This fall Valentino Dixon was freed after serving 27 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Dixon came to prominence following a Golf Digest profile six years ago, a story that originally centered on Dixon’s artwork of golf courses. It was through the efforts of Golf Digest’s Max Adler, the Georgetown University Prison Reform Project and others that Dixon’s true narrative came into focus: that of a victim, his innocence trampled by a broken and unjust system.
While Dixon is out of Attica Correctional Facility, he remains shackled. Dixon is unable to travel to Australia, the home of his wife Louise. Likewise, Louise is unable to gain entry into the United States. The two, who conversed daily while Dixon was locked away, reunited for the first time in 12 years in Mexico, but their future is still in doubt.
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“It’s a long and messy story, but the simple reality is, we have suffered enormously at the hands of a broken system,” Lisa writes. “I believe my immigration status has been unfairly held back precisely because I fought for my husband’ s freedom. I visited Valentino at Attica Correctional Facility every chance I had during the four years I lived in Buffalo, New York. Ever since I was forced to return to Australia 12 years ago—for overstaying my visa—our love has survived on letters and daily phone calls. Now that he’s out, we need funding to hire an immigration attorney so I can gain clearance to enter the United States. With the right attorney, I’m told, it should be a straightforward matter, as I have no criminal record.”
The family has set up a GoFundMe page for attorney costs. To donate, visit here.
“We still have a chance to make a happy life, and we will be beyond grateful for any amount that gets us closer to being together,” says Louise. “It’s the dream we’ve shared since we were married in the visiting room of the Attica cafeteria in 2002.”
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