Category: The Beat Without

by Christopher Walton, Santa Rosa Correctional Institution in Milton, Florida Whenever I hear about someone committing suicide, like most people I imagine, the first question I often ask is what pushed the person to take such a drastic route? What was so bad about his or her life that they felt it would be better to cut it short?  The thing I wish I could tell these individuals beforehand is that there’s almost nothing you can experience on this plane of existence that can’t be overcome. Even through issues such as heartbreak, financial ruin, embarrassing episodes, and failure can cause

by Dortell Wiliams, California State Prison, Los Angeles County Clad in a carrot-orange, one-piece jumpsuit and karate shoes three sizes too big, a pair of beefy correctional officers escorted me through a labyrinth of walkways and other fate-sealing gates until we reached the prison yard. When the prison gate slammed behind me, rudely shattering the a.m. silence that stills the night, there was a finality of tone with it that was unique from my previous three years of pre-trial detainment in the infamous Los Angeles County jail. Green grass carpeted sections of the small stadium-sized yard, dotted with obstinate dirt

by Johnny Rodriguez, Ironwood State Prison in Blythe, CA Past my ABC’s, additions, multiplications, divisions and subtractions has truly blessed me because of having to mature out of man-made hardship that was beyond my control, mothers, families, and communities where we turned a crisis into an opportunity. Seeking understanding and wisdom liberated me from diverse forms of misconceptions, especially overcoming over-positive and negative to hone sane judgement. In light of been robbed from my mother, family and living potential my true identity and vision of short and long term goals are being manifested. It’s somewhat similar to what COVID-19 has

by Adam Meyers, Correctional Facility in Moose Lake, Minnesota Hello. My name is Adam Meyer and I was encouraged by my mother to share this insert with the public, because she knew I had something to share that could touch the hearts of many. All my life, I have been very occupied in caring for people as a whole.  I do not judge people, because I don’t like to be judged. There are a lot of things I don’t like when it comes to people getting hurt, or when they struggle and suffer from their own personal choices. I was

by Walter Horne When I overcome racism it allows me the privilege of expanding on the true essence of humanity. As it stands in this day and age, racism has been one of our downfalls for as long as I can remember. There will always be times when it will try to get in the way of righteousness. But when a person showcases good character in all that they do and stands on the grounds of Liberty and Justice For All Mankind, equality will always be the main objective in the fight against racism. One of the ways I was

by Noel Rodriguez I’m serving a life sentence for taking the lives of two human beings. I’ve been incarcerated 24 years now. If I’m allowed parole next year under youth offender laws, I’ll be 45 years old.  At 45 (I don’t have children) I think I would have a difficult time caring for children, considering I would not have a stable career. But wishing, I would be really loving to my babies. I would name them in honor of my victims Adrian and Richard. I would teach my children to be very compassionate and caring towards others. I would take

by Sean Walker This is an understanding of where I come from and my thought process as a review of the things I’ve lived through. I’m looking at who I was, and who I am now and how did I get there? How did I plan to live for the future? They say the sign will pay for the sins of the father. My pops The Hustler, the dope man, the player, the Junkie, the abuser, the non-existent Father Figure. Makes sense seeing who I have become the Hustler, the baller, the player, the cheater, the abusers magnet attracting all

by Z In 2000, I was fourteen years old, in Los Angeles’s Skid Row. You wouldn’t believe such a third world slum existed within history’s richest country, oh, but it did. It does. A section of one of the world’s most glamorous cities set aside to hide thousands of homeless people, to hide America’s unwillingness to deal with poverty, mental health, drug addiction, and homelessness. It’s all swept under the rug, or under the shadow of downtown’s skyscrapers from the top of the world, down to a grimy, violent underworld, where you had to fight just to eat, and humanity

by Milton Alcantara The change I am fighting so hard to change for the better is quite frankly my entire way of being. At the moment I am writing this while sitting in a cell no bigger than my bathroom back home. I am an inmate in San Quentin State Prison. And I am here because of the way that I have conducted myself, as well as the way I learned to perceive the world around me over a hard and troubled life.  A life that taught me nothing but aggression, violence and disappointment. It hard wired an impulsive and

by Si Dang My name is Si V. Dang, an inmate who is currently housed at San Quentin State Prison. I am a former gang member, who took the wrong course of action in joining a gang and decided to live a life a of crime. My poor decisions consequently led me to commit a senseless murder and attempted murder on two innocent human beings. As a result of my actions and poor choices I am currently serving a life sentence in prison, as I am under the authority of California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation.  I write you this