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Continue ReadingMonth: March 2017
Introduction
by Michael X. Bell A lot of people often ask and wonder “How does a person manage to survive (mentally or physically) after spending nearly two decades of their life in prison? And what is to become of someone who gets incarcerated at age of fourteen and is sentenced to spend the rest of their entire life locked away in prison?” I ask, rather the conviction was just or not, how can such a cruel and unusual punishment tactic as giving kids life sentences in adult prisons, be allowable under the code of law?” And then there are those who
Continue ReadingThe Cry of My City, Oakland
by Dejon My city cries for help in so many ways. People think we kill ‘cause we senseless, but it’s really hurt and pain. From the outside looking in, people say we’re possessed by evil. But come from where we come from, we all trapped from our mindset to our freedom. Look into my eyes, I’m the tears of my city, I’m the pain and the suffering, I come from the nitty-gritty. All we want is help, we want a lending hand. We want somebody to care and don’t give up and understand. Don’t judge us from the out, try
Continue ReadingVOLUME 22.11/12
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingTo The Beat!
by Vernon Smith Greetings and peace and blessings upon each of every one of you that listen to this beat of ours… I want to share with you all some of my own “calls for help‖ the first two relate to each other and a little bit more of what I’m going through now within my own journey. And the third one will be a shout-out and a cry-out for help from all of you, as you will see… Alright now on my last prison term, which I ended up doing in ASP/Avenal from 2008-2012 I landed on the B-yard
Continue ReadingThe End Of My Beginning
by Big Boone I used to question life. I used to plot on the lives of others with malicious intent. My own life was a test to see how far I could push myself: how much I could take and how it would change me, to hurt another person, to have low regard for life. How would it make me feel; would I be the same person after that I was before? Would it make me a better person or a worse person? Would I feel sorry or not? The things I did and things I learned made me the
Continue ReadingVOLUME 22.09/10
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingSafe Communities
by Phillip Kelly In my opinion, a safe community consists of positive, happy, genuine people, plenty of resources; i.e., money for after school programs, new supplies every quarter like books, pencils, paper, whatever is needed or used mostly by the kids, clean streets and public spaces, no graf ti, homeless people, prostitution, and drug users. I would say a place like Beverly Hills is very safe; mainly from the many white superstars that live there with plenty of money; a vigilant police force and other members of that community who care and take pride in how the community functions and
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