There’s an old saying that all of our problems come down to education. Ultimately, education is what frees us as people. From it, we learn that some foods are better to eat for our overall health than others. We learn how money can improve our daily life. We learn how to better raise our children.…
One of the biggest debates over criminal justice reform in the United States has been about the culture and goals of our prison system. The form something takes is, in many ways, shaped by its goal. As such, when we make the goal of our prison system to simply punish people for wrongdoing, they tend…
HBO recently released a film on its channel, O.G. Starring Jeffrey Wright, of Westworld, and directed by Madeleine Sackler, O.G. is about an older man whose done over 20 years in prison and is about to be released back into the world. The film was shot in an actual prison, Pendleton Correctional Facility – a…
When talking about incarceration rates in the United States, the conversation will likely come as a surprise. One of the most core American values is individual freedom. It’s referenced heavily in the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and in the writings of all of the Founding Fathers. Liberty is one of the most critical…
Two Different Standards While growing up, I had to learn unofficial rules that my white male counterparts did not have to worry about. While they were worrying about acne breakouts, girls, learning to drive, and moving up (or down) the social hierarchy of their school, I was stressing about more serious matters. Matters that have…
The Rehabilitation Experience: My First Prison Visit I remember my first day getting a contact visit in prison. This gorgeous woman, inside and out, came to visit me. I hugged her and didn’t want to let go. This beautiful soul drove eight hours to come to see little ol’ me. Yes, you read that right,…
In 2018, I had a job interview at Walmart. It was for a job as a Stocker. It paid $11/hour; not much for a grown man to live on, but hey, that’s $11 more than what I was currently making being unemployed and living with my mother. Backstory When I got released from prison back…
My Story I returned home from prison in 2016. I was optimistic about my job prospects. I held a college degree (and was only a semester away from having my master’s degree at the time of my incarceration), was articulate and knew the ins and outs of selling myself as a potential employee. I knew…
In 2013, I graduated from Georgia Southern University and began my career as a video maker and “swiss army knife” style cinematic story-teller. Since then, I’ve filmed stories in Cambodia, of displaced people living in complete destitution. People who had built make-shift homes at the edge of a field on top of sewer lines that…