Prison reform begins with those who are incarcerated, men and women who have found themselves behind these fences, men and women who are more than the crime committed and the number they were branded. And for prison reform to be successful, we must begin to change our perspectives. Yes, we have done distasteful and degrading things to ourselves as well as our communities; however, our focus should be that we still have breath in our bodies and in that breath is opportunity to right our wrongs. First for ourselves and then for our community.
There is power in changing perspective – where others see prison and punishment, we can see opportunity, the opportunity to correct the belief system that drove our previous thinking! When we reflect on what landed us in prison, we can connect the dots backwards to misguided beliefs that have been governing our lives. When we start that process and begin making ground, we transform into reformers. The reformer does not see a prison, they see a spiritual retreat. They don’t see punishment, they see vindication. They don’t see a prison yard, they see a college campus. The reformer doesn’t see ‘bottom of the barrel’, they see a community full of untapped potential. It is what we choose to see that offers us the opportunity to walk in reformed ways.
The reformer uses their new way of walking in their immediate environment. They begin to implement their newfound gifts and talents right where they are. A true reformer sees everywhere they are as their community, and the time is now to work and gain the experience needed for the future. The strongest reformers are those serving life sentences, life reformers. A life reformer is one who has made their change and accepted their vital role in this movement. They are the ones that society can trust to assist the reformers that are returning to their communities, equipping them with sound knowledge and being an example of what it means to be an asset to their community, no matter the circumstance. Life reformers are the inside team!
On the outside, there are those like Mr. Keidrain ‘Bossman’ Brewster. He is the face of big reform, making the movement manifest in big ways, ensuring it isn’t for a moment! He has sacrificed much, countless hours on the road visiting prisons across America. He has sat at tables with prison administrators, using his personal finances to willingly fund his mission, humbly and whole-heartedly. Now the fruit of his labor is ripe for the picking, his presence requested all over the country! It will not surprise us reformers when he walks in the White House because of his genuine heart for change and sincerity of action.
Mr. Brewster has made the Texas Department of Criminal Justice his home base, where he served thirteen calendar years of his life going through his own personal reformation. He has endured what he asks of us. It was while incarcerated he found his why, one that would lead him to success in his freedom, in marriage, in fatherhood and a trucking business, success as a published author, and most of all – success in touching and changing culture.
Brewster is coming behind these fences telling us face-to-face we are offered the same opportunities and more. Who we were in society is what landed us in prison, and who we become in prison is how we return to our communities. Most of us were ignorant of this thing called societal trust, a trust between a person and society that says we will build and add as we can for the greater good of the whole. This trust is placed upon each human, whether they are aware of it or not. Our prerogative is to take accountability and do our part to the fullest!
Mr. Brewster has made great strides in pushing the big reform movement, going back into prisons across the country, appearing on radio, offering jobs for felons upon release, even doing a Ted Talk. The message is always the same… change is possible, and this is only the beginning!
ABOUT THE WRITER. Jarod Wesenberg is a poet, writer, DJ, and reformer. He doesn’t have time to write for us often, but we appreciate it when he does. He is a changemaker in his own right, and you can find a recent interview he did here.
Jarod can be contacted at:
Jarod L. Wesenberg, Sr. #1830643
Michael Unit
P.O. Box 660400
Dallas, TX 75266-0400
NOTE: It has been the experience of WITS that our mail sent to the Dallas distribution center is not always delivered, or it has taken several months for delivery. For that reason, we recommend Securus for contacting residents of Texas prisons.
