by Keith Erickson, Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, CA Last night I called my wife, something I do each and every night before we both turn in for the evening and we went through our extensive prayer list. Just five minutes later while checking the messages on the contact’s list of my inmate issued tablet, I was alarmed by a message left from my wife to call home again, as it was urgent. I listened to the words of my wife as she cried, “Please sit down, Keith,” and her words pierced right through me as she read the
Continue ReadingThe Nature That Exist All Around
by Raymond White, Corcoran State Prison in Corcoran, CA The flow of blood has no weightBut contains distilled and rich measureThat streams warm like one hundredRivers of eternity; just think of theBlue sky more higher than the Eiffel TowerIn Paris, more elevated than wingsOf countless flocks of birds heavenlyDistance by flight travelThat drifts along white clouds beyondThe human eyes distinction, I can onlySpeak for what pure nature I trulyFeel and see past hundred mile coveredFresh grass fields, or wolves and deerRunning content across the soiled dirtIn rain forest all these beautiful thingsIn clear sights of journies I haveLived by experience,
Continue Reading
Volume 28.35/36
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingMany Concerns
by Zion, San Mateo Over-thinking is normal for a person like me every day. I don’t know when it started, it just came out of nowhere. Many thoughts of how I’ll make money for my family, falling into bad paths, and not knowing what’s at the end of those paths. Many concerns of what people think about me, do I do what they do, but mainly am I down to take the same risks as the people around me. I have concerns about what women would think of me. Many times, I think, am I the guy that takes risks
Continue ReadingShaping Myself Today
by Uz, San Francisco I agree that we can learn from other’s mistakes. Unfortunately, I learned from my very own. I see it as life lessons, to be honest. I’ve grown from my past mistakes. I am able to channel my best self now more than before. I was super young and defiant as a young teen and early teen. I’ve guided myself. I didn’t have a big home, a dad, or a real positive role model in my life. I experienced from my decision making the consequences that came with it. So, I moved differently and ended up being
Continue ReadingThe Best I Can Be
by Chase To me, being the best I can means showing I’ve been in really difficult situations. Anyone can say they would do this or that in a difficult situation, but it’s another thing to follow through with it and have your actions match your words. No matter how hard it gets when I was younger I would always have these beliefs about the world and who I was, but a lot of times I never had to put those beliefs to the test. And when I did, I had a different outlook on the situation, myself, and others that
Continue ReadingOptions Symbolize Freedom
by Nelson Vega I have become more and more passionate about money in the most recent months. I’m not certain if it’s because I don’t have it right now per se, or that it provides many options. Options symbolize freedom to me. It’s not the love of money. It’s what money can do for a person, organization, family, friends, and so forth. Money can be made in so many ways, and in so many different forms. My passion or obsession is about how money works. All areas of how it works and how it’s provided. I’m looking at multiple streams
Continue Reading
David Inocencio Memorial Fund
The David Inocencio Memorial Fund honors our trailblazing founder, David Inocencio. For nearly three decades, David was a light in the dark world of detention facilities across the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. This fund will support workshops, magazine publication, and general operations of The Beat Within. With your support, The Beat goes on. LINK
Continue Reading
Editor’s Note
In July, The Beat Within announced with great sadness the passing of its founder and executive director, David Inocencio. Over the past six weeks, our Beat Within team has worked tirelessly to publish a special tribute issue of The Beat Within Magazine. In this issue, youth, David’s colleagues, former and current TBW participants, and community leaders shared their reflections on the impact of The Beat Within, David Inocencio, and the topic of grief. The issue was empowering and almost therapeutic, rallying our team to stand up and ensure that the beat goes on, as David always said. With passing the
Continue Reading
The Beat Within Tribute Issue
Our latest magazine is here! Inside you can find all the incredible and powerful tributes to David. Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue Reading