All posts by kimberleyann

Spring 2024 Writing Contest

As shared in the March Newsletter, it is time for the Spring Writing Contest.

There is a depth of resilience and strength that exists within the incarcerated community. Ingenuity; creativity; insight; individuals
adapting and even supporting one another to adjust to incarceration and everything that means.

PROMPT: Describe an act you have witnessed that reflected inner strength. That might be in the form of self-control, forgiveness, or community building. It could look like someone spending decades pursuing education and becoming a PhD student and professor while living in prison, like Leo Hylton who was also featured in the newsletter. Or it could look like Benito Rios who is now a Companion Sitter in Texas, supporting those who are in crisis, also in the newsletter. Or it could be someone who shared their extra commissary with his or her neighbor.

ENTRY DETAILS: Only those who live in prison are eligible to participate, & we don’t accept anything that has been previously published. Submission is also permission to edit & post in future WITS projects.
Submission is free.
Entries should be 1,000 words or less. Poetry is considered if it is inspired by the prompt.
Submissions can be handwritten.
PRIZES: First Place: $75 | Second Place: $50 | Third Place: $25
DEADLINE: June 30, 2024. Decisions will be posted by approximately July 31, 2024.
MAILING ADDRESS: Walk In Those Shoes, Writing Contest Entry, P.O. Box 70092, Henrico, Virginia 23255

PROMPT HINTS: There is strength throughout this community. Benito Rios, featured in the March Newsletter, is an example of someone displaying strength through compassion and empathy for others in crisis as he acts as a Companion Sitter in TX prisons.
Benito, who received $25 for being featured in the WITS newsletter, instructed WITS to send the funds to someone he felt needed it more, again displaying strength through empathy and generosity.
Today, Benito Rios spent his morning helping others in his unit, older residents with disabilities. He will be participating in facilitating a Wheelchair Olympics Relay that will include racing, basketball shotput, basketball free throw, weight lifting and a pull-up competition.
Writing about someone like Benito Rios or Leo Hylton, also featured in the March Newsletter, would be fulfilling the prompt. While Benito did not want to receive funds, he did make the following request:

“I won’t sugar coat anything. I myself am without financially, but I find it fulfilling to help others. But if you know anybody who can stand in the gap with me in prayer, please pass along my info. Keep us in prayer.”
– Benito Rios, Jester III Unit, Texas

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Arizona Book Club, Latest Selection!

This is the club’s first non-fiction selection, and if you would like to join, we will be starting Killing The Mob: The Fight Against Organized Crime In America by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard in January. This is a definite change in direction by the club, and I am curious to hear the reviews when they are done.

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Writing Contest – What Does Change Look Like?

There are times we can’t change our location, our possessions, our circumstances. Yet there is always an opportunity to ‘Be Change’. What does ‘being change’ mean to you, whether taking personal responsibility or helping others; have you seen someone doing thatbeing change? Describe how that looked, and how it impacted you.
There is a school of thought that if we each choose to ‘be change’, collectively we can change systems. This prompt intends to inspire each of us to ‘Be Change’ and inspire hope for a better tomorrow.

Entry Details:
Only those who live in prison are eligible to participate, and we don’t accept anything that has been previously published.

Submission is free – BUT, even if an entry doesn’t win, we consider entry permission to publish and edit. Sometimes we get so many excellent entries, they can’t all win, but they need to be shared.

Entries should be 1,000 words or less. Poetry is considered, as long as it is inspired by the prompt.

Submissions can be handwritten.

PRIZES:
First Place: Blackstone Paralegal Program Sponsorship
Second Place: $50
Third Place: $25

DEADLINE: November 30, 2023. Decisions will be posted
by approximately December 31, 2023.

MAILING ADDRESS:
Walk In Those Shoes
Writing Contest Entry
P.O. Box 70092
Henrico, Virginia 23255

Footnote: Entries that do not follow the prompt are not passed on to the judges.


For all posts from this site as well as current criminal justice issues, you can also follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

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Update From Arizona Book Club

I’m only on page 28, but already hooked on Arizona’s latest selection – Girl, Forgotten, by Karin Slaughter. I think it is going to be a winner. This is the first book by this author I’ve read, and the group should get their copies this week. As always – feel free to join us, we would be happy to share your thoughts here! All the books in the Arizona Club get donated to the facility library when the book club is done with them.


