A place to Love and be Loved
In prison, “program” is the term used to describe someone’s set schedule. Waking up at 5am, going to chow, off to work, count time (prison’s method for taking attendance) at 4pm, evening chow, etc. In society, “routine” is the term used to describe someone’s set schedule. I know this because my wife, La Vonda, teased me one… Continue Reading →
By Chrisfino Kenyatta Leal San Quentin State Prison When the sponsors of The Last Mile first introduced me to blogging and social media, I was skeptical because I was unsure as to whether or not people would be able to look past the fact that I’m in prison, to actually listen to what I had… Continue Reading →
By Tommy Winfrey San Quentin State Prison Some people cannot understand how it feels to spend one night in prison, let alone years or even decades. I wish I was one such soul, but my life took a different direction at a young age that landed me directly into prison for an extended period. Prison… Continue Reading →
By Darnell Hill San Quentin State Prison Rejection from parents or siblings is a deep psychological and emotional struggle, but it’s not impossible to overcome. Yes, some people may never overcome being rejected by their parent or parents, not because they can’t, but because they chose to live with the longing for a parental relationship… Continue Reading →
By Hercio Harts After serving eight and a half years in prison, emerging from behind the walls a free man to an awaiting family was a wonderful feeling. I paroled wearing a grey three piece suit, an off-white shirt, brown leather wingtip shoes, a brown leather belt, and a matching tie and pocket square. The… Continue Reading →
By Chris Schuhmacher San Quentin State Prison There I was…San Quentin State Prison…serving a 16 year to life sentence for the crime of second-degree murder. This is my 13th year behind bars, with a majority of that spent locked away from the sunlight inside cells not much bigger than a walk-in closet. It has been… Continue Reading →
The Last Mile program at San Quentin State Prison hosted their annual demo day last week. The program participants presented their own business plans to a live audience of invited guests. It was a very unique experience for the incarcerated men, and for the invited guests, many of whom had never been in a prison. By Chris… Continue Reading →
It has been 16 years since I took the life of another human being. This act has created the most dramatic motivation in my life, especially since realizing the impact my actions still have on my victim’s family, as well as society. I know now that murder does not stop with the perpetrator and the… Continue Reading →
By Heracio Harts San Quentin State Prison I will optimize my life, to give myself a second chance. I will optimize my life, in hope of forgiveness. I will optimize my life, to be an inspiration to others. I will optimize my life, to make my family proud. I will optimize my life, to give… Continue Reading →
By Jorge Heredia San Quentin State Prison Generally, empathy, love, and compassion are not overtly expressed in prison as one normally would express them out in the free world; but strange though it may appear, they do exist in prison. These emotional feelings, however, reveal themselves in many different ways, depending on each individual’s coping… Continue Reading →
Psychologically, a life sentence is deteriorating to anybody. This mental decaying process takes many different forms that ranges from changes in behavior to going literally insane or even committing suicide. All this depends on the mental strength of each individual. However, it usually begins with individual institutionalization. In my case, when I was sentenced to… Continue Reading →
By Chris Schuhmacher San Quentin State Prison Serving a life sentence in prison feels like a long and arduous journey towards a freedom that is not guaranteed to be there once you arrive. In 2001, I went to my sentencing hearing and received a 16 year to life sentence for the crime of second degree… Continue Reading →
