Author: mpau@thebeatwithin.org

-Matthew Graziotti, United State Penitentiary Tucson in Tucson, AZ I spent many years remodeling my small starter home, painstakingly ripping out the old and slowly rebuilding as time and funds allowed. I rebuilt the bathrooms, completely redesigned the kitchen, and replaced all of the closet shelving.  From painting to gardening, I plugged away at the never ending to do list. It was not only fun, but rewarding when a project was finally completed, and I could enjoy the fruits of my labor. There were plants still in starter pots and products still in their original packaging, when all my efforts

-Betty Martinez, Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, CA Hey Beat, this topic is a common thread we all share. If you’re reading this right now, it doesn’t matter how old we are, where we come from, what we look like, or what we identify as, we all can relate to being wrongly assumed upon.  You know what though, you don’t even gotta tell ‘em any different. Do you, be you (the real you) and in time it will come out, their mistake. Holding wrong assumptions can stunt us in getting to know someone for who they really are and

-Michael leak, St. Louis Correctional Facility, MII’ve seen blood stains that don’t wash awayAnd strung out junkies that score everydayI’ve seen little girls get sold for drugsAnd their momma praised these horrible thugsChasing that blow with a check addicted soulStanding on the corner in the middle of the coldThen those little girls grew up into a gangSo visualize the funerals and the songs they sangI speak from black tears that cry the bluesAnd I write my tomorrow’s before the five o’clock newsBecause everything today will repeat once againSo I write my tragedy with a black penI write my tears upon

-Bishop, San Quentin State Prison, CA What if you could spend time with anyone, who would it be? When you think about answering this what if question, picture the person, put a face to that person, and then see yourself with that person doing whatever it is you enjoyed doing before you became the person who you believe you are today. When you do this, ask yourself what would you be doing with that person if that person was someone who knew that there was something special about you and who genuinely believed in all you could accomplish? Where would