Forgiven but Not Free

I was 19 years of age when I took my first cold shower, but it wasn’t for reasons you may suspect. I was extremely embarrassed and humiliated while shivering under the fluid ice as it pierced my soul. No doors, no walls, no privacy to shield me from the shame I felt from being exposed to both men and women correctional officers. This was the awakening of my new reality… Prison.

Advocators for prison reform flood the country demanding changes be made within our country’s criminal justice system while others sit in limbo like, “Yeah ok.” Those unfamiliar with the injustices of our legal system (from top-down) may benefit from hearing personal encounters to better grasp the concept of what change could possibly look like in reform.

After serving the 5-year sentence in its totality, I was released without parole stipulations or community supervision. I was completely up to date on my payments to society and was officially declared a free man… But was I?

As the story goes, the summer of 2009 was my welcoming home celebration. My family was there for support as we laughed, ate home-cooked-meals, and they provided me with clothing. I even received visits from old friends.

Like so many other felons detained for a prolonged duration, I too struggled to gain traction when I first hit the ground. I couldn’t find employment in one of the…