The Beat Within

by Donald “C-Note” Hooker California has a whole host of criminal statutes in which if found guilty of violating does not determine if a person has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor. These crimes are called Wobblers. Only at the time of sentencing, and depending on how the court chooses to administer the sentence, will the violation be determined as a felony or misdemeanor. Any non-state prison sentence makes the violation a misdemeanor.  When California passed the Three Strikes law it allowed persons convicted of a Wobbler’s low term prison sentence to be put away for Life. As a

by Jorge  Many people but not all people should get the chance to get a second chance or many chances. People should get an opportunity for a second – chance on success on school, a good job and just in life in general. People could get a chance to do what they really want to do in life. When people get a second chance and really think about it, they’ll show their true colors and put a piece of mind in to what they doing in life.  Also, people should get many chances but only if they are worthy for second chances. They could’ve not

by Jesus For day after day  They seek me out  They seem eager to know my ways  As if they were a nation that does  What is right in their ways  You can’t even pronounce my last name  What a shame  Man, get out of my face  You look at me like I’m the next corruption  All you can do is pull nothing but   Judges and grudges  You look at me like I’m nothing  But I really am something  You have no one else to blame  So you blame it on my father  Like if he really wanted to hurt ma and his

by Larry Hernandez Not long ago walking back to our housing unit, fresh from a lifer group meeting, a friend of mine asked a very serious question. He wanted to know, “How do you do it? I mean forgive after that?!” You see, we’ve all got a past. Unfortunately, mine defined me for most my life. But not anymore. In response to the homie’s questions, I had to first understand where he’s coming from. Like me he’s been incarcerated for nearly 25 years, was arrested as a teenager and spent the majority of the years on level IV prison yards. We share

by Morgan DeLange Second chances, at one point or another we’ve all been given a second chance. The question is, did we utilize it or abuse the generosity of it? Generally, regardless of the answer, we are given a second chance, eventually anyways. Whether it be a second chance at life, a second chance at freedom, or a second chance with a friend’s/family members’ trust is still a second chance we generally do not deserve.  My first second chance, a memorable one not just something small, happened when I was fifteen. I ended up in juvie for assaulting my step-father and causing a serious

by J We live in a world of chances. Day by day, we all make mistakes. Nobody in this world was born to be perfect. Our mistakes are what makes us the strongest. We learn from our experiences, failures, and our past. We also have the power and choice to use the knowledge of our experiences to better equip ourselves to face the present and the future. The real challenge is change and adjustment. Some become so used to living a certain way and can’t change, and won’t change. We must learn to do our best, no matter where we