Month: August 2026

Blessed For A Second Chance

Piece of the Week

-Jorge, San Mateo What’s up Beat? I hope all is well with everyone. My week has been good for real. Today, I’m talking about being blessed. Personally, I feel blessed no matter what’s going on. Waking up each and every day for me is a big enough blessing.  I know that for many of us, being in this situation will make many of us feel the opposite. What some of us don’t know or see at the moment, is that it can be a blessing in disguise.  See, I have been doing this for almost five years and although it’s

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Ed Note 31.21/22

Editor's Note

Welcome back to another double dose edition of the one and only The Beat Within. It’s OT reporting live to you guys from the land of hot lava where the earth shakes and quakes, Managua Nicaragua. Once again, I am blessed with the opportunity with bringing you guys my input, great ideas (I hope) and most importantly my voice and opinion on our writing prompts. I feel as if I always pick something heavy to write about, well not heavy, but you know, from the heart and soul. So, I thought this week that I would switch it up to

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Hot Chocolate And Ice Cream Cake

Piece of the Week

-SK, San Mateo My favorite food is seafood boil and soul food. If you aren’t feeling this type of food, then you have never ate real food before because soul food would really smack you in your soul. I’ve for real grown up eating this type of food since I was a boy and ever since I fell in love with these foods.  When I got released last year all the restaurants I been to was something that served soul food or seafood boils. I also love Chinese food and Mexican food because I would eat them a lot too,

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My Thank You

The Beat Without

-Adrian, San Quentin State Prison Thank you for believing in me. I’m going to take another year off. So, pray for me! Hopefully, in a year from now I’ll be writing from the streets but it’s gonna take some hard work.  I’m scheduling a court date asking them to let me go and trying to go on San Francisco’s MCRP program in August. If it is the Lord’s will then the saga will continue out there! I really feel like you editors changed my life. I now live as if you’re watching me because I care about your opinion.  Thank

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Ed Note 31.19/20

Editor's Note

Spring is in full swing and we hope wherever you are you are enjoying the longer days and more hours of day light. Spring break, Spring cleaning or Spring fever! Wherever you are we just hope that you are not suffering with too many Spring allergies because all the flowers and trees are in bloom and pollen is blowing through the air. We hope this Spring propels you to spring forward in your life. We hope you enjoy this issue and OT is back again to share his take on one of the weekly topics. Welcome back to another double

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A Solid Moral Compass

Piece of the Week

-Ryder, San Francisco I would love to one day be a father. It’s something that I have thought about a ton, but not something that I want for myself yet. Before I have a kid, I’d like to be in a much more stable and comfortable financial situation, as well of course to be on the outside.  I am blessed to have been raised by both of my parents together, and I’d like to do the same when I have a child. My parents instilled a solid work ethic in me, as well as a solid moral compass and a

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That Crumpled Piece Of Paper

The Beat Without

-Fiji, San Quentin State Prison I sat there and stared at the crumpled piece of paper laying on the sidewalk. I couldn’t help but wonder how many people walked by that discarded piece of paper without even noticing that not even a foot away sits a trash can. After some time sitting there, I stood up and did something that anybody could have done, but up until then, nobody chose to do. A thought enters my mind. I was like a crumpled piece of paper before, a problem child, a headache, troublemaker, people looking at me like a crumpled paper.

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