Transformation
The interviewee describes the joy of being found suitable for parole and how he mentally survived prison.
The interviewee describes his experience before the parole board.
The subject discusses how he is able to find peace and continue to grow as a person.
The interviewee describes how much some of his in-prison classes meant to him.
The interviewee describes how he used negative coping patterns to survive prison and how he was able to change that.
The interviewee discusses some of his challenges and successes around learning to feel and show his emotions again.
The interviewee describes how he lost friends after quitting smoking in prison.
The interviewee discusses how he was able to change his life by improving his self esteem.
The interviewee describes how he turned into an angry man to cope with his reality.
The interviewee discusses his experience before the parole board.
The interviewee discusses his process as a returning citizen and the multiple activities he has been involved with to maintain a productive life and enjoy every opportunity presented to him.
The interviewee talks about her experience in prison, becoming clean, going to board, and figuring out who she is. She does this by going to groups and classes.
Interviewee discusses the sentences he has received and his three strikes that lead to his life sentence.
Interviewee discusses his desire to help others who have been through the criminal justice system. He expresses the joy he feels when witnessing their healing.
The interviewee talks about getting a ten year denial from the board was devastating, but he wasn’t willing to give up.
The interviewee describes his initial release process after prison and his experiences with parole and the board. This is how he finally got to walk out of prison.
The interviewee speaks on his experience with a specific gang in prison and also on how he no longer drinks.
The interviewee describes her relationship with her family members. Though her relationship with some people in her family were rocky, she overall appreciates many of them.
The interviewee realizes he hasn’t fully healed when he gets in a fight. He describes transforming when he goes to KYROS, a spiritual gathering.
The interviewee describes having a dream where he is enveloped in light and told he can be healed and forgiven if he puts in the work. He realizes that his traumatic childhood is connected to his actions later in life.
The interviewee describes how race no longer matters when in the rehabilitation groups.
Interviewee talks about how he lives life with no regrets and how he has made terms with everything he has done claiming “it is a part of my destiny”.
Interviewee shares his excitement about his future outside of prison, including getting engaged. He expresses the eagerness he feels.
The interviewee describes how he was able to share his story with others to help drive change. He also shares some of his passions and how they have evolved thus far.
Interviewee describes the SHU “special housing unit” as a place to go when you pay for infractions.
The interviewee discusses employment challenges in reentry and how he used his relapse prevention plan after he lost his job.
The interviewee describes his daily life outside of prison and some of the things he has learned through restorative justice courses.
The interviewee describes some of his challenges around turning his life around on the inside, the loss of his family members, and not receiving proper mental health care.
The interviewee describes using the courage and strength he gained from transforming himself into a better person in prison to help him confront challenges in the reentry process.
The interviewee describes the challenges of leaving the gang environment and mentality after being involved in it since he was 15.
Interviewee describes how meditation and mindfulness helps to keep him grounded, humble, and coping with life.
Interviewee describes how he tries to adjust his mindset when he is feeling rattled and maintaining a connection with community.
The interviewee discusses his enjoyment from learning the law better and some of the other ways he grew and matured in prison.
The interviewee discusses some of his financial problems and his commitment to helping unhoused people.
The interviewee talks about taking responsibility for his part in the crime, his path towards personal growth, and his friends still inside.
The interviewee discusses experiencing PTSD symptoms after his decades in prison.
The interview describes some frustration at losing his job and how he is coping with it.