Ed Note 28.41/42

A big hello, and a warm welcome to our readers and writers near and far. We’re back with another double issue, celebrating the brilliant testimonies of our incarcerated youth and their allies from across the country.  There are few celebrations we’d like to mention, we’ve been honored to begin The Beat Within workshops in Stanislaus County. Led by Marian Martino, the voices of Stanislaus County have been published in a handful of our previous issues, and we welcome them to the TBW family and look forward to sharing their voices. Another huge milestone, The Beat Within celebrates 27 of service!

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I Remember When

by M, Sacramento I remember when I got good grades in school and wanted to do a lot of stuff. I would go to my dad’s and we would go bowling. I slowly started getting bad grades and stopped wanting to go do things. I didn’t want to go to my dads or my grandmas anymore. I actually didn’t even want to be home.  My grades slowly started dropping, they went from As and Bs to Cs and Ds. From there they got worse, I was leaving after school and hanging out all day. I wasn’t doing homework, I was

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A Perfect Picture

by BK, Santa Cruz I would take a picture of me and my friend, my little brother and stepdad (AKA Ramon) while the background’s a beautiful sunset with an owl in the background. And aguachile as the food. My fave book is “Charlotte’s Web.”  My fave view was being in the mountains and the view was the sun in the middle of the woods and it was yellow, pink. My journey’s crazy. I’d met people I never think I’ll stop talking to. My mom doesn’t really care about anyone, so I just had to learn to not care. My dad

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Had to go Back to my Childhood

by Olegario Ambriz, San Quentin State Prison, CA I had to go back to my childhood and reflect on my past traumas. I had to get in touch with my inner child, writing a letter to the hurt and lonely child within me. Letting him know I was there for him and not to be afraid because I was there to protect him from anybody that tried to harm him in any way, shape or form.  I learned that every time my inner child acted up, I did something wrong by committing a crime. That was how my inner child

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Fifty Years With Two Life Sentences

by Jorge Lopez, San Quentin State Prison, CA Hello, my name or where I’m from aren’t important. Today, I am serving a sentence of fifty years with two life sentences for a first-degree murder with enhancements (extra time). Sadly, I am identified by a set of numbers.  I have been stripped of my name and freedom because of the bad choices I made almost seventeen years ago. At that time, I had turned eighteen years old and like all of us behind prison walls, I lacked a positive role model. I just had a desire to be accepted by my

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Ed Note 28.39/40

Hello Beat readers and writers, far and wide! Welcome back to another double-issue of The Beat Within, 28.39/40. We’re always so inspired by each and every one of the pieces we publish, and the writing here is no exception.  For this issue’s editorial note, we turn it over to Omar Turcios, to talk about what it means to fight the good fight. Omar, take it away!   It’s OT, reporting live from Managua, Nicaragua, from the land the quakes, shakes, and under this hot sun we all get baked! I want to extend a warm embrace to all of our

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Influencing the Young

by Damian, Santa Cruz  I have a lot of fun memories of me growing up, playing sports at school and just being with friends. Right now, I try to look back on the good memories. For example, I like to think about my basketball/football seasons, every time I spend with my family over the years, good and bad.  One memory that gets to me is when I was younger, about six to eight. I had an uncle who was incarcerated. He was about twenty-eight. I remember so perfectly one day my mom got a phone call from him while he

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Saying “No”

by Joshli, San Mateo There was a time not so long ago where I had a group of friends. This particular group of friends happened to be boys. There was a time when I was hanging out with them and my other girlfriend. We were drinking and smoking in this friend group. There was a boy that liked me but I could only see him as a friend.  This boy made it clear to me that he had other feelings for me and would flirt with me and try to get my attention as a typical teenage boy my age

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