Now for the most recent read – The Maidens, by Alex Michaelides. This book was specifically chosen because Arizona had read The Silent Patient by the same author. The Maidens got five stars across the board! Below are their and my thoughts:

“The ending was soft, I would have added more to the cult-like group leader’s mystery.” Even so, Carlos Sigala felt it was a page turner, saying he would most likely be friends with the ‘sneaky and sinister’ Zoe. ‘Amusing read’ that touched on some situations that aren’t in other books. – Carlos Sigala
Zoe is definitely an interesting choice, Carlos! Just make sure you don’t close your eyes:)

“I think it was well written. It’s not my usual genre. After reading this one and The Silent Patient, I will definitely read another one of Alex’s books.” Who did Ralph think he would most likely be friends with? “Probably Mariana, would really like to get to know someone like her.” He points out, “even though we come from way different lifestyles.” “Silent Patient was my first read. This book blew my mind almost as much. Looking forward to more from Alex Michaelides.” – Ralph Dyer  
What I love about these reading groups is just that – we are all reading different genres, learning about different ways of life, other than our own. And I’m with Ralph gravitating towards Mariana, my reasons being that I would love to know more about the dynamics of group therapy. I think it is really fascinating how group leaders are really facilitators of the magic that comes naturally from a group but that’s an entirely different topic!

“I was looking for the twist, but had the wrong person. It was a great twist. I liked it (the book) because it sounded almost like the author wanted to intertwine his first book along with his second book. I am a fan of Alex Michaelides. I’d probably be friends with Ruth the therapist and Clarissa the professor because they both know how to listen and analyze people. Henry and Fred reminded me of Theo Faber from The Silent Patient. They’re all needy controlling individuals. I’d like to see this author’s books made into movies, they would be some great thrillers.” – Victor McKaney
I totally agree with you, Victor. And I think the tie ins to previous books would make the movie versions even more captivating. For some reason, I like hearing about characters from previous books, it’s as if you are creating an imaginary neighborhood of characters, and it’s like passing an old friend on the street when you hear one mentioned in a following book. I loved that aspect of these books.



And, there was one more review for a previous book club read – The Family Upstairs.

Carlos Sigala did not find The Family Upstairs predictable, “At no point did I find the ending predictable. I knew they would reunite, but not in that fashion.” Carlos felt it was well written and felt Libby, the main character, was the most likeable because she wasn’t greedy. This one came away with a 4.5 stars for Carlos. – Carlos Sigala
It’s been a while since this read, but I think I agree with you on all points. I definitely didn’t see the ending coming exactly the way it did, and I can remember being disappointed in ‘the character’ of some characters. Not the book – but some people in the book let me down! Libby was solid though. And the writing was solid, that’s for sure. So far, all of the books we’ve read in this group have had solid writing, I think.


Onward – I’m really loving Girl, Forgotten. Hope it ends as good as it has started. We’ll let you know!

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Witness To Love – Writing Contest

Reflect on a time while you have been living in prison where you have either participated in or witnessed someone else being a part of making a positive difference in someone’s life. Describe the circumstances, as well as what this experience taught you about loving others?

We are all ‘human’ and we all share human qualities, good and bad.  Labels like ‘inmate’ or ‘prisoner’ are often associated with dehumanizing thoughts which assist in maintaining mass incarceration.  These words and the sense they give that mass incarceration is not a humanitarian issue give fuel to punishment as a political argument rather than an issue that needs cognitive, emotional and spiritual solutions not just physical containment.  That is why this prompt aims to capture the existence of one of the most fundamental human qualities and emotions – love.

This experience could be something that took place in a place of worship, the Yard, a common area, visitation or your cell.  It could be anywhere, and it could involve anyone, either a staff member or someone who lives alongside you.


Entry Details:

Only those who are incarcerated are eligible to participate. 

We can’t accept anything that has been previously published.

Submission is free – BUT, even if an entry doesn’t win, we consider entry permission to publish and edit.  Sometimes we get so many excellent entries, they can’t all win, but they need to be shared.  

Entries should be 1,000 words or less.  Poetry is considered, as long as it is inspired by the prompt.

Submissions can be handwritten.

As done in our previous contests, I will narrow down the entries to the top ten, and then hand them off to individuals to rate the writing with a point system to determine winners.

PRIZES: 

First Place:  $75
Second Place:  $50
Third Place:  $25

DEADLINE:  August 31, 2023.  Decisions will be posted by approximately September 30, 2023.

