Introducing Caged Cranes

The crane is born to fly… Caged, some cranes peck at themselves until they are bare. Some of them conform to their entrapments, others, they continue to fly…

The description above is not only about the tall wading class of birds known for their grace and elegance. It is also a survey of the many men I have seen held to the confines of the Virginia State Correctional System.

For over a decade, I have been one of those men… bound and surrounded. I have been sentenced to murkily strut the grounds of state correctional facilities speckled across Virginia – quite simply, as a crane caged and barred from its birthright. However, I’ve always been accompanied by the practice of prayer and meditation: my means to fly…

Furthering my spirituality by body, a friend and I came into possession of a few books on the art of Tai Chi and Chi Kung a year ago. We took to the practices in the books, got more into general health and wellness, and had an idea to help make a difference beyond the walls, Caged Cranes.

Caged Cranes is a concept that seeks to unite at-risk youth with the spiritual practices of Tai Chi and Chi Kung as a means for greater personal growth and spiritual development. It is based off of the idea that the opening of spiritual awareness is an opening to a greater outlook on life and an increased chance to see better options in less than opportune circumstances.

Fortunately, I found spiritual desire in my own journey, but I know I would have benefited from this type of programming in my teenage years. In the past 13 years of my incarceration, spiritual development has been a key pillar in my overall growth. 2008 is when I received a 20-year sentence for a mistake I made as a wayward young man, after the loss of my grandmother, Sharon Lynn Dixon. She was my rock and a vehement believer in God. She was an evangelist at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Chesapeake, Virginia. For as long as I had known her, she was bound to a wheelchair, where she had been ever since she was shot in the back by a possessive ex-husband. As tragic as her situation was, my grandmother never let it stop her from taking to the streets every Saturday, going door-to-door to share the joy and strength she received from her belief in God. From a wheelchair, she still managed to stand as tall as anyone in the room. Her voice was always filled with vigor and passion, spirit and truth. Her hope was never sealed to the limits of her chair, it buzzed around the air she carried, and it flew as high as the heavens she envisioned.

I’ve held the spirit of my grandmother close every step of the way through my incarceration. Through her spirit, I have found my own connection and relationship to God and spirituality. A relationship that has kept me on a path of great personal growth and spiritual development. Growing up, we didn’t have much, but what my grandmother gave me has proven itself a priceless and irreplaceable treasure. A message I wish to share with others who find themselves caged: imprisoned by circumstance. No matter the obstacle or situation, we are all cranes with a birthright to soar.

I am imprisoned, but by body only. My mind continues to soar above and beyond the prison walls. I never gave up on my desire to seek higher education and help others. When I first entered the prison system, I didn’t have a high school diploma. Not only have I acquired my GED, I’ve also been blessed with an opportunity to fulfill my college-level education goals. Currently, I’m taking correspondence courses at Ohio University. As of right now, I’m seeking to obtain an associate degree in social sciences. For years, I brainstormed this very platform to help showcase the brilliance of people incarcerated and was given an opportunity to bring Brilliance Behind Bars to fruition, going strong for nearly 2 years.

My successes in the darkest of places only prove that progress is possible for those who may have experienced difficult childhoods or economic drawbacks.

I truly believe that the troubled youths of today can benefit from the practice of Tai Chi, and we can work with them to identify the spiritual beacons of their own lives. My hope is that this would result in an increase in youth achievement and lower incarceration rates for young vulnerable black men and boys – helping them find a higher purpose within themselves to achieve their goals.

I plan to implement this and other programming to give back to the community when I am released.

– Q. Patterson, Founder of Brilliance Behind Bars

Editors Note: To learn more about Q, take a look at his origin story here.

A Thin Line Between a Hero and a Criminal, Q’s Origin Story

I’m not sure how many people understand how thin of a line there is between the path of being a criminal, and the path of being a hero — other than the people who have walked it. More so, the people who have unfortunately stumbled upon the darker side.

I have been incarcerated going fourteen years now. Over this time, I’ve lost my grandmother, chose to pick up the practice of prayer and meditation, and through the help of a loved one, been able to embrace my great desire for higher education. Reflecting on my life, I’ve been able to ascertain the point where it all changed for me — a childhood experience where I trickled over the line where hero meets villain.

