Mohamud, 24

Mohamud, 24

Meet Mohamud…

I can’t change my past decision or where I came from, but I change where I am going.

Incarcerated: 3 years
Housed: Northpoint Training Center, Burgin, Kentucky

I am a single father to a beautiful boy who means the world to me. I love him unconditionally.

My relationship with my son is unbearable, I can’t even explain how much I love and miss him every single day and night. Family means a lot to me, my son, my sister and brother who have been by my side since day one and we talk every weekend. My siblings and I share a strong relationship and are very close. The most important things I miss about being outside is my son, working, going to school and taking care of my family like any father and real men do. To me, all women are beautiful regardless of their height, weight, color, race, religion etc. I respect and love them all. While behind this wall, one thing I’d like to change is how I lived. I lived a double life and I got caught up in street life. I am thankful that I am the only person in my family that graduated college. I became a licensed medical technologist. Education is the key to success and with knowledge the sky’s the limit. I will keep educating myself and taking college courses. I try to be as happy as I can, smile, be positive and take it day by day. I hope to be able to go back to my family and never ever leave them again. I can’t change my past decision or where I came from but I change where I am going. God willing, I will make myself a better human, father and son.

Joshua, 30

Joshua, 30

Joshua B 4 Joshua-Bumphus-e1642642653166

Meet Joshua..

The last person in the world I thought would be there for me has been there since day one, and that’s my mom. My mom got clean and she’s been holding me down when everyone else faded away.

Incarcerated: 5 years
Housed: Northpoint Training Center, KY

People see Kentucky on TV and think that we are just a bunch of uneducated country bumpkins, but my struggle is real. Growing up, my mom was in and out of my life due to jail, prison and drugs. I’m a victim of a flawed system designed to fail.

I’ve been bounced around between different households and I was abused mentally and physically by my Dad. When I was 16, I just wanted to be loved and to feel like I belonged. The only thing that was consistent in my life was the clock-radio in my room where I was confined by my Dad. Being in prison is better than living with that man. In my room all I would do is practice rapping. I knew at nine that music was all I wanted in my life. I

‘ve taken this time in prison to perfect my craft in every way. Prison actually sat me down and helped me focused. I’ve created over 200 verses and I write every day. I taught myself how to play the guitar. I realize that I didn’t have as many friends as I thought I had. People in here think that I’m lame and weird because I don’t indulge in foolishness. The prison system in Kentucky doesn’t care if you get out. Everyone is recidivistic and it seems as though the Kentucky correctional department wants it that way. They make up reasons, write you up and if you go up for parole with clear conduct they deny your freedom by saying you’re “manipulating the system.” It’s designed to keep you locked up.

All I do is write, create music and stay to myself. The last person in the world I thought would be there for me has been there since day one, and that’s my mom. My mom got clean and she’s been holding me down when everyone else faded away. When I get out in five years I wan to stun the world.

I want to be that example, the voice and the hope for that little boy or girl growing up in Western Kentucky the way I did through music. I have a daughter I haven’t seen in over five years and I just got custody of my son. I’ve been in the streets all my life, surviving. I came from nothing and I wanna invoke change. If I ever make it with my music I wanna give back and help people. Music saved my life. My story needs to be told. I feel forgotten. I feel like there’s no hope for me unless I chase my dreams, the music.

 

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