by Francisco “Frank” Gonzalez, RJ Donovan in San Diego, CA Folks, as I sit here listening to the country song “Heaven,” by Kane Brown, thousands of memories come rushing to me, all of it coupled with the holiday season. Wow! It’s a doozey folks! You cannot make this stuff up or find it on Netflix. This my friends is life! As I reiterate this, I guarantee you all that my title as a jail house lawyer and prisoner’s right activist is a legit as part of my transformation and redemption. It’s in every sense my forte. As I take you
Continue ReadingYear: 2023
Volume 28.09/10
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingEd Note 28.09/10
Welcome back friends to another amazing issue of The Beat Within. This latest issue, 28.09/10, is packed with plenty of stellar submissions that will truly inspire and give hope to us readers. We are quite impressed with all of you writers who embrace this opportunity to write and share a part of yourself through our weekly writing prompts. Young and old, you all have plenty to say, and this platform, which has been embraced for over 26 years, is essential in our efforts to touch lives and make a small difference in our community and hopefully beyond. Thank you all
Continue ReadingDad’s Nagging Was The Best Advice
by Kealon, Sonoma I should have listened to my dad’s advice and what I thought at the moment was him “nagging.” I wish, and it’s my biggest regret now that I’m in the situation that I’m in, that I should’ve listened to my dad constantly telling me to go to school and further my education and to watch who I associated myself with. I constantly regret not watching who I called friends or hung around because now I’m locked up because of who I surrounded myself with. Obviously, it’s nobody’s fault for my current dilemma. I take full responsibility for
Continue ReadingChasing Money
by ARJ, San Mateo A mistake that I made was chasing money over freedom. I used to think anything is worth the risk for money. Now I realize that all the money in the world can’t buy you freedom. You need to make right decisions so that nobody can ever take your freedom from you. Money is a great thing to have and it can make you happy, but having to stress if you’re going to get caught or even get killed makes it not worth it for me anymore. Some people might say I’m just not with the “street
Continue ReadingThey Knew What They Were Talking About
by KS, Sacramento I should’ve listened to my mom and dad for all the game they gave me when I was younger. I should’ve soaked up the advice they gave me, so I didn’t have to end up here. They been to juvenile hall plenty of times as kids, in and out the system all the time. If I wasn’t stubborn, always thinking I know everything, I wouldn’t be where I am today. If I took the advice I needed from them as a kid… they gave me really good advice, to never lead me in the wrong way or
Continue ReadingThat Mistake
by Harry Goodall, Jr., San Quentin State Prison, CA There have been many things I have done wrong in my life and there are some things that I done due to peer pressure. However there are other things I did in life just out of being hurt and wanting to hurt other people. So let’s take a trip down a road of a vicious cycle I created by a mistake I made. For a few reasons I dropped out of school. It wasn’t that I had bad grades or didn’t enjoy any of the studying. It was just that I
Continue ReadingA Selfless Act of Kindness
by Jennifer Bissell, Central California Women’s Facility, Chowchilla, CA I believe a good deed can be anything big or small just as long as it’s a selfless act of kindness or like a pay it forward notion to another person, especially a stranger. I remember a time when I was pregnant and actually in labor and there was a car accident on the way to the hospital, and rather than drive on by and just call 911 to help the people that looked like they really needed the help, I asked my husband to stop so we could personally help
Continue Reading
Volume 28.07/08
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingEd Note 28.07/08
Greetings Here we are, late February 2023. It is very hard to believe how fast time is already flying by… Where does the time go? One minute we’re preparing for the holidays, completing our year-end issue, and winter break, and the next minute we are embracing the early days of 2023, and now the month of February, with March around the corner. Wow! Hard to believe this amazing double issue, 28.07/08, is completed and ready for your eyes. Usually, you get to hear from our friend, OT, in this editorial note, who is always amazing with his stories and updates,
Continue Reading