I’ve always considered myself a good kid. After several different location changes in my childhood, concepts like school and friends did not have the time to take an impacting hold on my life. However, I’ve always honored my parents, respected my elders, and was always ready to help anyone I could, when I could. My mother struggled with jobs and relationships as she tried to raise my siblings and I. She didn’t have enough energy to work long hours, endured massive migraines, chased behind three pre-teenaged boys (and a baby girl), on top of being very poor. An over-premissive parenting style seemed the viable option for her, so my brothers and I were free to roam and interpret the world on our own. Innocent enough, all of these factors set the ground for the childhood experience that changed my life.

I was ten years old when my family moved to a housing project in Durham, NC. Then, the Pokémon craze had set in heavy. Everyone had their gameboys, the videogames, and the trading cards. This craze didn’t fail to reach me either. I was totally in love with all things Pokémon.

I was at a cousin’s house, walking around their neighborhood. I was showing my cousins my rare holographic Pokémon cards, when a group of three older, unfamiliar kids walked up. I remember them clearly. One was a light-skinned boy, his hair was unkept and his clothes were a bit ragged and dirty. There was a kid who was big and round, he wore an old dress shirt that was too small for him, some old khaki pants and had a chipped tooth. The third was a very small boy who looked way younger than us. He had a bandana wrapped around his head with the knot tied to the front. “Hey, let me see those,” the light-skinned boy said. I looked at him with a smile on my face, and without hesitation gave him the cards in my hand. Excitedly, I began to explain the different cards and my love of Pokémon. Suddenly, he punched me in the shoulder and said, “These are mine now,” he then jumped back and threw up his fists in a fighter’s stance. I looked at him in amazement for a second before I understood what was going on. Outside of play – wrestling around with my brothers on the living room floor, I never had been in a fight before. Recognizing what was happening, I took a stance in defense of myself and my property. We danced in a circle, and before any strike was thrown, I saw a shiny piece of chrome glimmer in the corner of my eye, and then was frozen in astonishment. “What you gonna do now!?” is what the tiny bandana-ed boy said as he pointed a small handgun at my face. My mind and body were locked in place. Of course, I had never since an actual gun before, but being predisposed to cartoons, movies, and video games, I knew just how deadly a gun could be. Noticing how petrified I was, the boys turned away and fled with laughter and my trading cards in tow.

Seeing them disappear behind the houses of the neighborhood, anger and sadness boiled up inside of me. A raging ball of newly recognized emotions exploded, and I just erupted into tears. I sat on the porch of my cousin’s friend’s house shaking uncontrollably and bawling with my head in my lap. My younger brother sat beside me, his hand was rubbing me on my back in an attempt to comfort me. Strangely, I felt shame, cowardice, and disgust with myself. “Why didn’t I do something!? Why was I so afraid?” I cried inside and began I blame myself for being too kind, for giving the boy my cards. I looked at my little brother… I wanted to be strong for him, be his hero, and I felt like I had let him down. Through tear-filled eyes, I looked him in the face and cried out a promise, “I will never let anyone take anything away from me again!” Little did I know, that day and that promise would change my life forever.

Not too long after that encounter, I found it harder to walk away from confrontation or any type of situation that I could prove how brave I was. I found it harder to walk away from fights with the other kids, to walk away from challenges of thievery and delinquency. My behavior lead me to a childhood of truancy, underaged drinking, doing drugs and even joining a gang at the age of eleven. I no longer felt like a coward or a victim, but I didn’t realize at that age, that I was victimizing my mother and eventually myself with my erroneous quest for bravery. As a child, its hard to determine the line between being a hero and a villain. Even as adults, we look at most criminals as fearless or unhinged. These assumptions are not entirely true. Most of us here in prison were fatherless, scared children who managed our fear in distressing environments by imitating what we thought was brave.

Through meditation, prayer, and education, I’ve now come to realize what bravery truly is. I earned my GED within my first years of incarceration. I have been mentoring young men for over 10 years, helping them find their own spiritual journeys, tutoring various subjects, and motivating them to seek higher education. I currently take print-based college courses at Ohio University, studying to receive a degree in social sciences. I plan to use my education, reinforced by my experience to help deter youths who have fallen on the wrong side of that thin line. I also want to work with local legislators to create policies that support them.

