Category: Piece of the Week

by SP, San Mateo The last time I said sorry to my mom was last Sunday. I felt I had to sorry because she was mad at me because I felt it was right in the situation and I always just say sorry.  I always feel bad and sorry for making my mom’s life harder, even though she goes through so much without me stressing her out more and causing her pain. There have been times when I said sorry but didn’t mean it. I only said it to please my mom and try to make her happy, instead of

by Chasing, Miles City, Montana I’m chasing my dreamsI’m chasing my goalsI’m chasing my heartI’m chasing my soulI walk beside youAnd ponder my fearsThis life isn’t overBut the end is still nearI’m in the darknessBut I see the lightMy soul is fragileBut it’s shining brightAnd when it’s morningI think it’s nightThis is the systemThe way of life.

by Curry, San Francisco For me, the American dream is being from another country or having roots from a different country and being in America and becoming successful. Success can have plenty of different definitions for different people.  In my eyes, the success is coming here for a new start and prospering in life by obtaining a good job that you are content with that gives you the opportunity to take care of yourself and your family, and give you the freedom to do what you want in life. For my family, fortunately they were able to experience that “American

by JS, Sacramento For me personally, it’s challenging for me to prepare for something because I don’t really prepare. I just do whatever it is when the time comes for me to do that thing. Something that I am preparing for is me to do a little bit of time and really focus on what I got planned for when I get home, and how I will turn my life around.  The steps I will need to take to be a very successful person after my incarceration is first – I want to finish college and get my degree in

by Dre, San Francisco I’ve been tripping out lately since my people passed on. That’s my mom, my auntie, my granny. I’ve been yelling and getting easily irritated and shhh. I’d be on my bed and shhh.  I’m releasing my grief through my anger. I’ll be working out and shooting hoops. That makes me feel better. I get the anger off my mind. Talking on the phone to friends and it gets the pain off my mind. This anger might always be with me, but I’m going to keep it under control. I’m going to keep it under control with

by Kugen, San Mateo Five years ago I did not think I would be writing something about five years ago in jail. I wasn’t exactly a good kid in school but I didn’t ever imagine myself in jail wanting to go home. Looking back, going home was a very normal thing, but right now I don’t even have a choice to.  I will at some point but today I will be sleeping here at jail, not at home in my bed. I am used to it already but exactly five years ago I probably would be watching TV or something

by Ivan, Santa Cruz A way that I’m going to prepare myself for the future is that, one, when I get out of the hall I’m gonna be looking for a job for myself. I look forward to bettering myself and do good things. I want to do good for things that do not affect me.  Another thing to prepare for my future is that I’m learning things here at the hall. I’m also preparing myself for the future to try to enroll myself to take some college classes or to  work for construction, so when I get out I’ll

by Lily, San Francisco I could change one problem in the world, it would be society. Why? you ask. Because social media has made it so that you’re not cool if you don’t fit the image that Instagram or Twitter has put out.  If you don’t have Vape or Jordans you’re broke or you don’t compete. So a lot of people put this mask on because who they are doesn’t fit the Instagram look or is not following the trend. It’s too many rules or should I say standards for our young people. And being on social media is hard

by City Boy, San Mateo Today I’m going to talk about being down bad and no one to depend on. First off I just want to say everyone has a different type of struggle in life that helps that person to persevere through or to stress about. Either way you can have one or another, or both sides. I just want to say that I have that feeling of being down bad or just nobody to talk to or just unmotivated.  I’m just always been down-bad money wise and relations with family, but every day I pray. I just have

by AK, Sacramento I heard good news one day while being incarcerated. I went to court one day and the judge himself pushed my court date back a whole month, only due to them wanting to investigate where they want to put me at. But I feel like most likely they’ll send me back home to my loved ones like last time.  And the good news really is I’m most likely going to go home on July 14th. I messed up coming back here, but the judge gave me a day pass to see my girl give birth to our