Long was also the subject of a 2023 documentary, “District of Second Chances,” which follows the reentry journeys of three men who were all teenagers when they were sentenced to life in prison.
As part of his work at Georgetown, Long served as a teaching assistant for law professor Marc Howard’s “Prisons and Punishment” class fall semester. On the first day of class, Offman was surprised when she walked into the lecture hall and saw him. He joked that she was stalking him.
Their connection took on new significance when Offman asked Long to write a letter of recommendation for her Rhodes Scholarship application.
“I was so honored,” Long said. “To speak about her character, it also validates and reminds me of the relevancy of my existence.”
When Offman told him she had been awarded the prestigious scholarship to study at Oxford University in the United Kingdom after she graduates this spring, Long was overjoyed.
“Honestly, I knew she was going to get it,” he said. “I was so ecstatic. It felt like I made parole again. I know she’s not my daughter, but it’s like, man, I’m seeing my baby girl get this, I’m so proud of her.”
For Offman, having Long’s support was invaluable.
“I feel grateful and blessed,” she said. “I hope that his legacy continues to inspire young folks like me to ask more of the societies that we grew up in, because that’s exactly what he did for me.”
Long and Offman’s lives were both shaped by crucial events at age 18. For Long, it was the beginning of a life sentence that would take away his liberty for the next 26 years. For Offman, it was the beginning of a friendship that would radically alter her worldview and her future career.
“To the 18-year-old me, this would be unfathomable,” Long said. “I wasn’t able to see that I would actually live to be 40, not to mention to be in a position where I can possibly positively affect another 18-year-old. And that’s what’s crazy, because I lost my life when I was 18, but to help somebody discover a new life when they’re 18, it’s like, man, that’s a hell of a story right there.”
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