MAILING ADDRESS:

Walk In Those Shoes
Writing Contest Entry
P.O. Box 70092
Henrico, Virginia  23255

Footnote: Entries that do not follow the prompt are not passed on to the judges.


For all posts from this site as well as current criminal justice issues, you can also follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

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Update From Arizona Book Club

Arizona is preparing to start their next book – The Maidens, by Alex Michaelides.  They chose this book after reading their previous book by the same author.  The books have been ordered and should arrive in Arizona this coming week.  Joining both the Arizona and NC book clubs in their reading has made my life better – feel free to join us, we would be happy to share your thoughts here!


Now – for views on the previous read, The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides:

A suspenseful narrative, worth waiting to see unfold! – Carlos Sigala

This book was really well written.  I do not usually read many suspense novels.  I like how the book kept me thinking throughout the entire read and didn’t let me figure it out until the very end.  Looking forward to reading another one from this author. – Ralph Dyer  

The Silent Patient was a great book with good character development and excellent plot twists. The only thing that stopped me from reading cover to cover was lunch.  It has an ending that you just won’t see coming. – Steve Lomax

‘Spellbound!’  An enigma wrapped in a riddle that created a MYSTERY!  Through the twists and turns, I came to a sudden halt once the last few pieces to the puzzle were discovered. The introduction of the plot had me staggered. As it thickened, I was gripped to the pages. Walking into the climax, I realized the riddle was deciphering itself right in front of my eyes! – Terrance A. Morgan

It was an interesting read and had several plot twists I didn’t expect or anticipate.  I give it a 4 out of 5 for keeping the reader guessing and engaged.  It would be an excellent movie to watch if it was turned into one. – Robert Hinderliter    

The human psyche is a very, very powerful muscle.  The Silent Patient will have you asking more questions, looking for more and more clues to no avail. If you think you’ve understood and got this figured out, don’t worry the plot twist will get you. I give it 3.5 stars out of 5. – Victor McKaney

And, for my thoughts… Definitely a page turner. Which is what I like. I want a book to have me wanting to pick it up again. Without giving away anything – the ending had me wanting to go back and read the book over and see if I should have figured it out earlier. I’m really curious to see if the next book we are reading by the same author has that same type of direction. It will definitely have me trying to stay on my toes while I’m reading in an attempt to figure it out as I go.


And discussion on the previous book, Yellow Wife, by Sadeqa Johnson continues! Personally, I loved this book. It is probably up there in the top five of all the book club books I have read with the WITS clubs. That could have something to do with my familiarity with the geographical location of where the events took place, but I think it was mostly due to the story itself.

Two words best describe Yellow Wife – hope and despair.  Within reading the novel there were twists, turns, as well as turbulence.  Definitely a page turner.

The main character, Pheby, exemplified the true meaning of liberation!  She had a deep inspiration to secure the freedom of her loved ones.  Freedom was the ‘desire’ and at times, throughout the book, by any means necessary.  Enduring the physical pain, in my opinion, was futile to the mental anguish that she endured.  Her grit and dedication to a cause led to the freedom of others, to which she was seeking! 

I recommend this book to any avid or non-avid reader.  Indeed, a cast of movie  quality! –  Terrance A. Morgan

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Turning Pages In Arizona

I started our newest book a little before the others – The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides. Without giving any of it away, I am hooked already, and I am not very far in. I’m really curious to see where this one goes and what everyone thinks of it, and I can’t wait for them to get their copies. If you get a chance, read it with us!


Now, for thoughts on the previous read. The club recently finished up Yellow Wife, by Sadeqa Johnson. This one brought on some in depth conversations, and I wish I could have been there. Our Arizona Book Club is very fortunate, in that they can meet together in the library. They shared a couple of their thoughts on Yellow Wife:

“Yellow Wife was an intriguing read and invoked both negative and positive reactions. It’s a story about how two women sacrificed themselves for the betterment of their children and others. This book should be required reading for kids in grades 6-8 so they can see some real history of how people were treated in the 1800’s.”
– Robert Hinderliter


“Yellow Wife is a real page turner. Ruth wasn’t just the medicine woman, she was a survivalist, and a mother with plans that no slave could ever foresee. She instilled in Pheby her survival instincts and to always protect your children at all costs while setting up a better future for them, no matter the risks or costs too. Ruth also taught her daughter that sometimes in life a mother has to make a big, life-changing sacrifice for their children. The book could also have been called either: A Woman’s Sacrifice or just Sacrifice.”
Victor McKaney

Feel free to contact WITS with your thoughts on any of our book selections!

