The Wisdom of Street Art

Six Word Photo Story Challenge: Freestyle

Prison is often not the answer.

I’m a huge street art fan. These days, every time I travel, I make a point of looking for it. There is nothing I’d rather do. I have no idea how many pictures I have taken of it, but the number increases each month.

I was in Houston for a friend’s birthday party and went on a hunt. I saw many works of art that were incredible.

This one grabbed me for the message. I’ve watched too many lives ruined because of the cycle of prison. When I say cycle, re-offending is a normal thing, especially for those with substance problems.

What bothers me is all of the people I know in this cycle are people who are of great value and have gifts that could improve our world. Once a certain point is reached, they seem to prefer the jail environment where they understand that world.

I can’t imagine the fear of having to learn to be a functioning member of society after years of imprisonment and less than adequate treatment for drug or alcohol issues.

We must realize the current system is not working and get away from the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality.