Real Prisoners Are Real People: Meet David

2020-02-12T18:25:07+00:00By |Inmate Spotlight, Veterans|

I first shook hands with David in the winter of ’18. I remember his grasp being firm, strong and — above all — sincere. When we first spoke, David told me that he had just gotten a transfer from another institution on the sole basis he wanted to be part of our Veterans Project in order to not only surround himself with a community of other veterans but also help him with his VA benefits. Because of his age I assumed he had served sometime in the 60’s or 70’s. My [...]

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Veterans Project Prevents Violence, Rescues Puppies and Reduces Recidivism

2019-09-24T02:51:35+00:00By |Veterans|

Two years ago, while wearing an orange jumpsuit and riding on a white bus with barred windows, I braced myself mentally for what prison was going to be like. A flood of questions entered my mind: Would I be jumped? Would a bunch of neo-Nazis try to force me into being a skin head like in American History X? Would they stab me when I refused? Were the guards as oppressive as in Shawshank? Would my cellmate be a jackass? After the guy sitting next to me told me the story [...]

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Real Prisoners Are Real People: Meet Scott

2020-02-11T23:17:53+00:00By |Inmate Spotlight, Veterans|

I was introduced to Scott through another inmate. According to the inmate, Scott was a Korean War veteran who needed help typing up legal documents for a clemency appeal. Suffice to say, I felt compelled to help him, especially because he was a fellow Ranger-tabbed veteran. When I approached Scott and offered my assistance, he told me his story. For the last 10 years, Scott had been incarcerated. Currently over 70 years old and with over a decade left on his sentence, Scott was trying everything he could for a chance [...]

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Real Prisoners Are Real People: Meet Bruno

2020-02-11T23:50:01+00:00By |Inmate Spotlight, Veterans|

When I first met Bruno, I knew we would become good friends. Over the next few months, I got to know him as not just a good friend, but a fellow infantry combat veteran and trusted ally. One day, Bruno told me about how he grew up, joined in the army, and why he was in prison. What follows is Bruno’s story. Bruno was born in 1983 and spent a happy childhood in Burbank, California. Adopted, he lived in a nice house with well-to-do parents: his father was a Korean War Combat Veteran and his mother was a homemaker. As [...]

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Honoring Our Veterans

2019-09-03T18:33:04+00:00By |Activism, Veterans|

As I walked to flag detail on this Memorial Day, I felt honored to lead the veterans in raising the flag. As a group of individuals who have served in our nation’s military, we represent a very diverse group of individuals; we are white, black, straight, gay, Christian, Heathen, and everything in between. Despite our differences, we come together every day as a group to salute our nation’s flag. Today, however, we salute not only our nation but those who have fallen in service to it. Personally, Memorial Day brings to mind my Airborne Rangers in the Sky: Benjamin, Tyler, [...]

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Real Prisoners Are Real People: Meet Matt

2020-02-11T23:28:29+00:00By |Inmate Spotlight, Veterans|

I first met Matt in a college course titled English 271: Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature. When I first arrived to “ENG 271” it surprised me that the class involved so much reading and writing. Since it was my first college class, I felt as though I had jumped into the deep end. I had never written a college essay before and thus felt decently unprepared when I received the workload.When we got our scores back for our first essay, Matt had this somewhat cocky grin on his face. I wasn’t grinning. I was scowling. I had busted my ass [...]

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