Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingMy Life in Prison
by Jeremy Willis Hi there. This is Jeremy Willis again and I am writing this time from old Corcoran State Prison in Corcoran California. Well since I last wrote you a lot has happened. And what I mean is, I was told by the prison doctor that I have Hep. C. Thinking back, I must have had it for 16 years, and it turned into Liver Cancer (cirrhosis of the liver). The doctor told me if I don’t take care of myself, I most likely won’t live six months, but if I do who knows how long it could be, maybe
Continue ReadingSmoke and Mirrors
by Kyle You stand in front of me, Pretending to be solid, But you are nothing More than smoke and mirrors You said you would never leave That you would care for us forever But now you claim you cannot stay That you’ve been called away When you go, who will I turn to? When it all crashes down? Tell me who Then tell me how I can’t believe in anyone again If all your promises have been lies.
Continue ReadingVolume 23.31/32
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingRunning Against The Wind
by Dortell Williams Have you ever tried to run against the wind? It isn’t easy. Most of the time, it’s easier to just go with it and sail. Boats do it all the time, so do kites, flags and balloons. On the other hand, criminal behavior (CB) is like running against the wind. They officially call CB “anti-social” behavior, because it goes against the norms of larger society. CB is like going against the wind. It is unnatural. Imagine if everyone was out there fighting, stabbing and shooting each other. Society would not last. We would all do one another in and humanity would disappear.
Continue ReadingReleased Soon After So Long!!
by Rayband Seventy-six days left! I’ve been here for fourteen months and twelve days. I’ve been counting down and planning a lot of stuff. I’m already knowing that nothing is the same out there. It’s the changes I’m going to have to get used to. I’m not worried about that because I’m ready to take the world head on. Being in here this long has made me ready to do anything. I’m not frail or afraid of anything. Being inside a cell for four hundred sixty-nine days straight will prepare you for lots of stuff. I’m the oldest person in
Continue ReadingVolume 23.29/30
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingMy Story, My Irony
by Fernando Murillo My name is Fernando Murillo. I first wrote to The Beat in Alameda County Juvenile Hall as a sixteen-year-old boy. I was an impulsive, zealous young man full of so much self-righteousness. I was upset Michael Kroll and The Beat workshop people showed up during our rec time for a writer’s work shop. I felt exploited. I felt like some people outside wanted to come to the zoo and see the animals at a safe distance. Something I felt they wouldn’t do in the community. I was so ignorantly misinformed and irrational. I had no idea that this
Continue ReadingRemember Dad in June
by Macon June always reminds me of my father, not because it’s Father’s Day but it is also his birthday. My dad is one of the best dads I could ever wish for. When I was playing football, my dad would always take me to the park to work on my skills. He would also come to all my football practices and games. Even though my dad is always in and out of jail, he would always be there for me for the little time that he would be free. Besides my mom, my dad is the only person I can
Continue ReadingVolume 23.27/28
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue Reading