Longer Stories From the Cell
Alex, 56
If I could say anything to my younger self, I would say, “Don’t be scared to speak up. Tell your mother about the teasing and bullying. Tell her about the problems at school.
Ronald, 48
There’s absolutely nothing wrong for loving one from afar, when that’s the best action, to keep you on the path that God intended for you to travel.
Eric, 53
I have learned how to manage my addiction, along with my depression. In the process, my self-esteem has slowly built up.
Gabriel, 49
At six, I saw the gruesome details of what grown-ups saw. I knew what brains looked like after seeing gray matter dripping from walls from someone’s head being blown away.
Brian, 52
In addition, I have another grandson, who I talk to on the phone, so he knows me. He calls me Blue Grandpa because he says every time he sees me I have on blue.Receiving the invitation from Humans of San Quentin makes me feel human. This is not to...
Richard, 66
At 12, my Ma had me incarcerated as a hopeless incorrigible, but really she was just mad because I wrecked her car joy-riding. I didn’t even know how to spell incorrigible, much less tell you what it meant.My mother said I could say goodbye to him...
Jeffery, 59
The Word tells us that we are never alone, and through the current events of the day it surely could have felt like it.
Raheem, 45
This New City After being in an abusive relationship for a couple of years, my mother decided to leave her boyfriend and move us to Miami, FL. it was 1982. I was overwhelmed by this news. But inwardly, I was happy for her. I would no longer have to...
Harry, 46
I was sentenced for 33 years as a Third-Striker for a vicious assault on my girlfriend - a crime that should never have occurred, not when it came from a person she trusted. I will never try to create an excuse for my crime. There are, however,...
Louis, 60
My name is Louis and I am currently serving time in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on a 47 year aggravated sentence. I am a Field Minister at my unit. I graduated May 2016 from Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary to be a resident, an...
Fabian, 43
My incarceration has been a very long road, sometimes easy and often uncertain, but one thing it hasn’t been is a waste of time. At the beginning, as a screwed-up teenager, I looked at prison and the thirty flat years before I saw parole as a great...
Thomas, 48
Growing up, the two primary male role models in my life were my father and stepdad. Ultimately, from these two men I learned what it meant to be a man. My father was always a good financial provider; however, he was also an abusive alcoholic. His...
Darryl, 62
On February 20, 1965, I accidentally shot my brother JJ. I say accidentally now, but for many years I would say, “I killed my brother.” From the first day of my incarceration, I believed I was undeserving of love, family, and community. I was...
Jesus, 41
I pray that each of you finds yourself in good health and soaring spirits despite the difficult and unsettling times this pandemic has brought to our doorstep. These lockdowns haven’t been easy for anyone; we are social creatures, not designed for...
George “Mesro”, 40
My dad told me that time is something I’ll never get back, so I should do with it what matters. My whole life, most of the things I have done had negative results. I thought I had to be an invented character of who I was supposed to be. It was my...
Willie, 67
I came into the world one early Texas morning, in 1953 to Gary and Shirley. Shortly after my birth my mother died, murdered by her lover. My father had a hard time getting over her death, and in 1957 he committed suicide. I was four. With no...
Terry, 34
You can tell how much a person really loves you by all of the headaches they go through for you. My mother has gone through hell because of me. There were times when I wanted to give up on life. But the thought of what my mother would feel if I...
Michael, 54
It's taken quite a while for me to learn that the sweetest, most valuable things in life are not quickly attained nor ascertained but come from labor. A labor that is manifested by the sweat of one's brow and that labor may not be physical. Things...