by Ernesto Sanchez, Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, CA Before coming to prison, I knew little to nothing about “ethic,” let alone what it means for someone to have good “work ethics” in order to survive and be successful in life. I watched other people on the streets go about their day-to-day lives, and doing what they needed to get done by working and paying their bills, but I just assumed that it was something that they chose to do because they had no other choice. I was wrong, however, it took a lot of years for me to
Continue ReadingYear: 2021
Volume 26.37/38
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Continue ReadingEd Note 26.37/38
As we embrace our 25th anniversary of this good work, it is only right to look back on how this all began. There are several moving parts that play a key role in The Beat Within’s success, besides the San Francisco Juvenile Justice Center aka Youth Guidance Cntr (YGC), aka the “Mothership” for being so open to the idea of our weekly groups back in 1996. It was Marynella Woods, former social worker in the Public Defender’s Office Juvenile Division, taking a chance on our founder, David, way back in the early 1990s. It was also Jack Jacqua, cofounder of
Continue ReadingAll The Things I Have Seen
by B, Sacramento In my eyes, my story will tell you everything I have been through. People say they feel my pain, but they couldn’t. Sometimes when I look in the mirror, I see my past and it hurts to think about it, even envision it. But my eyes tell me everything. I mean people can look in them and see mad hurt, but they can’t see through them. My eyes would say I had been hurt and I want to love. I done did things in my life that I can’t take back. And that I seen my brothers
Continue ReadingHow People See Me
by Angel, San Mateo Lots of people might see me from many different perspectives. I’ve met plenty of people from many different places in my sixteen years of life. Many might say I’m a bad person with bad intentions, while many other people might say the complete opposite. When I go to school my teachers tell me I’m smart. They tell me I’m very curious. Here in the unit, staff tells me all types of different things, one of them said, I’ve changed for the worst. Other staff tell me I have lots of potential. While working out, one staff
Continue ReadingChanged The World
by Cam, James Ranch, Santa Clara 2Pac is a rapper that changed the world. His music is very powerful. I like his words. I’m just like him, I just speak facts. I like him because he is a very powerful artist. He is not just a rapper, he is an actor. Two of my favorite movies by him is All Eyez On Me and Juice. My favorite songs are Changes, Dear Mama, Hit ‘Em Up, California Love, Do For Love, and All Eyez On Me. I like those songs because of the way he does his flow and how he
Continue ReadingWasted Time
by Precilla, Los Angeles The time I’ve wasted is my biggest regretSpent in this place. I will never forget.Just sitting in here thinking about the things I have done.The crying, the laughing, the hurt, and the fun.Now it’s just me and my hard driven guiltBehind a wall of emptiness allowed to be built.I’m trapped in my body just wanting to runBack to my youth with laughter and fun.But the chase is over and there’s no place to hide.Everything is gone including my prideWith reality suddenly right in my face.I’m scared I’m stuck in this place.Now memories flash through my head
Continue ReadingMy Hero
by Sebastian, Sonoma A hero is somebody who has managed to learn and teach others about themselves, in order to allow others to understand their experiences are not isolated in the world. Making it a little less scary or lonely. Mike Tyson is my hero. Not because he has money. Not because he was a world champion at 21 years old. But because of the man and the human being he has become. From a life of pain, sorrow, anger, loneliness, and resentments. With the guidance of a mentor, he was able to channel his anger and ferocity into a
Continue ReadingI Write
by Efren Bullard, Ironwood State Prison in Blythe, CA I write because it’s very important that I do my best to expose the violence that so many are comfortable with. Not only did I kill two people, I took away a son, brother, cousin, uncle, nephew, grandchild, father and friend to so many, the moment I decided to pull the trigger. I change so many lives and I understand that I violated the trust of so many people that I can never say sorry enough to the family of my victims or the victims I robbed. I can’t imagine what
Continue ReadingThis Is My Story
by Tommy Traughber, Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, CA The house was dark and quiet. The only noise was the constant hum that was coming from the swamp cooler encased in the frame of our bedroom window. I lay there awake in my bed, as my brother, Billy, slept soundly in the bed atop of mine. Like many nights, I lay there with my thoughts running rampant about the dream my brother Billy and I had shared for as long as I can remember, which was to be the world’s greatest wrestling tag-team. It had been all that we
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