Category: Voices
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What are the Root Causes of Violence Committed by Black Men in Their Own Communities? By S.H.
In my opinion, one of the reasons for the senseless cycle of violence being perpetrated by my brothers could be traced back hundreds of years. In 1712, Willie Lynch, a slave owner from the West Indies, spoke to a large crowd of slave owners on the bank of the James River in the English Colony…
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“Family Struggle-or-Family Hustle” (Prison Effects on Families)
Content: 1. Family Struggle 2. Family Hustle 3. Closing: Spoken Word “Cycle Reincarnated” Family Struggle Imagine your wrists being wrapped in handcuffs, a judge imposing long math numbers and iron bars being slammed shut in the face of the man of your household. The man who once was the financial back-bone can no longer support…
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Prison Life
Prison life is a monotonous, redundant, rerun. Prison itself is a drab, monochromatic colored culling pen. Prison life, -what life? It’s truly an extended mind numbing pause in the progression of what should be one’s life. These are a few words “not” haphazardly strewn together to describe a thrown away human’s experience once convicted and…
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The Call
Recently, while on the phone with a good friend, I learned that she was dealing with the tragic deaths of two family members. They had both passed away over the span of a few weeks. In addition to dealing with her own grief, she was struggling with figuring out how to help her incarcerated son…
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Tears of Relief
As the hours turned into days, the days turned into years. My past dominated my present… and my future slowly disappeared. “Niagara Falls” tears usually appear, to help me wash away the pain. But my peers were watching me closely… so I refrained from showing despair. But a sodium trace… stained my face… so I…
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RE: A Statistical Racial Inequity of the Illinois Habitual Criminal Act, 730 ILCS 33B, Natural Life Sentence.
Dear Sir/Madam: Black prisoners represented by this letter decry that if the Governor (former Governor George Ryan) of the State of Illinois could set a moratorium on the death penalty based on racial imbalance and the unfair acts and practices of prosecutors within the Cook County court system, then the successful defeat of this act…
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“In Defense of Mayor Rahm Emanuel” by Yusuf Asad Madyun
“In Defense of Mayor Rahm Emanuel on the Issue of Crime in the Black Community” Monday, June 6, 2016 Similar to other politicians in his “shoes,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel is a coward! His biggest opponent on the issue of crime in the black community is truth, which he is fearful of facing. “Mr. Mayor,”…
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“The Infamous “F-House” Part 2 by Big Friday
F-House got its infamous reputation over the years because the unit was the frontline in the battle for respect between prison officials and prisoners. To understand how this battle was waged, P.E. provides the history of F-House with our unique brand of “Insight From the Inside.” Stateville’s roundhouses were built-in the early 1920’s. At the…
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F-House Part 1 Editorial by Big Friday
Governor Rauner wrote an opinion piece in the Oct. 14th edition of the Chicago Sun Times newspaper entitled “In the name of justice, I’m shutting down F House.” The Governor’s piece was a scathing critique of the Criminal Justice System in Illinois saying, “Once offenders enter our criminal justice system, they experience a process that…
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Mychal Thompson – Author of “Street Life” and “Autism Doesn’t Hold me Back”
About the Author Mychal Thompson is an ex-gang leader who serving a 50 year sentence for murder. He had changed his life around prior to his incarceration. He has developed youth programs while incarcerated and owns the title to his Non-Profit Organization titled “Young Peoples Success Foundation.” Since his incarceration he has obtained his Barber,…