Welcome back, readers and writers, to another groundbreaking issue of The Beat Within! With summer around the corner, we welcome the longer days, the warmer nights, and the opportunity to set our intentions for this new season.
We’re turning the pages of our editorial section over to Jordan and Christopher, who have dedicated these past three months of their senior year to transcribing, editing, and responding to our youth writing. Through Jordan’s reflection, we learn about the specific legacies that our young writers left with their reader, and the hope that Jordan found in each of their pieces. We also appreciate the sobering perspective that Christopher brings, as he details the biased roots of our justice system and the negative societal circumstances that our incarcerated community is constantly negotiating.
Please join us in welcoming Jordan and Christopher to our editorial section!
Layers of Depth
When I first began working with the Beat Within as a junior in high school, transcribing not only transformed my view of the juvenile justice system but also forced me to reflect on how my own family and surroundings have shaped the privilege I have today.
Now in my second year of volunteering for The Beat, transcribing has become a routine part of my week, and so too has reflection. Every time I sit down to transcribe pieces, I think of it as meeting someone new. I take care with my responses, knowing that oftentimes authors write so vulnerably about their own lives, and I am one of the first to read their work. Whether they are writing about their children or their favorite thing to do after school, I want each author to feel heard and respected — because I know that is what has encouraged me to continue writing.
One author particularly stood out to me. They wrote about wanting to leave a lasting legacy through books. They wanted to write children’s books specifically so that they could make an impact on children. This inspired me to think about why I continue to volunteer with The Beat, and I think it’s for the same reason.
Countless other pieces that I read spoke of loss of hope, never-ending routine, and periods of constant anxiety, regret, and fatigue. I resonated with these feelings, and I know many other high school students do as well, with endless workloads and stress. However, pieces like these made me re-examine the privileges I have that cause me to sometimes feel this way.
I have access to an education which can be stressful at times, but in the end, will always push me to do the best that I am capable of. This is an incredibly different kind of circumstantial stressor than many of the incarcerated youth wrote about facing.
Still, despite sometimes writing about feeling defeated, many pieces talked about goals and dreams for the future, things the authors hoped to accomplish, and people they hoped to become. One author wrote about wishing to travel around the world with her younger sister, another wrote about learning to invest money, and a third about leaving a good legacy for his kids.
No matter what they wrote about, there was always a layer of depth that made each piece shine. Each piece that I transcribed taught me about more than just the juvenile justice system, it made me excited for the future of this generation.
My experience working for The Beat Within has shown me beautiful and thoughtful writing, but most importantly, it has shown me that the author of every piece I transcribed has something important to offer to the world: hope.
-Jordan, Urban High School
A Whole New Perspective
The people who are forgotten about, looked down upon, and left in a system proven to be unsuccessful are the people in the American carceral system. It is a flawed system that is rooted in racism and needs reform. Although understanding this and recognizing the issue is good, being able to read the writing and poems of people affected by the system has brought a whole new perspective to me.
The American carceral system is often criticized for its inherent flaws and systemic biases. This system, which includes prisons, jails, and detention centers, disproportionately impacts people of color, particularly African-Americans and Latinos. The roots of this bias can be traced back to historical and institutional racism that has permeated American society for centuries.
Policies such as the War on Drugs, mandatory minimum sentencing, and three-strikes laws have disproportionately targeted minority communities, leading to higher incarceration rates and longer sentences for people of color compared to their white counterparts.
Understanding the systemic issues and recognizing the need for reform is a crucial first step. However, merely acknowledging these problems is not enough to fully grasp the human impact of the carceral system. To truly comprehend the depth of the issue, it is essential to listen to the voices of those who are directly affected. Reading the writings and poems of incarcerated individuals provides an intimate glimpse into their lives, struggles, and resilience.
The writings of incarcerated people often reflect their experiences of growing up in environments plagued by poverty, violence, and limited opportunities. These narratives highlight the systemic failures that contribute to a cycle of incarceration. Many incarcerated individuals describe growing up in neighborhoods with underfunded schools, inadequate healthcare, and limited access to quality jobs. These conditions create a sense of hopelessness and often push young people towards criminal activities as a means of survival.
Moreover, the writings of incarcerated individuals shed light on the emotional and psychological toll of incarceration. The isolation, loss of freedom, and separation from loved ones take a significant toll on their mental health. Many describe feelings of despair, regret, and longing for a second chance. Through their words, they express a deep yearning for redemption and the opportunity to contribute positively to society.
Reading these writings has been profoundly impactful for me. It has humanized the individuals behind the statistics and reminded me that they are not just numbers or cases, but real people with complex lives and stories. Their poems and essays convey their pain, hopes, and dreams in a way that statistics and reports cannot. They offer a raw and unfiltered perspective on the realities of life behind bars.
These writings have also underscored the urgent need for comprehensive reform of the carceral system. They highlight the importance of addressing the root causes of crime, such as poverty, lack of education, and systemic racism. Additionally, they emphasize the need for more rehabilitative and restorative justice approaches that focus on healing and reintegration rather than punishment and retribution.
In conclusion, while understanding the flaws and biases of the American carceral system is essential, it is equally important to engage with the voices of those who are directly impacted. The writings and poems of incarcerated individuals provide a powerful and necessary perspective on the human cost of incarceration. They challenge us to see beyond the labels of “criminal” or “inmate” and recognize the humanity of those behind bars.
Through their words, we are called to advocate for a more just and equitable system that values rehabilitation, redemption, and the inherent dignity of every person.
-Christopher, Urban High School
Thank you, Jordan and Christopher, for your commitment and contributions during this term together. We’d also like to extend a big thank you to the Urban teachers, Courtney Rein, Katina Papson-Rigby, Jeremiah Rosenfels and Kaylah Breiz for all they do to make this work possible. We’re so grateful for our partnership with Urban High School of San Francisco, and we look forward to reuniting with their students in the fall!
And of course, this work wouldn’t be at all possible without the time and effort of each and every one of our writers who show up for themselves and their writing day in and day out. We see you, we appreciate you, we celebrate you. Your voice and testimony remains more necessary than ever in collectively shaping the world we want to live in.
We hope you enjoy this latest issue, 29.21/22. The Beat goes on!