To all the Kings and Queens,
I have been incarcerated since 2007. I lived in Tacoma WA all my life. I was raised on the East Side, where it was drug and gang infested. Growing up in the projects only makes a teenager embraced his urban instincts. I was thrown to the wolves with no way to defend myself. I did what I only knew best, reside to my old street habits. They say that survival of the fittest means only that. My first eight years in a closed custody (maximum security) facility was hectic. I had to learn how to adapt to that culture quickly. The prison politics played a major role in how I maneuvered within that community. It wasn’t a matter of having to relearn that custom but a matter of it becoming mandatory. It made me do things that I wouldn’t typically do to this day. I just learn how to be more civilized now compared to years ago.
I first fell into the world of prison reform, activism, and abolitionist work back in 2012. I was surrounded by a bunch of brothers who took pride in keeping the culture alive. In the midst of chaos, we were still able to make time for implementing self-help programs, cultural relevant education, youth outreach, consciously awareness workshops, and legal seminars, etc. I never realized that I was respected as a leader within my community. I always took a backseat and was very conservative. Now, I take pride in speaking out verbally and beginning all this journey of healing that needs to be done within our broken community. I am just completely amazed on the power of a community making meaningful changes for the better. It never occurred to me that the condition of prison is another way to keep us oppressed. Not to mention the system created to break our spirits. We have to be more discipline and fight against an organization designed to keep us marginalized.
As a contributor, I will be speaking on topics of, culture, family, prison foods, cultural groups, peer-led programs, prison sports, prison politics, segregation, celly ethics, diplomacy, yard space, mainline etiquette, holidays (birthdays, Christmas, Halloween, Father’s Day) and etc. I will cover various subjects about the world of prison.
If my readers have any suggestions or questions, feel free to contact me through instant messaging: www.securustech.net.
For more information about me, you can look me up on the International Examiner site and see a little bit about my journey and the work that I do, www.iexaminer.org. I have a Facebook as well.
My Entries
Reconnecting With Loved Ones
Since I’ve been incarcerated, the only one thing I ever wished for was to be…
AAPI Heritage Month
This is something that has took years for the American people to recognize and honor….
PENITENTIARY-ism
The hardest habit to break is the assimilation of prison culture, Dealing with traumas like…
Your Word is Bond
In a world where things move fast, and everything seems small. It is in fact,…
Yard Politicking
It almost sounds as if I’m talking about legislators and senators meeting at a baseball…
Breaking Bread
When you think about the words, “breaking bread” your initial thought is the last supper…