It was May 7, 2025, but between the sound and smell of the popcorn machine, the double-door entrance, and the floor-to-ceiling movie screen, it felt like my brother and I were carefree kids entering our rural hometown theater.  We were far from home though, and after 21 years in prison, Tim and I were entering the gym at Nash Correctional Institution. 

We grabbed our popcorn and weaved through dim lighting to the sound of excited chatter, though no one was more excited than me.  I was about to see my hero, my brother, finally make it to the big screen.  I always looked up to Tim, in every way imaginable.  If he did something wrong, then I had to try it too, regardless of the consequences.  If he went somewhere, I was going too.  When Tim started elementary school, I was miserable.  I waited for him like a labrador until he made it home.  On this day, the crowd in the gymnasium around me was waiting to see him too.

We made our way to two center seats on the third row of the metal, pullout bleachers.  The event was a celebration of sorts for the Correctional Enterprises Print Plant workers and the NC Prison News Today (NCPNT) team.  NCPNT was a new statewide prison publication produced by the incarcerated for the incarcerated.  We were all invested in watching an episode of Tar Heel Traveler, a WRAL news segment hosted by Scott Mason that highlights unique stories from across the Tar Heel State.  This unique story was about us.

The episode, The Prison News, was going to feature the story of creating the first issue of NCPNT.  Each of us had contributed to the process.  The NCPNT team wrote articles, designed layouts and graphics, and polished the issue with several rounds of editing.  Print plant workers provided skilled labor, printing, cutting and binding the finished magazine.  NCPNT connects every person incarcerated in the North Carolina prison system.  Individuals at both men’s and women’s facilities can submit articles for possible publication.  Upon completion, a digital magazine can be accessed through the Edovo education app, available to everyone for free on individual tablets.  A goal of the publication is to create community through shared experiences and information.  The inaugural issue featured articles about frustration over the TextBehind mail-relay policy, effects of mass incarceration on children, and the potential of a new reentry council.

Tim has always been talented and intelligent, but he didn’t always apply his abilities in the positive way he does now.  Despite having a LWOP sentence, he lives every day with purpose.  That is what led him to become the acting editor of NCPNT, which is just one of his many achievements.  He graduated from the NC Field Minister Program in 2021 and now teaches academic writing.  He also co-authored a bill that would give state lifers an avenue to qualify for release through their rehabilitative efforts.

Education and writing are not Tim’s end game.  They are tools he wields to inspire, teach and mentor other incarcerated men, and his dedication to live a transformed life has positively influenced countless lives.  Tim has always been my hero, but now he is shining for all to see.  

As the episode began, The Prison News included a sneak peak inside the NCPNT newsroom where Tim and NCPNT’s graphic designer were interviewed.  The segment also gave viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the print plant and interviews with three key workers.  I smiled through the entire thing, but my smile was biggest each time Tim flashed across the big screen.  I’ve never been prouder than when my hero delivered the show’s most important line.  “I don’t believe that I can ever deserve the opportunity to get out [of prison], because I took two lives.  But I try to live in a way that I’ll be a person who will bring restoration and healing wherever I go.”

ABOUT THE WRITER.  This is the first time Tony Johnson has contributed to WITS, though his hero and brother Timothy Johnson has contributed on several occasions. Tony has lived in prison for 21 years. He was the sports reporter of The Nash News, a prison newspaper, and a contributor to NC Prison News Today, a new statewide prison publication. He was also the featured poet at an event hosted by the Brothas United, a nonprofit. In addition to his writing, Tony is a freshman in the Second Chance Initiative program, where he intends to earn his Associates and Bachelor degrees from Campbell University.

The segment of the Tar Heel Traveler that Tony wrote about can be seen here.

Mr. Johnson can be contacted at:
Tony Johnson #0868310
Sampson Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131

Tony Johnson can also be contacted via GettingOut.com.