by Downer Guns played a detrimental part in my life because for a long time, that was my only understanding on how to deal with my issues and problems that I encounter on the streets. Guns were always perpetuated, as “that’s how you handle business”. This ideology ultimately led me to commit murder in gang violence because I wanted to be respected, accepted, and powerful. That ‘genius’ way of thinking cost me seventeen years and counting, of my life at the age of fteen. My response to the popular pro-gun expression of “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” is
Continue ReadingYear: 2017
Regret and Heartbreak
by Brandon On a rainy Thursday in December my twin brother and I made a decision that we both regret. We’d been smoking and drinking with some girls, and, when we were about to walk home in the rain, my brother said, “Let’s get picked up.” I said, “Nah. Let’s walk. Mom’s probably sleeping.” He called her anyway. Then, when she was on her way, I saw an old “friend” who jumped me back in August. My brother told me not to confront him, but I didn’t listen. I regret that decision every minute of every day. Being separated from
Continue ReadingVOLUME 22.01/02
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Continue ReadingDear President Obama / The Crime Report / The Beat Within
Happy New Year all! Wow, like our friends over at the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, The Crime Report, based in New York City, picked up and is featuring on their site their favorite “Dear President Obama” pieces from The Beat Within and are featuring these standout pieces today. We must say, they did an outstanding job with the spread on their site. A couple months ago one of our writing prompts in our weekly writings workshops inside juvenile hall, county jail and state prison was a “Letter to President Obama.” We were overwhelmed by the response from our many writers,
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