While I’ve been able to achieve this level of growth during my incarceration, my story did not have to have this chapter of imprisonment. That leaves me with the questions: How can we save those noble little boys out there who are only seeking to be heroes? How do we teach them not only courage, but righteousness and strength, without ever having them see a jail cell? Through my story, I hope to increase the awareness that the world is full of these misguided good kids, who didn’t have a proper chance to find the heroes they truly were, before it was too late. If we can do a better job of identifying these special children, we can help them be more than just villains society believes deserve nothing more than a life of incarceration. We can create more heroes…

Our mission focuses on remembering the brilliance behind bars, giving incarcerated people who want to be heroes a chance to show the world that they CAN be.

– Q. Patterson, Creator and Organizer of BrillinaceBehindBars.com

Voting: What Does It Really Cost?

Webster defines voting as: a choice or opinion of a person or body of person. A method by which groups of people make decisions.

If the 15th amendment of the United States Constitution states that the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. And also The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a law passed to help enforce the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Which states an American citizen shall not be denied the right to vote due to race or skin color.

Why does every convicted felon in Virginia lose this sacred and honorable right? To automatically loss this right after being convicted of a felony offense speaks volume.

In many states, Virginia included; termination of the right to vote by convicted felons is automatic. This actually demonstrates how powerful voting is.

Just think you can be convicted of drinking and driving, serve time for reckless driving. God forbids you can injure or even kill someone, however your right to purchase alcohol isn’t terminated. The penalty for these acts could be a suspension of driving privileges for a period of time and fines. Some cases could result in jail time.

Yes, there’s a process for the restoration of voting rights. But we’re seeing how this process has become politically fueled and motivated.

So that would lead one to ask the question why terminate the right to vote?

Terminating this right actually silence you. You lose the right to have a say in major events. Many of these events are life changing.

We’re seeing in our divided democracy the increase momentum to limit accessed to voting. While watching some of our leaders spew false voting claim’s after being defeated.

We now have a part of society that believes that voting doesn’t matter. Many citizens fail to vote thinking their votes don’t count.

However just think “Roe v Wade” was repealed by the United States Supreme Court. This was after poor voting turn out led to a particular party winning control. Which afforded this party the right to appoint judges of their similar ideologies to the United States Supreme Court. Please realize that these lifetime appointments have dire consequences, with very limited oversight.

If “Roe v Wade” in 1973 can be repealed what’s next?
For many years the right to vote was a major issue.
I’m embarrassed and ashamed that I lost something that cost someone else so dearly.
However I look forward to regaining this sacred and honorable right.
We all must really pay close attention to the political climate in our divided country.

Just turn on your nightly news, advertisements, PACTS. As well as the billionaire donors. Everyone knows how important each vote is.

Many know how important power is. We’re seeing how even our freedom is often control by which party is in control.

We watched one party abolished parole while another attempted several reinstatement measures. Now our freedom is pending in the courts. With no one stopping to ask ” have we been rehabilitated.”
I agree there must be balance and accountability. There’s many behind theses walls deserving of another chance.

So please VOTE!!!! From our local election to the national election. Every vote matters. Failing to vote eliminates your voice.

If others are fighting so hard to take this right away we should see how important voting is.

And look at the large amount of money that is spent during election seasons. Its mind boggling to think millions are spent during elections, while citizens are homeless and hungry.

Again to all my brothers and sisters behind these walls please make it a priority to inform your family and friends to vote. So what does voting cost: YOUR FREEDOM! And your VOICE!!!!!

Samuel E Harris #1026738
Lawrenceville Correctional Center

Captive, A Poem

don’t go turning sour
just because you’re around someone with power
the man of the hour
sitting in his fancy chair
in his fancy office, like some big tall tower
while robbing everyone bare
the system never plays fair
it gives us all gray hairs
leads us astray
trying to mold us like clay
to play their little games
blames us, its all our fault
but its all a result
of them trying to keep us in check
keeping their foot on our necks.

My name is Jennifer Zukerman. I’m currently at Fluvanna correctional center in Virginia.
This is my first incarceration and I got caught up in a very bad crowd that led me here. I’m glad to say that I’ve used this time to better myself and really analyze my decision making. I’ve found myself in my writing/ poetry. I really love to write and hopefully publish a book one day.

