Category: The Beat Without

-Luqman, San Quentin State Prison, CA Growing up my mom constantly told me my friends are not my friends. She told me this after I was dropped off by the police. See, me and my friends didn’t get together to play in our community.  I lived this way until I was sentenced to 38 years in prison at the age of eighteen. At one point I’d given up on life. Thirty-eight years is a long time. I should have listened to my mama. I later met a guy who convinced me to take a self-help class, which ultimately changed my

-Johnny, California Health Care Facility in Stockton, CA Greetings, I am so grateful to be a part of The Beat Within Family. The first part of this year for me has been about reflection and living potential. Here at California Health Care Facility, we participated in National Crime Victims Rights Week in April. As a peer facilitator for Victims Awareness on Tuesday nights we teach and learn about Victim’s rights, impact, ripple effect, and needs. We encourage empathy from our participants to muster the inner choice and decision to reduce the risk of reoffending, to be a part of the

-Lucas, Foothills Correctional Institution in Phoenix, MD Dear Beat Within Team, I hope this finds you doing well and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be introduced to you. My name is Lucas, and I am a writer, an artist, a friend, mentor, and a supportive father to my seventeen-year-old son Logan. He is my world. I also have one younger brother Adam, who is a personal trainer in Asheville, NC.  I have two loving and recently retired parents, Donna and Marty. We are all still very close to one another. Prior to my incarceration, I became severely dependent

Frankie, Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, CA Dear Beat Within community, It feels great to get back into the program of inspirational conversations. How long will this conversation be? Who knows! Sit back and if you saved up a snack from lunch, this will be the perfect time snack it (yes, I know, sad face, no coffee in juvie).  The long wasted nights and wasted days comes to mind! This contradicts my real feelings. I’m assuming we are all feeling the same? Singing in our minds, wasted days and wasted nights! All dressed up on the colors of our

-Donald, San Quentin State Prison, CA As I was growing up, I was someone who, for the most part, went with the flow because it was easier. I knew what to expect and it was less painful, and less disappointing.  When I did make plans and they fell through for whatever reason, I would take it personal and see it as a reflection of how others saw me. I was a failure. That ultimately became my truth about myself which caused me to miss out on so many opportunities to prove others and myself wrong. It was easier to just

-André, California Medical Facility (CMF) in Vacaville, CA “Until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter.” Chinua Achebe  I love this metaphor! It strikes a chord on so many levels. Thinking about the current climate we’re in and this banning of books era we’re experiencing, there is an effort by our government to silence certain voices. The idea is to paint a “prettier” picture of the country and sweep the pain, loss, and struggle of some under the rug.  Another quote fits perfectly with this: “history is written by the victor.” It is our duty

-John, San Quentin State Prison, CA I came to this country when I was sixteen with an unrealistic self-concept of what being successful looks like. Unfortunately, I did not have the grades nor the language to achieve those unattainable goals. Without a clean path to succeed, I just adapted and pretended to be more than I was. It was a costly practice. As a young adult, I worked for lawyers, politicians, and other extremely rich, powerful and successful people, by societal standards. I learned to talk like them, dress like them and think like them because I thought I wanted

-Aorrell, Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, CA Being in prison and losing my younger brother to gun violence has been by far the hardest and most challenging thing I have ever had to experience. Usually, I know all the right words to say, but through my constant flow of tears, insurmountable pain, combined with the harsh reality of being trapped inside of a world of pain. It’s hard to find the right word to say.  Where do I even begin? Never once did I ever imagine a life without him. It seems like yesterday when we were kids. I

-Hu, California Health Care Facility in Stockton, CA It has been said that two wrongs will not make it right. As long as a victim has been left with the ugly poison of resentment caused by a tragic act of evil, they may struggle to change their attitude of anger. They may carry this burden into their relationships with others, limiting their humanness. They may become so bitter that they act out in aggression or with the intentions of inflicting injury upon others vindictively.  Evil cannot effectively be changed by evil. Evil must be weakened by the power of love.

-C, California Medical Facility (CMF) in Vacaville, CA Why am I here?Because I was not well directed in lifeOr disciplined or loved when I was young.I was growing, veered off to the right or leftRather than going straight,Didn’t hear the right guidance.I know I shouldn’t blame myself.