The Beat Within

-Frederick Mason, Correctional Facility, AZ Program Statement 540.100, under Purpose and Scope for Inmate Telephone Regulation states, in part: “Telephone privileges are a supplemental means of maintaining community and family ties that will contribute to an inmate’s personal development,” and “Maintaining pro-social/legal contact with family and community ties is a valuable tool in the overall correctional process.” I take this to mean that in some regards, the use of telephone calls is vital to the wellbeing of every inmate here, because it gives us a connection to the outside world. Whether we are calling our parents, our spouses, our church

-Scott D Culp, Correctional Facility in Chino, CA The labor-intensive aspect of the current war between Ukraine and Russia has the latter scrambling for able-bodied men. Taxing from the lowest hanging fruits of a dictatorship, Russian prisoners were openly pressed for conscription into the paramilitary “Wagner Group.”  I can certainly empathize with a convict seeking absolution from sins, especially clothed in the austerity of the State. Ours is a cryptic world where the foreshadow of a war involving our fraternal dis-order of brothers has us questioning our worth in society. Because of the economic costs of a regular army, the

-Efren Bullard, Ironwood State prison in Blythe, CA “We continued daily to take personal inventory of ourselves, and whenever wrong, have the courage to honestly admit it.”  This step is very serious because a lot of us believe that we never took personal inventory of ourselves, meaning our wrongs. I used to take personal inventory all the time. The difference is this:  Every time I harmed someone I used to sit in the hole and think about how I could’ve hurt the individual even worse then he was already harmed. I would say to myself, “If I would’ve held him

-Jay, San Quentin State Prison, CA To the youth and others, I hope this inspires you to never give up, to not lose faith. I know it’s hard. Even though you may feel lost and helpless, it will be alright.  You are stronger than you think. You are special and priceless. Do not give up hope. Where there is darkness there is light. Even when you feel and think you’re alone, you’re not. The struggles, trials and tribulations will only make you stronger and wiser. Never submit to the hardships. Do not lose faith.