by Raymond Goins Hello young men and women. My name is Raymond Goins and I have spent more time in a cell than each one of you have spent alive on earth. I am currently serving a 28 year sentence because I believed that all I was was a badass, all I ever would be is a failure, and that I was destined to land here in prison. I would like to take this opportunity to speak to you and tell you a bit about myself. However, before I do, please allow me to share with you another story. It
Continue ReadingYear: 2020
Saying Goodbye to Family
by Baby K I’ve said goodbye to a lot of people before and after they died. The first goodbye I ever said was to my mom when I realized that there was no fixing our relationship. The second goodbye I’ve said was to my baby sister. We had my little sister from birth until she just turned one-year-old. It really hurt me to say goodbye because she had just started to say my name, and whenever I wouldn’t pick her up she would cry. What hurts me the most, though, is that I will never be able to see her again because the
Continue ReadingAiming For The Future
by Jojo I am going to be first in my family to graduate from a four-year program. I will major in biogenetic science and further study to become a prosthetic engineer in honor of my father. The college of choice is UCLA or UCD. I’m willing to put in the work and give it my all to accomplish my goal. Once I’m out of here, I want to serve the less fortunate at homeless shelters or soup kitchens. But my main goal is to eventually open my own homeless shelter once I get the money and support that I need.
Continue ReadingVolume 25.11/12
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingEd Note 25.11/12
Greetings readers and writers of The Beat Within! It’s been a while since we’ve published the voices of our hard working high school interns, who often transcribe pieces that come to us through adult institutions, published in The Beat Without section. We’re happy to welcome two students who have been working with us over the past few months, Billy and Maddie. In his reflection, Billy talks about his ability to see these writers as human beings and not numbers, as he found plenty of hope and inspiration from each piece he worked on. Maddie writes about the way her transcriptions
Continue ReadingMan In The Mirror
by Alexis A. Pamiroyan When I was a teenager, I looked in the mirror with no sense of direction. I wanted to be somebody? Young minded, I didn’t know who I wanted to be? So, I chose to follow and be like the rest. No father figure, one potential (father figure) but I didn’t give him a chance. A role model? If you asked me what that was, I’d tell you Robert De Niro in the gangster movie, “Goodfellas.” Following others who were misguided, I became one of the homies. This took me down a path of criminality that
Continue ReadingInnocence Gone
by So Shady I was fifteen years old. I was my mom’s favorite kid. She never told me that, because I have three brothers and she had to say that she loved us all equally, but I knew I was the favorite. My big brother was the troubled one. He was always in trouble. He smoked and was in and out of jail. I told my mom I would never turn out like him and she made me promise. I had just gotten into high school. I was supposed to attend Berkeley High but I ended up attending McClymonds High.
Continue ReadingHurts Me Deep
by Lanna I’ve seen my own brother die in front of me. It could’ve been me if I was sitting on his side of the car. And even though I am thankful I am here, I still lost my brother and it doesn’t sit right. He was always there for me. Whenever I needed him, he was right there. Seeing him in that casket lifeless hurt me deep. It was like losing my best friend. I didn’t think it was gonna happen so soon. I thought we were gonna win together. But I know if he was still here, he’d
Continue ReadingMy Life Story
by TJ My name is Taviyea. I was born on January 2, 2003 in Arizona. I am the third oldest out of all my siblings witch there is now six in total. I have an older sister and an older brother so that makes me the third oldest. Growing up my father really wasn’t around at times so my two younger sister’s father stepped up and was that father figure that I needed in my life. And not only did he teach me how to be a man of the house when he isn’t around at times he also taught
Continue ReadingVolume 25.09/10
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue Reading