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Brandon, 38

Brandon, 38

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Meet Brandon…

“It’s unreal to feel the hatred that a person has for you and they don’t even know you. It’s sad. I have mastered being patient in these past years.”

Incarcerated: 5 years
Housed: Augusta Correctional Center, Virginia

Prison has opened my eyes to the strong racism that lives here in Virginia. I know it’s always been here, but I didn’t really see it, I didn’t care about it and wasn’t looking for it. This time here I’ve witnessed it first hand. It’s unreal to feel the hatred that a person has for you and they don’t even know you. It’s sad. I have mastered being patient in these past years. In here it’s a waiting game for everything. Getting food, phones, showers, commissary – everything, even mail. I had to learn quickly in order to deal with it. It wasn’t easy, because I was so used to doing what I wanted when I wanted. Then you have the younger guys acting crazy, gang members that want to run everything. Patience is a great tool to have. It helped me sit still so I could learn how to make money in the stock market. Something I don’t think I would have ever taken the time to learn about when I was free. Being patient and trusting in Yahweh has given me the ability to go home and make good money legally. I have met and grown to love a beautiful woman, since I have been here. I know she loves and cares for me a lot. She motivates me even more to learn, so I will have the know-how and means to take care of us and make money legally. I have two and a half years left and I’m trying to take in everything that’s benefitted me. I have learned to appreciate the little things that I took for granted because in here they are not little anymore. The free will to do what you want when you want is a blessing, I didn’t know how special it was. I now look at life differently. Once out, I will take every opportunity that comes my way. I’m going to be scared to try new things that are positive and good. 📸 Brandon’s

Michael John, 33

Meet Michael John…

I was going in Target and Walmart stores to steal electronics. To support my addiction. 

Incarcerated: 8 years
Housed: Augusta Correctional Center; Craigsville, Virginia

I was going in Target and Walmart stores to steal electronics. To support my addiction. At 14, I broke my arm in a dirt bike accident. Little did I know, I would become dependent on the painkillers. It led to me stealing and robbing, doing whatever to get high. I did jail time off and on since I was 16. After my first release, It wasn’t two hours after I walked out of prison that I found myself buying heroin. The pills were too expensive. Within a month my habit was up to four to five grams a day. Once, I was shot in the back of the head and it came out in front of my ear. By the grace of God, I’m still here. When I first started this prison sentence I was 24 years old. Still young and hard-headed. It took me until I was 30, to wake up and realize I’m getting too old for this lifestyle, plus I lost my little brother to an overdose. It’s a shame. It took this sentence and losing my brother to wake up and grow up. I’m going on four years this August without touching a pill or heroin. And that’s a miracle. I’d like to thank the Humans of San Quentin and my family for supporting me. Thank you and God bless you.