by Henry Inocencio I am thirty-eight years old. I have been incarcerated almost fifteen years now. I have a sentence of LWOP (life without parole) plus twenty- five to life for a first-degree murder with drive-by enhancement. I was raised in the Bay Area on the Oakland side of the water. My family was big. Dad’s side was Mexican, mom’s side was white. In the 1980’s life for a kid was fresh and exciting. There was music and break-dancing in the street. All the older people were fun and cool and I gravitated towards those qualities. Then, as if it
Continue ReadingAuthor: mpau@thebeatwithin.org
Adults in My Life
by Brandon Growing up I was raised by my dad and my grandma. My mom left my sister and I at a very young age. I think my dad has prepared me well for adulthood because he has helped me learn many things from his mistakes. He always tried to look out for me and lead me down the right path. He was always supportive of my decisions but also made sure I was careful about choosing my decisions. I think that it is very important for an adult that teaches you how to adapt to adulthood to be supportive. Furthermore,
Continue ReadingVOLUME 23.13/14
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingInquire Within
by Anson Mooney Who am I? I am a man, a grandson, a son, a brother, a father who is blessed with many talents and gifts. I am an artist and designer. A leader whose direction is only just begun. I am a traveler of both time and space. I am a dreamer with a lack of sleep. I am both the end of my past and the beginning of my future. I am inspiration. I am the pupil of all of life’s lessons. 2. Why am I here? I am here for every opportunity to learn how to love,
Continue ReadingDear Society
by Hayden Today is February 7th, 2018. Every day that passes me by is like a silent scream for help emanating from my heart. I’m counting down the days to an unknown deadline. I don’t know when I will be free. I feel angry at the system, the prosecutors and judges for keeping me locked up without a warrant or charges. Fighting an impervious system is tiring in so many ways. It reminds me of fighting with my father when I still lived with my family. I’m tired of the constant pain tugging at the essence of my being. As
Continue ReadingVOLUME 23.11/12
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingVOLUME 23.09/10
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingAn excerpt from My Novel, “Neutral; The Journey Manifest,” Book 1:
by Bednango Harper Not that it really matters, but I nd myself very, very, very disturbed by many of the things that I have witnessed during this time. I hope and I pray that this will be the last time that I will ever be incarcerated. I’ve grown to suspect that my incarceration was preordained by my higher power as a sacri cial expenditure for me to gain the costly knowledge of which is to measure the priceless value of my freedom by. When I look around this room, and I draw upon all that I have come to know
Continue ReadingMy Past Is a Reason to Succeed, Not an Excuse to Fail
by Hayden An Excerpt from Dear Society Whose right is it to subject those under their power to abuse with the sole purpose of establishing dominance? Fathers? De nitely not. Sadly, this occurs often in our broken world. Abuse is a dif cult yoke to bear. It festers into an obscene picture, often hidden by its perpetrator. If left unhandled, trauma from abuse can cause people to treat their past as a curse. They may nd themselves unable to function without blaming their upbringing as an excuse for failure. Being a stubborn person, I’d rather use my past as a reason
Continue ReadingWhat is my Belief System?
by Tam Huynh My belief system today is the result of years of rebuilding my life, from the once negative beliefs and values I chose when I joined a gang. My joining the gang pushed the belief system and culture of my Vietnamese de ance, and terror. It was the cost of believing this was that caused me to retaliate for being jumped by a rival gang, and kill an innocent man. Today my belief system is built upon these basic principles: A. Higher Power Spiritually B. Living Animals C. Family and its legacy D. Self-Empowerment E. Moral Inventory F.
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