Category: Piece of the Week

by Rodrigo During my time as a junior in high school, I wasn’t no Einstein. I did the least amount of school work and I didn’t like reading. Whenever I had a test, it felt like the real test was how to cheat without getting caught. On my last day of my junior year, I turned in my final test. I passed it with a little help from my friend sitting in the desk to the right of me. I felt accomplished.   When the principal of the school came to the classroom and told me to come with her and

by Lil Danny I find myself thankful for my grandma, because she’s always been there for me. She raised me whenever my dad wasn’t around. She means a lot to me because she tried to keep me out of trouble. She told me to do right, but it was hard, because all I knew was wrong. She tried to help me whenever she could.  She picked me up from the police station before they took me to juvenile hall. She gave me advice to do right. She told me she’ll take me to places if I behaved good. She gave

by Sleepy If you have been incarcerated my ideas for them staying out is to get a job and find something to do. Get yourself a girl (or boy) that will keep you out of trouble. I know you don’t like being locked up because I definitely don’t like being here in these cells. Keep busy and find a hobby you like to do. Many inmates like being in jail because they don’t have a place to stay.  Being locked up away from my family makes me want to strive for betterment and be someone in life. I want to

by Dylan If I could talk to my 12 year old self, I would say, “hey, your journey is just beginning. I want to tell you that the shhh you went through isn’t your fault at all!  I can say the tears ain’t over yet, but the hurt is. You’re lucky!  All the stuff you went through, the years of violence and abuse…the ignorance when your parents said you weren’t worth it. I can say that you are not what your parents thought you would grow up to be.  Riding in the back of the CPS (Child Protective Services) car

by Luis A decision that was incredibly challenging for me was one time in my life in the seventh grade. I had class with my friend and he was playing Clash of Clans during class and he was sagging his pants and had a knife on him.  It was visible on his pocket and once my teacher caught him using his phone, she not just saw his phone, she also saw the knife and he immediately panicked and went to the school phone to call the principal. My friend told me to hold onto the knife, so he wouldn’t get

by Ryan All of us want freedom. We want to be able to go out and do whatever we used to do.  But freedom isn’t free. I hear a lot of people blaming others for their incarceration, but the truth is, you did this to yourself. Your PO didn’t just pull up out of the blue and decide to arrest you. You decided to risk your freedom and now you’re paying the price. It’s no one’s fault but your own.  A lot of people also don’t really think about the idea of freedom when they’re out just enjoying life. A

by Lil Ice So Much (Song) It’s a lot of shhh I done been through I just got to keep it lit and continue I can’t do no stopping I got to stay solid So much pain every day, I don’t stop hurtin’ I want to live but sometimes I feel I’m not worth it The higher power show me love but it’s not mercy But then again, I’m still alive so that’s God workin’ I know God real but sometimes I question If you there, point me in the right direction ‘Cause I don’t really like the life that

by Charlie  What does unstoppable mean to me? Well, it means nothing can stop you from doing what you’re doing, as in my persona. I believe I’m unstoppable because no matter what I do or in what I participate in, if I fail or succeed, I will try again. In other words, nothing or no one will stop me from trying to reach my goals because I am unstoppable and I always will be. No matter what happens in my life or what happens around me, I will not stop for a second. All I’ve ever been told in life

by E I am mad at myself for not doing what’s right. I’m mad that every time I say I’m going to change, something comes up and it ends up going sideways. I am mad that I lie to myself and to my parents about leaving this lifestyle, but I don’t realize until I’m behind these walls.  I’m mad that I can’t do what’s right. I mean, I know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it, I just act like I can play the system. But let me tell you that that’s the only thing

by DD From what I know, loneliness can manifest feelings of anger, sadness, but most importantly, a feeling of emptiness, and at a certain point, it feels as if you’re going through life numb every day.  And the real world doesn’t seem so real or feel so real any more. Reality starts to fade away, and life feels like a dream, more like a nightmare that’s inescapable. Before you know it, you’re living in a world where you can’t tell the difference between the real world and a fake, imaginary world. The worst thing is reaching a point when you