Five DIY Tips for Preparing for Reentry
One day I finally said to myself – “you killed someone” – a young man’s life is gone. And I wondered how my mother would feel if it had been me who had been killed. I began thinking about my victim’s mother.
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Racism in Prison Goes Both Ways
Like many other communities, prison is largely self-segregated. Considering the psychodynamics within, this is not unexpected. One of the biggest surprises of prison life, however, is that so many on the inside are neither the racists they claim for themselves nor [...]
I Am A Killer Season 2 — I Survived Death Row
Once upon a time I was a Death Row inmate, Level 3. What that means is I was the residue at the bottom of the barrel. There is absolutely nothing below that in the world we call PRISON except one [...]
Getting Out of Prison is Overrated
I’m a repeat offender. This is my 4th time in penitentiary. I’m the “poster child” for getting out of prison. First time I was 17 years old. I did four years. My 2nd time I was 22 and I did 3 years. Third time I was 25 and I did 9 years. Now I’m 37 and I’m serving a 30-year sentence.
BLACK LIVES MATTER IN PRISON TOO
America was built off of profits made from the stolen bodies and labor of African hostages—slaves. History teaches us that the trans-Atlantic slave trade was about economics. As was the civil war and Jim Crow.
I Watched A Prisoner Catch a Seagull And Later Eat It
I don't think that anyone believes U.S. prisons will ever serve quality meals, certainly prisoners are not holding their breath. I have come across many prisoners who’ve become ill from food poisoning over the years. Likewise, prisoners have become rather resourceful [...]
10 Tips For Surviving Long Term Solitary Confinement
Editors Note: Mustafa Zulu spent 20 years in solitary confinement in the harshest Federal Prison in America: ADX Florence in Colorado. One day, he was told he was moving to a STATE prison in North Carolina. 1) STRESS MANAGEMENT: Stress kills. [...]
How We Bonded Inside A Native American Sweat Lodge — in Prison!
"Looking Back" is the name of my Native American comrade I met when I first arrived to North Dakota state penitentiary a few months ago. He's about 5'8, bronze complexion, with a traditional Indian ponytail-braid hanging down to his lower back. [...]
Some Thoughts From Solitary
After spending 3 years in a medium security Ohio prison, a friend of mine once asked me if the time spent there had institutionalized me. At the time my idea of what it meant to be institutionalized consisted of simply forming [...]
One Crazy-Ass Night as a Latin King (You Won’t Believe)
I’m a stick-up kid who robs any thing that moves. If they had money or drugs, or better yet, both, I did not hesitate to take it. I ended up with $160-grand and 33 kilos of cocaine. I knew the crew in the van would try to kill me, so I put everything in this big handbag and then took a big silk bag he had and put what I could in it.
Love in Prison: 12 Tips To Dating A Prisoner
So you’re looking for love? You’re one of those who has yet to find that person to walk your journey with. You’ve decided to widen your options to include those who are currently incarcerated. You’ve listed all of the pros and [...]
I’ve Been On Death Row Since I Was 21
My adolescence was marked by an inability to express my thoughts and emotions. I floundered with how to speak my mind and these unsaid things turned into hungry rats gnawing on my nerves. Communicating as a shy teenager is hard [...]
Acts Of Kindness Are Rare in Prison But This Really Happened
What would you expect to find in a maximum-security prison? Convicted felons? Of course. Spontaneous violence? Check. Gang members? Plenty. Humanity? Come again? “This is the last place I’d ever want to be sick,” I thought as I stared at the [...]
When You Grow Up In Prison, Did Your Life Ever Really Begin?
Sometimes, after my roommate has gone to sleep (or has left the room, or when no one is looking), I grab my pillow and hold it tightly, pressing my face against it. I fall asleep with my arm wrapped around it, [...]
Texas Prisoners Take a Poll on Life in Prison
QUESTIONS:
I polled 30 fellow prisoners with these 2 questions: a. “What’s the best thing that’s happened in prison?” b. “What’s the worst thing that’s happened in prison?”
The Wrath of Sling Blade
Early this morning, just before breakfast, I was jarred awake by the yells of an eerily familiar voice. It was the grainy, guttural bark which will be forever burned into my memory. "Sir... Excuse me, sir! My name is Glutton [...]