A Reflection: IN A PRISONER’S EYES

By David Bomber

One of my fondest memories was playing an extra in the movie “War of the Worlds.” As it turned out, I played the role of a survivor who, among others, was migrating to God knows where after the aliens invaded.

Basically, the filming entailed walking around in a field for two days in which we pretty much froze! However, my efforts did garner me a few precious seconds in the movie. Of course, you have to know where to look but I can honestly point me out. Nevertheless, it was an exhilarating experience considering that I was able to rub elbows with the likes of Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise, and Dakota Fanning.
The thing that I loved most about the entire experience was that there was no judgement, no “I’m better than you” attitude from these celebrities. In their eyes, we were an integral part of the production of the movie and it was obvious that sentiment meant a lot to us extras.

In comparison, there is a greater sense of gratitude in knowing that there are people, such as yourself, who invest their time and energy in a platform that truly benefits and inspires someone such as myself, who is incarcerated.

In a prisoner’s eyes, it is you who is truly distinguished and notable and words cannot adequately express the gratitude that someone who is imprisoned has for your willingness to interact with them and show your support.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you would like to contact me, feel free to reach out to me via my enclosed contact info. below.

To email me directly, please visit http://www.jpay.com and submit Virginia ID #1130793 (Jpay is a service that the Virginia D.O.C. utilizes for prisoner communications with the public)(Note: this service does require users to purchase virtual stamps in order to send messages).

In the alternative, you can reach me via email at davidbomber99@outlook.com or davidbomber73@yahoo.com (Note: these accounts are managed by a third party and may take some time to receive messages from them).

To connect with me on social media:
https://linktr.ee/freedavidbomber

To join the conversation about my case:
#freedavidbomber

To contact me via snail mail:
David Bomber #1130793
Nottoway Correctional Center
P.O. Box 488
Burkeville, Va. 23922

A Poem: “If Never, Forever”

If ever our lives and minds free our hearts and souls,

Will you dance with me to their rhythm…
and sing with me their song?

If ever our fears and scars relent,
free of lament…

Will you brave the abyss with me
and give me respite upon your shores?

If ever the rains stop falling and the clouds dissipate,

Will you spend the night awing with me over starry seas,

And ride the breeze through trembling leaves of whispering trees?

If ever your eyes see me here,
down on my knees,
this blood on my hands,
oath on my lips,
cheeks wet with tears,

Will you lift me into your fire,
and fill the air with smoke and ash of burnt desire?

If forever ever ends,

Will you never let me know… never let me go…

And, with each new dawning day,
only ever say a hushed ‘hello’?

-Bernie Ranson, Lawrenceville Correctional

Background: I recently wrote this for my ex, but she filed for divorce before I could send it… I think it might illustrate the longing and yearning experienced by so many effected by the division and separation of prison – both inside and out.

A Poem: I Still Wasn’t FREE

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I pray that you and your loved ones are well, and I pray that The Creator continues to bless you with the strength and the passion to continue fighting the good fight for us all. My Government is Timothy Terry, but my true attribute is Tyro Imhotep Na’Mapenzi, and I have been behind the wall for twenty years. Thank you so much for reaching out to me. I will always do what I can to add on to what you all are doing for us in the name of true Liberation. Please accept my submission that expresses what FREEDOM means to me. I pray that my words are able to ignite at least one soul. Thank you for giving me an outlet, and I hope to hear from you soon. Peace and Blessings to you.

