I JUST NEED ONE VOTE… BY: Yusef Hasan Sykes SR.

BY: YUSEF HASAN SYKES SR.
FACILITY: RIVER NORTH

I see the aging in the faces of the men housed in these facilities with lengthy sentences.
Their pain I’ve felt and when I looked around after Parole, Second Look and the age change for Geriatric failed, I saw the face of defeat.
Three well-needed bills that left violent offense offenders asking theirselves, “When will the lawmakers pass a bill that will benefit me?”

Dear Mr. or Mrs. Vote that matters,
Its been 28 years since the abolishment of Parole and still they say No to Parole, leaving the offenders under the new law, without a way to be considered for release.
I ask?
I wonder….
Are they aware that a high percentage of us have proven through our change in behavior and accomplishments over the decades spent incarcerated, that we’ve changed?
Did they not hear about or see how successful the turnout was when our loved ones showed up in support of Second Look, that would of gave thousands that chance to give the courts/judges the ability to reconsider sentences that may have been harsh or in matters where one has changed and shown a great propensity for rehabilitation.
Again, are they aware that we’ve changed?

Did they not hear about the benefit Second Look would be to those with violent offenses if they would have given it a chance?

Its time for a change, to Vote Blue and for those seats that need to be filled by those who believe in Second Chances such as, Suhas Subraman, Monty Mason, Russet Perry, Joel Griffin, Clint Jenkins, Saddam Salim, Jessica Anderson, Susanna Gibson, Phil Hernandez and Trish White – Boyd to name a few.

It’s on us to inform our loved ones of the importance in voting and who they are voting for and its on our loved ones to be those votes for the ones ineligible to vote.
Dear Mr. or Mrs. Vote that matters…

INCARCERATED MILITARY VETERANS’ PROGRAM IN VIRGINIA DOC

Independence, VA
July 23, 2023

River North Correctional Center (RNCC) Veterans’ Program Coordinator and discussion group facilitator Douglas V. Johnson II (#1937011) and fellow VSG Members have developed and implemented the inmate-led Self-Awareness H.O.P.E. Discussion Group Program, for the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC). The group is currently only comprised of incarcerated military Veteran’s Support Group members at RNCC and meets twice a month for one hour, [IAW VADOC OP-841.1.VII.B-D].

H.O.P.E. stands strong for “Helping Ourselves Progress & Evolve.” Due to the lack of access to -and lengthy waiting lists for- programs/educational opportunities and the severe lack of mental health services in prison, we are taking an aggressive initiative to rehabilitate and correct ourselves. We are focused on boldly confronting ourselves with thought-provoking reflective questions in order to strengthen our sense of Self-Awareness.

The 20-hour H.O.P.E. Programs’ five core objectives are to improve decision-making, find a greater sense of purpose, not waste the ‘Time’ we are serving, recognize our limitless potential, and to ultimately decrease the probability of recidivating/re-offending.

It is comprised of a total of 55 questions broken down into the following five categories:
1.) Self-Awareness;
2.) Importance of Healthy Relationships;
3.) Character, Wisdom, & Mindset;
4.) Decision-Making, Plans, & Direction; and
5.) Recognizing Potential & Establishing Positive Momentum.

Furthermore, each question also has at least one specific learning objective (i.e. mental health & substance abuse nexus, turning potential weaknesses into strengths, subconscious/auto-suggestion/patterns, assessing intentions, etc.).

A few of our upcoming discussion group questions will be:
1.) Am I aware of how my unprocessed trauma -or, moral injury- is impacting/has impacted my decision-making?
2.) Most pain ever experienced/felt (not physical pain)?
3.) How do I attain and maintain greater purpose and a healthy-level of hope while serving my Time (i.e. Life-Sentence)?
4.) What advice would I give my 21 year old self (or 21 year old Son)?
5.) What do I long for (not physical)?

Not everyone will share their life experiences/perspectives during every session, but we have found that even just listening to other’s transparency, can still lead to our own Transformation….. Self-Awareness, Personal Accountability, Maximized Potential, and Onward Positive Movement towards Greater Purpose is what H.O.P.E. is all about! HELPING OURSELVES PROGRESS & EVOLVE!!!

Pending RNCC approval, we plan to implement a non-Veteran Parole-Preparation and Re-Entry Support Group that will use H.O.P.E.’s curriculum as its foundation. H.O.P.E. will be published in workbook format and available on Amazon by Spring 2024. A list of our discussion questions can be found and downloaded on the Brilliance Behind Bars website. I encourage you to reflect on these questions and to start your own support/discussion group wherever you are.
Humbly,
-DVJ

Douglas V. Johnson II is a graduate of the Virginia Tech Center for Humanities 2022 UNCHAINED Program and whose poetry was published in the VT UNLOCKED Journal: Art and Experiences From Inside Virginia Prisons.

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