have right knowing it, and you have your look at it. At the word. At the word, or one letter, and just zoning on that letter, and you listen to him talking,

and you don't hear nothing else. Nothing else matters around you. And just focus. It takes discipline, just to focus and just to hear this one voice from his mouth to your ear, to your brain, and try to process it. You don't hear nothing else. And with your eyes open, with your eyes closed,

and you feel so comfortable at that moment, man. It just, you seem like you're those all, but your air's a wide open and you just focus and panning, just trying to zone out, shit, everything out and then close yourself and there's one box and it relaxes you. It's like, I don't know, the Indians do a thing called a sweat.

Sweat lodge. Yeah, I've done that numerous times as a, as a youngster. And the first time I did it, I thought I was gonna pass. It was so hot in there, I couldn't breathe. And listen to this guy, you know, he bowled, he's rock had his rocks bowling in this fire for almost 10 hours before you actually getting this thing. And I

couldn't breathe in there. And it cleanses you and you sit in there in this position with your feet bottom of your feet touching each other and your hands. You don't want to breathe too hard because you're burning your skin but you're sitting there and you're trying to process it and it takes great discipline just to sit there. And I want to lean over and lift the bottom of the teeth and just to get a piece of air, especially when you don't move. And I did it the first time and I did it the whole time, the second time, the third time,

and you almost become addicted to it. You feel so good afterwards. I mean, like it seemed like it cleaned all the poison out of your body. And it's the same thing with meditation with different kind of your brain the most powerful thing about the size of your heart I mean it's like they mean it's your thinking thing man the thing you use to thinking you know you know tell you what to do every day what's it like when you

close your eyes is it noisy for you or can you tune out all the I'm good man, you know I do it every night unconsolid. I Little easily I can't sleep. I scare my lady friend She's oh we should just say that you're three weeks out and you have a girlfriend You don't like the term girlfriend because you think it sounds like you're a This is a woman you met on the inside and she stuck with you from the first year. Especially, yeah, for a few years, a special lady friend, man. She's a special girl. You scare her at night when you're trying to sleep?

Yeah, because I, you know, I say, she's like, you day when you sleep. And I've been doing this all my life. I sleep with my friend, things, plants like this my hands clenched across my chest and I'm a few women told me that you know I want to have a Tony mine Tony Jr. my I just tell me that I'm not getting the bad with you you gonna sleep like that rolling your side if you don't you know but I do that unconsolently and I just own out just go on my own, close my eyes and I can go like that forever. I can go like that forever.

I'll put my headphones on, take the headphones off. And anytime I'm in it, you see me laying there rushing, I got my eyes closed and just thinking. So now that you're out and you've got this new interest in yoga and meditation, you're going to keep doing it or you're going to go off and forget about it. No, no, absolutely, I'm're gonna keep doing it or you're gonna go off, you know, and forget about it. No, no, absolutely, I'ma keep doing it. Say, man, you picked it up and the man had a profound effect and just in my life and just a little

time that I started doing it. It soothes as me. It relaxes me. It strengthens my mind. That's a plan. There's a lot going on. A lot of people my man You been going two and a half decades. You'll think I know a person be Overwhelmed. I am normal, but I know how to Are going to room and lock myself in the room by myself just to get my thoughts get my stuff packed together

Piece of mind. So you know I walk when walk, when go, lock myself, I go sitting in the bag from I go sitting in the tub for two hours, man, just lay back and just relax and just enjoy myself. Just just just just just just just kind of bring it and calm it down a little bit, you know what I mean? I mean, you are handling what is a, it has to be a completely bonkers situation from what I can, you are handling what is a has to be a completely bonkers situation from what I can tell you're handling it with a lot of poise. I wouldn't change

places with any of those guys and then for one second to be in there. I grunked myself for this, meaning I've been preparing for this moment for 25 years. People ask you all the time, what's the difference between now and then it's no difference. It feels the same. Meaning I wasn't supposed to be there. I didn't want to be there. I mean, so being there from October 20th, 1991 until all of the 23rd, 2016, it's no difference. I hated being in prison. I wasn't supposed to be there I didn't want to be there and I acted according to that It knows the travesty of justice. There's no question about it. You were not supposed to be there I'm incredibly pleased that you're out. What are you gonna do now? Oh

Man, you know, it's been a whirlwind for me, man. These three weeks, one of the best things that's happened for me since I came home. I've been offered a job at the federal courthouse and Philadelphia. Of course, I accepted that job. So I went down there and met some unbelievable judges. I met the staff down there who run a recovery program for guys that been in prison not necessarily for 25 years If I have a long you've been in for a year six months seven, they run an unbelievable program Those guys down there the judges were friends of a couple of attorneys. I haven't followed up here and those guys have assisted me and

Ways I couldn't even imagine Those guys has been unbelievable Every time I turn around one of those guys that run that program down there for the judges them the recovery program is on my phone Just checking in with me make sure I'm fine. Do I need anything? They have assisted me with everything. I couldn't imagine being where I am today without those guys. So, you know, I want to give a shout out to the federal co-house and Philadelphia to the judges down there

that have welcomed me with open arms and all these staff down there. Those guys have been great. So, I'm looking forward to getting out and doing that nine to five thing real soon. But I wanna take time these next couple of weeks. This is my first time in the Big Apple, New York City. I'm over here, meeting and seeing all my attorneys

over here, all my prayer legals and the law students that has been working with me for a very long time and meeting all other staff attorneys that I've talking to and the students, you know, I hear all these faces every day. I mean, I hear all these voices, different voices every day to come over today and put a face to those voices. It's been unbelievable. It's been emotional day for me. I've been crying all day. I'm having the time of my life here in the Big Apple. Everybody over here has been great. You included. So,

I've been with you for a couple of hours now and it's an honor and like I said before the pleasure is our mind. So thank you. Tony thank you. It's time to send you off to your evening activity which is the Yankees game. With your attorney Nino who we should give a shout out to. She's from the Innocence Project. She is a meditator herself and she's very cool. Tony, right? Congratulations on getting out. It is an honor to meet you and may you be as strong as you are right now for the rest of your life. Likewise, man. I appreciate it, man. You are unbelievable, God, man. I'm a huge fan of everything you do on myself. I can tell you the follow. And I look forward to seeing you again. We stand touching me? Absolutely. I'm gonna keep you to that.

Oh man, absolutely, absolutely. Don't ask me that. I mean, I'll call your phone as soon as I go down the street. I mean, absolutely, I'll keep in touch, man. I'm looking forward to it. Okay, there's another edition of the 10% happier podcast. If you liked it, please make sure to subscribe, rate us, and if you want to suggest topics we should cover or guess we should bring in, hit me up on Twitter at Dan B. Harris.

I also want to thank Hardly, the people who produced this podcast and really do pretty much all the work. Lauren, Efron, Josh Cohen, Sarah Amos, Andrew Calv, Steve Jones, and the head of ABC News Digital Dan Silver. I'll talk to you next Wednesday. Hey, hey, prime members. You can listen to 10% happier early and ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today.

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