From every mountainside, let FREEDOM ring –
For us…for me…
What does FREEDOM mean?
FREEDOM means life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all –
Except those who fall…
For a portion of their lives behind the proverbial wall –
Then it becomes U.S. vs. “y’all”.
Take away my name, and expect me to respond to whatever I’m called…like a dog.
A lost cause?
Naw! Because even though the Beast clamped me in its jaws, I refuse to sit –
And rot in the belly of this Beast – only to come out the other end as a piece of s#it.
FREEDOM is a state of being, a new way of seeing –
Me, myself, and I…
And why –
I am…strong enough to defy the gravity of a few lines –
Describing a crime that fails to define;
How my diligent effort over time has refined my state of mind.
Forged by solitude and deep depression –
…and a want to do better…
Self-reflection, honest introspection, inspecting
Every corner and crevice of my attic
Longing to be more than some recovering drug addict –
Who had it all but took it for granted.
See, when I was out there on the street
I still wasn’t FREE –
Because I tried to snort every line of coke and smoke every tree –
Trying to flee to any retreat I believed would get me…
Away from … me.
For the only reality I could see appeared to be –
A dead E-N-D.
So I craved to be released…
Only to find that true FREEDOM does not begin –
On the outside, but starts from from within.
FREEDOM means being strong enough to take a stance and give/
Yourself a chance to live.
Redemption can only be found in the most unusual places/
Through the most unlikely of cases –
Change is inevitable, so I choose embrace it/
And whatever is sacrificed for the sake of growth, I realize something better will always replace it.
No more bondage, no more oppression/
No more stinkin’ thinkin’, or penned-up aggression/
No more need for me to remain in the custody of a department who doesn’t know a damn thing about corrections.
FREEDOM means being able to enjoy the best things in life/
FREE at home with my children and my wife/
With no extra hype or unwarranted stereotypes.
FREE to move throughout the country from state to state –
FREE to breathe fresh air without having to wait.
Speaking of ‘weight’, FREEDOM is the boss of the bench press –
Because FREEDOM is strong enough to lift the weight of oppression from my chest.
So I can finally rest without having to stress/
About what unknown personality will be my bunkee next?

Tyro Imhotep Na’Mapenzi
(T. Terry) #1139218
Baskerville Correctional Center

Oppressing the Already Oppressed

I’d like to start this with addressing each one of the promo questions as my spring entry! it will be my completely biased opinions.

For starters, when it comes to “Political Skepticism” I’m personally effected by this tendency. Personally, on a year-to-year basis or four-by-4 basis, when it comes to the presidential election, I feel completely left out ever since I lost my voting rights in 2015. It’s almost as if part of my citizenship was taken away, regardless of the fact that I still pay taxes, love my country, and even stand behind “some” of her systems. I’m only subjected to a few of the beautiful things she has to offer her normal citizens. That is one thing that makes me “Politically Skeptical,” because all politics are supposed to be for the people of her country! Am I not a person of this country? This could lead to the touchy topic of the 13th amendment and the 3/5th laws. but that’s a latter discussion.

When it comes to Glenn Youngkin’s move to take away automatic expungement without letting the people of the Commonwealth know, seems to me to look like another way to oppress the already oppressed. Or in other terms, keeping people down who are already down for mistakes made when they were younger. And refusing to ever give them another shot at the beautiful thing America calls “freedom.” It is really sad how it keeps his pockets fat from receiving funds from the federal government for housing state inmates.
Not being able to vote myself, I’d like to eventually have my voting rights restored so my little ripple can turn into waves in America’s lake.

In the meantime I can help further educate people who are able to currently vote and getting the severity of the matter through to them. Whether they are 18 or 80, they’re needed for a better future! This would be my way of getting involved, even know I’m not fully able to participate.

Finally, America would truly benefit from knowing what she wanted if every citizen was able to vote!

Thank you for your patience, and your time is greatly appreciated as well!

Jaime Reinard
Harrisonburg, VA

What Would FREEDOM Look Like If I Was Able to Vote?

I am one out of thousands in the Department of Corrections that’s convicted of a Felony.
I am one out of thousands ineligible to vote in the upcoming election.
I am one out of thousands who believes that all votes matter.
I’m just one….

We took action during the General Assembly and educated our families on Senate Bills and House Bills that could give us the opportunity to gain our FREEDOM back. Bills such as Second Look, Parole, Earned Sentence Credit, Fish back, Juvenile Parole and Geriatric.

We encouraged our families to let their voices be heard and show up in support at the Virginia Prison Justice Network rally, Second Look Lobby Day and to contact Delegates like Don Scott, Marcus Simon, Vivian Watts, James Leftwich and the list goes on.

We stood with 40 Strong, Sistas in Prison Reform, ACLU, Humanization Project, Nolef Turns and Coalition For Justice in solidarity at Monroe Park. Not only did our families have the opportunity to let the years and decades of missing us be felt through their expressed words, Democrats and Republicans were able to see the faces of the ones who care for us dearly. Our families presence, emails, letters and voices roared for us and left a mark. They now know that we matter and that our families are standing with us in this FREEDOM fight.

