Category: Piece of the Week

by E I am mad at myself for not doing what’s right. I’m mad that every time I say I’m going to change, something comes up and it ends up going sideways. I am mad that I lie to myself and to my parents about leaving this lifestyle, but I don’t realize until I’m behind these walls.  I’m mad that I can’t do what’s right. I mean, I know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it, I just act like I can play the system. But let me tell you that that’s the only thing

by DD From what I know, loneliness can manifest feelings of anger, sadness, but most importantly, a feeling of emptiness, and at a certain point, it feels as if you’re going through life numb every day.  And the real world doesn’t seem so real or feel so real any more. Reality starts to fade away, and life feels like a dream, more like a nightmare that’s inescapable. Before you know it, you’re living in a world where you can’t tell the difference between the real world and a fake, imaginary world. The worst thing is reaching a point when you

by Mindyours When I was twelve-years-old my dad got shot. All I ever wanted was revenge. I got so caught up in going to shoot the sucka that shot my pops.  After all that stuff happened I started to really get in the streets. I started robbing people to get my money right. I started to fight any and everybody.  What really hit was when my mother left my brother and me for another man. I felt so alone and I had to raise my little brother. I was so young so I started robbing more people to make more

by Shadow What’s good? I know this may be a hard time for you, but keep your head up. I don’t know why you had to come in here, but you did, and to be honest that shhh hurt me. Why? Ask yourself, was it worth it?  I don’t mean to be hard on you, but seriously. Honestly, I’m happy to see you, especially after about a year, but if I had a choice, I would prefer you to be out and not get a chance to see you.  This place isn’t where you want to be. I don’t want

by Josiah The longest I have been away from home is two years. The challenges and expectations I face after being away from home are emotional and mental irregularity, while feeling distant from the people I am close to, the people I love.  The relationship status between me and my family isn’t always the best, but I have no issue following household rules. Concerns I have about going home are me letting the same bad influences and friends back into my life. But, I am not discouraged. I know I have the help and support I need from my legal

by King What 2019 holds for me is mostly Camp Glenwood. I’ll be starting my nine-to-twelve-months program pretty soon. I’ve been incarcerated one hundred and forty-eight days and it’s absurd that I’ve got camp on top of that, but it could always be worse. I am lucky to have gotten a new perspective on life, so I could take full advantage of it when I get released.  I’m grateful for what I have and think of having a happy, positive 2019. I plan on staying tight with my family and enjoying every hour of my home passes. I plan on

Dear The Beat Within,

My name is Carl. I’m from Richmond, CA and I’m just writing you guys to say thank you for what you’re doing. I like that you guys go to different juvenile halls and county jails to speak to kids and adults like me and others that want to change.

 I also wrote you to say whoever wrote the editor’s note is 100% true, and young people know what he is trying to say. 

I think there will be change in the world. For example, this rap shhh gets in a lot of young people’s heads. They talk about drugs, sex, killing, dead ones, and stuff like that. I think if there was more people talking out in meetings and stuff that would change street violence, gang violence, killings that’re going on in the world, and it should come to a stop. 

by Spookes I got character from my father yesterday.  He told me a lot of true things, that I have done wrong in the past and to be honest I got sad, because he called me out on what I did wrong.   When my father wrote to me from prison, I felt joyful, because I needed some advice from a father figure.  After I read the letter I cried because he told me that I was making him hurt with my life decisions.   He told me I was lucky to have a support system that wants to help.  My father

I’d ask why they couldn’t save me
And why they’ve been taking my family on the daily
Why they take my best friends, Hailey and Bailey
And lately I’ve just been feeling like I’ve been going crazy
But maybe
This is just the way it’s supposed to be
But I no longer fear it
‘Cause I feel the Lord is close to me
He restored my hope
That I’d one day be free
Yeah He helped me cope
With all these lonely nights of incarceration
Missing my family man
My heart is achin’
The only way that I can express myself
is through this art I’m makin’

by Angel A do over would be a really good thing to have because I wish I could take back what I did that got me in here. I hate the fact that I’m locked up because I’ve lost so much time with the ones I care about most. I would only take the do over if I could still be who I am because I hated who I was turning into. My mom didn’t even know who I was. I kept distancing myself from my family. Those are the reasons why I would only take the do over.  I realized