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The Norway Project – February 15, 2023

Most people involved with prison reform are familiar with the system of incarceration in Norway, one based on the concept of creating good neighbors rather than retribution. That concept is something I thought would never be implemented here in the United States.  I was wrong. This ongoing series will be a platform for those living within California’s very own – Norway Project. 

As of February 7, 2023, CDCR’s Valley State Prison is the first prison in California to implement the Norway Model!  It’s a model focused on providing incentives to inmates and guiding us towards pursuing meaningful rehabilitation and positive programming efforts. It’s meant to give back a sense of ‘humanity’ to the inmate population, and to also change the culture of prison from using discipline and punishment as the only means of correcting behavior. 

I’ve been in prison for 13 years now.  I’ve seen opportunities offered by CDCR, but the correctional officers and administrative staff were still under the beliefs that inmates were to be punished and that we cannot change.  Now, this Norway Model sets a new standard and perspective for administrative staff and inmates alike, and the first act the prison has taken is an entire shift of correctional officers and the training they receive.  The yard has a new wave of c/o’s coming, and this building is now an Honor Building. 

We have been given a pool table!  We also have received bigger, better quality flat screen TV’s in our dayrooms!  The talk of upcoming incentives include a ping pong table, a PlayStation, and a vending machine for the inmate population! 

I feel honored and rewarded for the hard work and progress I’ve made in my pursuit for self betterment. It’s definitely encouraging others to want to benefit from the model by seeking self help programs and remaining disciplinary free.  I’ve seen a happier, more social and positive community since this began, and it’s only been a week… I cannot wait to see the huge change in relations between the inmate population and correctional staff now that resentments and biases are being changed for the better! This Norway Model has opened the doors for healing and a new way of rehabilitating the inmate community and showing employees there is a human side in all of us! All that was missing in prisons was the support, encouragement and unity in building a better world. 

Yours truly – TL

I have been incarcerated for eight years, most of those years spent at a higher security institution. Recently, I was afforded the opportunity to attend an alcohol and drug counseling certification program here at Valley State Prison in Chowchilla, Ca.  I’m currently housed in an honor building that is transitioning to a Norwegian model style environment.  While it’s a long way off of an actual Norwegian model institution, it is a step in the right direction.  We recently received special amenities like a pool table, coffee urns, and 70″ flat screen televisions.  This type of living environment promotes rehabilitation through healing and incentives rather than punishment and deprivation of basic human rights.  Work still needs to be done, but this is definitely a good start.  This state and others could truly benefit from expanding the program, and I’m glad to be able to experience an opportunity like this. 

Thank you for your time – DA

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A Conversation With Kwame Teague

Author, Kwame Teague, has created a productive, creative lifestyle within the parameters of prison – through pure initiative and tenacity.  He wasn’t provided writing classes and tools within his cell, but rather, took it upon himself to establish a positive and productive way of life with access to only a pen and paper.  THAT – is inspirational, and also why I wanted to talk to him.

Conversation with Kwame Teague.

While WITS is not the platform to share fiction writing, it IS the platform to share and encourage writing in all forms.  Fiction writing is equally as important as non-fiction, and in many ways can be an even greater therapy.  The book clubs WITS sponsor primarily read fiction, a much needed doorway to another life and time.

Kwame has taken fiction and run with it.  In 2021, Dutch, the movie, was released based on a series of books he authored by the same name.  While I enjoyed the movie, and felt a connection to it in more ways than one, as I grew up in New Jersey, what was even more overwhelming to experience was watching what Kwame had inspired and seen to fruition from within a prison cell.  

I don’t know Kwame’s history.  But that kind of dedication to one’s craft, focus, and determination centered on productivity – screams of being well prepared to successfully go home.  While he has been busy over the years writing, he has positioned himself as a positive role model, taking time to encourage other writers.  For that reason, I wanted to talk to him. I will share his work in our library, and I hope he keeps us posted on any future projects he is a part of.  Below is a list of links to some of his existing projects, although it is clear from our conversation, this list is far from complete.  

Dutch, the movie


Thug Politics (2009)


Dynasty, Book 1 (2009)


Dynasty, Book 2 (2013)


Dynasty, Book 3 (2014)


Dutch Confidential:  Brown Skin (2014)

TO CONTACT KWAME TEAGUE:

Kwame Teague #0401897
Nash Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131

You can also reach Kwame through textbehind.com and gettingout.com

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