This FREEDOM fight to be able to vote….

This FREEDOM fight to be able to be free….

This FREEDOM fight to be able to be looked at as a civilized human being, instead of the felonies that come across the screen when they type in our names along with that seven digit number that belongs to the state.

This FREEDOM fight to be able to feel the impact from thousands of convicted felons if we were eligible to vote, be successful in filling the one hundred seats up for reelection in the Virginia House of Representatives, with legislators who believe that bills need to be voted in to give a mass amount who have earned it, another chance at FREEDOM.

This FREEDOM fight just to be able….

I am one out of thousands who knows what FREEDOM will look like to me.

FREEDOM….

FREEDOM will allow me to be there physically as that male model for my sons and daughters.
FREEDOM will allow me to be able to encourage my daughter that she is as smart as any teenager in her school.
FREEDOM will allow me to be there to show my sons that its so much more to them and to be who they dream to be.
FREEDOM will allow me to be able to walk with my daughter on campus and listen to her tell me about her major.
FREEDOM will give me the opportunity to show that I’m far from that young man that walked through those revolving doors.

FREEDOM will allow me to be able to show I’ve grown and that Yusef Hasan Sykes Sr., from Newport News, Virginia has become a writer for Prison Journalism Project, the author of Caught Up, Belly of The Beast(Being Revised), Soulmates Aishah & Muhammad, Recovery, NASEERF on Amazon, a writer in the Virginia Techs Center for Humanities Unlocked Vol.2 Winter 2023 journal on Amazon, a two time graduate from Stratford Career Institute in Plumbing and Creative Writing and the list goes on.

June 11th will mark 17 years that I’ve been incarcerated and over the time I’ve learned that change doesn’t happen overnight, but as long as we stand in solidarity together and remain relentless, we can’t be denied.
When the General Assembly met early this year we sent emails and made phone to our families to inform them about the bills being raised and events to attend. When the General Assembly met early this year we wrote, The Governor, Lt. Governor, Delegates and Republicans in support of bills being raised. Our efforts and our family’s efforts made a difference, but we still have a long way to go. This November, we have to put even more effort towards filling the one hundred seats in the Virginia House of Representatives. Families have to be contacted to inform them about the ones going up to be elected and about the rally’s during that time. We can’t wait until November, we have to start now. When the General Assembly met, I was relentless and I will continue to be relentless and encourage my family members to vote and let their voices continue to be heard.

In solidarity, we stand with Brilliance Behind Bars….

Yusef Hasan Sykes Sr.
Freedom Fighter
River North Correctional Center, #1199406

Taxation Without Representation

Formerly Incarcerated Citizens and Civil / Political Disability

By Danny Ray Thomas

When returning citizens reenter society, probation and parole expects us to immediately find employment and begin the process of developing as productive citizens. Our paychecks have the same withholdings just as anyone else in the workforce. By April 15th of every year, we’re required to have our taxes filed, and if we’re lucky we’ll get a refund. In other instances, we’re told we owe money or funds are withheld for child support or other debts the state or federal government have made claims to.

What has always concerned me is the fact that we can be taxed as anyone else without restoration, yet we cannot vote without permission. Our tax dollars will assist in funding schools and first responders, ironically our tax dollars also pay the probation officer who’ll violate us and send us back to prison where our taxes will also pay the corrections officers and prison officials who’ll stand watch over us.

Well after incarcerated citizens complete their sentence, we remain “civilly disabled.” Why is it that we lose the right to determine which legislators and other politicians determine what’s best for the communities we live in? This is clearly “retribution,” which is considered one of the (4) four goals of incarceration, the other three being, societal protection, deterrence, and punishment. In some instances, the Courts have referenced “rehabilitation” as a fifth, but refuting that fallacy would be encyclopedic in length.

In any event, we remain “civiliter mortuus” (civilly dead) to the state which not only impacts our right to vote on the local level. Clearly this makes no sense. Again, we don’t have to prove ourselves to pay taxes yet we must do so to vote. I’d love to hear Governor Youngkin’s answer to this question; better yet, I’d like to be a fly on the wall when he’s discussing this issue behind closed doors!

