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Watch: Thomas Morgan discusses Victim Offender Dialogue

September 24, 2025

Thomas Morgan speaks about the Victim Offender Dialogue program at the Correctional Training Facility at Soledad.

Thanks to the Victim Offender Dialogue program, when the person who shot Thomas Morgan was up for parole, he advocated for his release.

“In 1997, I was shot by a 17-year-old gang member. He was sentenced to 26-and-a-half years to life in prison,” Morgan said. “About 17 years later, he came up for parole and I eventually ended up advocating for his release on parole.”

Morgan was a deputy sheriff when he was shot, as reported in our previous story.

He credits the Victim Offender Dialogue with helping him come to terms with what happened.

“I ended up sitting down with him in prison and he and I talked about the crime he committed,” Morgan explained. “After he got out, we maintained our relationship. He’s now a productive member of society.”

Dialogue benefits victims, survivors, incarcerated

Watch the video (story continues below):

Now, Morgan speaks about the program, educating others on the restorative nature of the Victim Offender Dialogue program.

“I regularly give talks at various prisons, to community groups, and church groups. I think it’s important because a lot of what I speak about has to do with empathy and understanding about what other people go through in their lives,” he said. “It’s been very valuable for the incarcerated folks to understand what their victims and survivors go through. But I (also) believe it would be equally important to see the restorative power of the circumstance for members of law enforcement.”

Morgan said he doesn’t regret his decision to speak with the person who shot him.

“Ever since I made the decision to talk to him, nothing but good has come from that. It was as if all my fears faded away when it came to telling that story,” he said. “I think there’s a great deal of power in stories like this to serve as inspiration for other people. And I really, honestly, can’t think of a better way to live one’s life.”

Video by Bernadette Durley, TV Specialist
Story by Don Chaddock, Inside CDCR editor
Office of Public and Employee Communications

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