Welcome back editorial note readers to our latest double issue, 24.13/14, of writing and art from the inside and beyond. There is plenty of good writing in this one of a kind issue and we certainly hope you will not pass up the writings that we are featuring this week in our editorial note. As many of you know, we have a long standing partnership with the Urban High School of San Francisco, that has become an important piece to our success. It’s hard to believe we have been working with Urban students since 1997! We thank our dear friends and teachers, Amy Argenal, Deborah Samake and Courtney Rein for their valuable support in bringing further awareness to our work. Without their support we would not have the amazing volunteers and service learning students who play such a vital role with each issue and workshop we lead, inside and outside of the system.
Now, please join us in welcoming the latest reflections of Maya and Justin, two students at the Urban High School of San Francisco. In her piece, Maya articulates the discrepancy between how media portrays mass incarceration, compared to her own her views that have developed through her work with us at The Beat Within. Through his time with us, Justin has learned not to take his education for granted, and details the personal impact The Beat writing has left on him. Both students have been hard at work transcribing the wonderful writing that comes to us through The Beat Without, and we’re so grateful for their efforts! Now lets pass the keyboard to Maya and Justin!
They Show Hope
Before I started working with The Beat Within, my perception of incarcerated people was a negative one. I thought of them in the ways that the media represented them. I saw them as killers, thieves, and all-around bad people. I did not believe there was a way for them to change. I thought, “Once a criminal, always a criminal.â€
Since starting to work with The Beat Within my perception has been challenged and changed. I have transcribed letters of individuals who spoke wholeheartedly about a transformation they experienced in prison and how they are different than they were when they were first incarcerated.
Additionally, when I first started, I expected to read about prisoners looking for pity from the outside world, but what I found was people who were looking to help troubled others. In almost every letter I have transcribed, the writer is speaking to the reader, telling them that if they are in a similar position that they were that they do not have to end up in the same place.
The letters and prisoners look to help others out in the world. This challenged and changed the way that I first thought about incarcerated persons. The way that the media depicts incarcerated people are as criminals looking to corrupt anyone they can in order to get their way, even when they are already behind bars. I have not transcribed one letter in which the writer was looking to corrupt the reader or create havoc. Almost every letter has been an incarcerated person looking for redemption and looking to help others.
One thing that surprised me about the incarcerated people was their hope. I always thought that all hope would be destroyed the minute that a person ended up behind bars. The letters I have read contradict that. They show that even those who have committed murder have hope that not only will they change and become better but that others can do the same.
I have also had the opportunity to listen to Kevin Gentry speak to my community twice. Each time I have been surprised at the person sitting in front of me. Sitting there listening to him tell his story and experience with The Beat Within, it is hard for me to imagine that he killed a man. His experience is not one that I expected from an incarcerated criminal. He and the many letters I have read have changed the way I think about incarcerated people forever.
-Maya
Wanting to Ask More
I help The Beat Within transcribe writings and twice monthly, I receive a new packet of writings to transcribe for incarcerated people. It gives them a voice to speak on their past issues and even helps promote literacy in prisons. I try to do my packets in a quiet space, which is generally at home or at school during the double period.
I connect fairly deeply with the organization, and recognize the work they are doing to give people who are lost in the system a voice to express themselves and their own experiences. But I feel that it can be isolating simply reading about one’s experiences without talking to them. As I read on about people’s experiences and the lives they have lived prior to being incarcerated, I find myself wanting to ask more questions about their past, and what they think led them to make the mistakes they did.
I feel a need to connect with these people, yet I only have this small window that I can see through. This is an initial problem that I felt I wanted to have be addressed, but I am also content with what I do.
I’ve grown to see that I am only a gear in the entire machine, and I need to take pride in my work, since it helps the organization run to the best of its ability. Although I may be left discontent at times, I realize my purpose and I’ll fulfill it to the best I can. The physical act of transcribing letters is a good test of your typing skills, and can induce some cramps, especially if you are typing a lot of words in a short period of time. Generally, it is not too physically demanding.
However, emotionally, some of the writings I have written have been wild, to say the least. I read one about someone selling crack, doing crack, having sexual relations with his sister’s best friend, and then seeing her at family events. It makes me feel almost alienated. These people have lived so much, and have had so many experiences that the amount of wisdom they carry is crazy. It’s like they have lived nine lives and I’ve only lived 1/3 of one.
Emotionally it can sometimes take a toll on you. You are reading these writings and you’re left with your thoughts about the author of that specific piece. How are they doing now? Are they out of prison? What kind of person are they? Are they like me? How different or similar are we? Having all of these questions but no answers kind of sucks.
Some of the content is heart wrenching and even explicit. I think the language they use is especially harsh, since it is often riddled with grammatical errors, and makes me sad about their education. Growing up, I have always been told to be educated, but seeing their attempts to write sometimes makes me take what comes naturally to me for granted. I know it must have been hard for them to attempt to write properly and I appreciate their efforts.
I find that I tend to think with my heart, and rarely with my head, since I am reading their personal anecdotes, and tend to sympathize with them. There’s no logic needed, since I’m not interacting with them, and the only logic I use is when trying to decipher what they meant when they misspell something or misplace a comma.
-Justin
In closing, if you made it this far, a friendly reminder, for those of you who submitted an essay or an art piece, we are planning to announce our winners by April 15. We have typed up well over 100 essays and have organized over 60 art pieces submitted for our panel of 20 judges, who are busily working on reviewing all submissions. Thanks for you patience. All right, reach out anytime if we can be of any support. Thanks again for your participation and support. Enjoy this amazing issue of writing and art from the inside and beyond!