Governor Youngkin is empowered to remove what the Courts refer to as “political disabilities,” but not all rights lost as a result of a felony conviction, for instance, the jurisdiction to restore firearm rights lost in those circumstances is vested in the circuit court. The Virginia Constitution allows the Governor of Virginia to individually restore political rights of convicted felons without judicial review, see the
Va. Constitution article V, section 12.

Restoration of the right to vote, hold public office, to serve on a jury, or be notary public does not constitute an inherent danger to public safety or does it? Maybe this is true for those in power that realize the power of the formerly incarcerated citizen.We all know that old addage “givem an inch they’ll take a mile!

Today we’ll vote, tomorrow we’ll serve on a jury, the day after we’ll hold public office. Neither aspiration of serving on a jury or holding public office can occur without the initial ability to vote. If they nullify our ability to vote, they also nullify our ability to have a direct impact on the system. It’s obvious which side of the aisle the ‘formerly incarcerated citizen’ stands on, can someone say “Progressive!”

In 2016, Governor Terry McAullife used his executive power to restore voting rights to more than 200,000 former prisoners in response to campaigns to end felony disenfranchisement. “I remain committed to moving past our Commonwealth’s history of injustice to embrace an honest process for restoring the rights of our citizens,” the governor said.”The struggle for civil rights has always been a long and difficult journey but the fight goes on.Unfortunately, republicans challenged the Governor’s executive order to The Virginia Supreme Court and the court determined that Governor McAuliffe did not have the authority to restore these rights without an individual application by each petitioner. Howell v. McAullife , 292 Va. 320.

The opposition to the restoration of voting rights to the formerly incarcerated has created an attitude of pessimism and defeat in many. My message to them is simple, “If voting doesn’t matter, why do they fight so hard to keep you from participating in the process?”

In Struggle,
D Ray Thomas, Green Rock Correctional, #1054249

My name is Danny Ray Thomas and I’ve been incarcerated for 21 years. I am from Pittsylvania county just outside of Danville, Va. I currently reside at Green Rock Correctional and I work as the Treatment aide. I work with counselors teaching anger management, thinking for a change, victim impact and ready to work.I am an activist and mentor in this community of men. I’m not one who’d shy away from the struggle we face, instead I embrace it. I’ve written for the “unlocked project,” a collaboration between the Coalition for Justice and Virginia Tech. I’ve also written for NYU ‘s review of law and social change publication called “The Harbinger,” my piece with them is called “The Calamity of Sentencing in Virginia” which can be found at http://www.socialchangenyu.com.I am also a part of NYU’s “Jailhouse Lawyer’s Initiative. Needless to say I am a student of this movement against mass incarceration and I look forwarded to collaborating with anyone who feels the same as I do.

My American Citizenship

I want to touch on voting and on enhanced earned sentence reductions. The right to vote is fundamental to any civilized nation. As is the right to liberty, justice, and the pursuit of happiness. Should I, as an inmate and convicted felon, lose these things? No. It is true that I have lost a portion of my freedom, but only a portion. I am still covered by the Bill of Rights and the Constitutions of the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Virginia. I did not lose my American citizenship when I was convicted of my crime. I did not cease to be a resident in the Commonwealth of Virginia. So why should I, as an American citizen and a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia, lose my right to vote just because I was convicted of a felony? The answer is simple, because it is a way to further punish me and because most Republicans believe allowing me to vote will cost them elections. Now that’s not how Conservatives will frame their argument against my right to vote of course. They will claim, with a very staunch look, that removing a convicted felon’s right to vote is a deterrent to crime. Honestly, though, have you ever heard anyone say they aren’t going to commit a felony because they will lose their right to vote? Nobody has. So here is the crux of my position on convicted felons, incarcerated or not, voting. If it is constitutional to take away the right to vote from an American citizen and a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia because he or she committed a felony, then who is next? What’s to stop the government from taking away the right to vote from people who are pro choice? What’s to stop the government from taking away the right to vote from people who are Muslim? Now you are probably saying the Constitution stops them. Well, it didn’t stop them from taking away the right to vote from felons who are covered by the same Constitution of which you are speaking. Let me be fair though. I have been on both sides of the criminal justice system. I do fully understand stripping some rights away from convicted felons. I understand stripping a convicted felon of his or her right to bear arms. I understand stripping a convicted felon of some of his or her protections against searches and seizures. These things are done for the protection of society at large. But how is anyone protected by denying convicted felons the right to vote? They aren’t. That takes us back to my earlier point, denying convicted felons the right to vote is nothing more than further punishment. It is a Conservative stance to show that they are tough on crime and a product of their fear that allowing convicted felons to vote will cost them elections. However, I don’t think anyone believes it is constitutional to deny someone the right to vote just because they won’t vote the way you want them to. Yet that is what is happening to convicted felons each time we have an election.

Now to my second point, enhanced earned sentence reductions. These reductions make good sense on a number of levels. First, they make prisons safer for inmates, officers, and staff. The more an inmate has to lose, the more that inmate will think before doing something wrong. The less an inmate has to lose, the less that inmate will care about doing wrong. Second, giving an inmate the chance to earn credits toward a sentence reduction gives an inmate hope and something to work for. Hope and purpose are essential to anyone’s mental and physical wellbeing, especially an inmate’s. Now I realize that Departments of Correction do a great job of talking about rehabilitation, but that is basically all smoke and mirrors. The reality is that they do the absolute bare minimum to even try and rehabilitate anyone. That leaves rehabilitation in the hands of the inmate. He or she must take the initiative to better themselves. However, for most inmates that seems pointless. What is the point in trying to better yourself when you are not rewarded for it? Therefore, I have an idea I would like to see implemented in Virginia and other states as well. As the federal government makes pell grants more available, I believe this idea will become more and more implementable. Many inmates leaving prison are behind the eight ball educationally when they seek employment. I propose that states enact legislation that allows an inmate to earn enhanced sentence reductions for every degree the inmate receives while incarcerated. States could provide an inmate with a five percent reduction in their sentence for each degree they earn, on top of their good behavior reduction. This would make for smarter and more knowledgeable inmates. It would make for more qualified and employable men and women looking to join the workplace following prison. It would improve the mental and physical wellbeing of inmates. It would allow inmates a quicker transition back into society. It would allow inmates the opportunity to do something that would bring themselves, their families, and their loved ones a sense of pride and accomplishment. And it would keep inmates busy, leaving them less time to get into trouble. I firmly believe this program would benefit the States, the inmates, inmates’ families, employers, society, and our nation as a whole.

Travis Sorrells, Haynesville Correctional Center

BIO: Currently, I am about nine years into a fifteen year sentence. I am also seeking a Theological Degree through International Christian College and Seminary. My goal during this time is to make myself as ready as possible to reenter society in a way that allows me to be both productive and contributive.

“Make Them An Offer They Can’t Refuse.”

On the topic of freedom that comes with the right to vote, is something that is very important also productive, because the person that votes can put the right people in office to change the world. But, only if you know who you’re voting for and why.

A lot of people get caught up by politician’s telling you a lie. They sell you a dream to get your vote, but the whole time they have another agenda they’ve kept from you. They’ve pulled the wool over your eyes and then once they get in office, you never receive your promise that you thought was going to happen. There’s power in the freedom to vote. Governor Glenn Youngkin knows that, which is why he went under the table and recently overturned felon’s right to vote. He made it harder to get our voting rights because he knows him and others can’t continue to win elections if too many of us have a chance to vote. Virginia doesn’t want us to have freedom to vote because it’s power – too much power in their eyes – and they know they will lose.

I often talk to people and everybody says they want change, but at the same time, they don’t want to put the work in and vote or help some other way to make a difference. All they want is a hand out, and that’ll never happen. I like to use a quote from the (God Father movie): “Make them an offer they can’t refuse,” and you do that by voting the right candidate into office and change will come for prison reform as well as state laws.

My wife and I are involved in getting people to vote by trying to convince them, even when they are skeptical. She works for an organization and she often talks to future delegates and senators to vet them out to see if they are the right person to get in office.

If every American could vote, the laws would be so different in this country. I would say it would be more better than worst a lot would be different maybe the right people would be in congress and we could get Black Americans in the constitution, instead of just having privileges. To all my people: know that you can make a change in the world by voting or doing what you can. It’s a process that’s been going on for over a hundred years. So please make Virginia a better state and go out and vote.

Peace and Blessings,
Allen Jackson

My name is Allen Jackson and I was born in Charlottesville, Va and was raised in Charlottesville, Louisa, and Richmond.