Hell Of A View

What’s up everyone? This is the 3rd year that Raleigh, North Carolina has had the pleasure of hosting the Dreamville music festival, created and run by native rapper J.Cole. The event is held at Dix Park in Raleigh, about 10 minutes from where I am. As rehearsals and sound checks are underway, the vibrations from the speakers and screams from the growing crowd send shockwaves that crash against…

Hey everyone! I wanted to share an update on what’s been happening here in prison. It’s been quite interesting to observe the different attitudes and actions of the inmates. You see, not everyone in prison wants to make a positive change in their lives. Sadly, there are individuals who seem to thrive on causing chaos and disruption. As someone who usually blames the system for the injustices…

Hey everyone! Something has been on my mind lately, and I wanted to share it with you all. We often hear about what’s best for those who are incarcerated, but when do we ever consider what prisoners actually want? What’s best for me? There’s a lot of anticipation surrounding the Jamal Bacotes case and its potential impact on those on death row. The case revolves around the Racial Justice Act…

Hey everyone! You never know what’s going to happen on North Carolina’s death row. Currently, there are no programs available to us, so the days can become monotonous and boring. But sometimes, we use our creativity to entertain ourselves. Today, there was a funny incident in the recreational yard. A 50-year-old man, who weighs close to 300 pounds, was reliving his glory days of exercising. He…

What’s up everyone? Today I was listening to a UNC radio station where a death row prisoner was being interviewed. His name is Alim and the conversation was centered around who he is, and his change since being convicted of multiple murders. The conversation exchange between him and the host was awakening, to say the least, for I know Alim. I first met him back in 2001, in solitary confinement…

Hey everyone! I wanted to share a little story about my siblings and me. We argue and fight all the time, telling each other to mind our own business. But here’s the funny thing – as soon as they’re not informed about something, it turns into another argument. It’s like there’s no winning or losing with them. Lately, my sister has been acting withdrawn. We have this understanding that if I call…

What’s up everyone? I’ve spoken on this particular topic a few times before and I’ll probably do so a few more times because this is something that should really be made law not just in the state of North Carolina but all over our nation. Forensic psychologist and attorney Dr. Stephanie Tabashneck says, “The frontal lobe, which guides functioning decision making and emotional regulation, does…

Hey everyone! As an Inmate Caretaker, one of the challenges I face is not being able to assist the inmates in all situations. It can be frustrating, especially when some of them react strongly to any perceived mistreatment. If the other person involved doesn’t understand or care about the mental issues involved, things can quickly spiral out of control. Today, a guard brought their personal…

What’s up everyone? Well, election time is right around the corner and for me, it’s not surprising that our two candidates for president are Joe Biden (Dem) and Donald Trump (Rep). One is an 80+ year old man with, understandably, memory loss and possibly other ailments that are being hidden from the public. The other is a 70+ year old pervert, bigot, racist, narcissist, who has no idea of what it…

Hey what’s up everyone? Many of the guys on death row are anxiously anticipating a decision from the governor of North Carolina to overturn the Death Penalty and grant clemency to those sentenced to death. Clemency means that death row prisoners will receive a sentence of Life Without Parole. While this sentence definitely helps those who have run out of appeals and have no issues left to fight,…

Hey everyone! I wanted to share a story from my childhood. When we were kids, my cousins and I used to play with BB guns at my grandparent’s house in the country. There was a big red barn in the back that was infested with rats. One day, my cousin Chi-Chi, who always wanted to do what the boys were doing, decided to join us. She picked up one of the air rifles, pumped it up a few times, and ran…

Hey everyone! I wanted to share an interesting observation about how money works in prisons. When prisoners receive money from their family and friends, the state steps in and takes control of that money. It goes through a vetting process by services like Via Path, JPay, etc., and then all the funds are consolidated into one account. The state does this so they can receive kickbacks from the…

Hey, What’s up everyone! I wanted to share something that’s been on my mind lately. I have a childhood friend named Deon, and we’ve been talking regularly for the past three years, usually once or twice a week.  The thing is, every time I call him, it seems like he’s stuck in the same old routine of running the streets. He loves reminiscing about the wild and reckless things we used to do when…

Hey everyone! I wanted to share something interesting I learned about the Parenting program on death row. In these classes, the guys talk about their interactions with their children and how they impact their children’s lives. It’s a great initiative, but it’s unfortunate that it wasn’t available 20 years ago when their children were younger. Now that their kids are in their mid to late 20’s and…

Hey What’s up everyone, I wanted to share a recent incident involving my friend’s son. He was involved in a shootout at a shopping center here in NC. It seems that he had a previous issue with someone and when he saw that person at the shopping center, an altercation broke out. Both individuals drew their handguns and shots were fired, resulting in the other person losing his life. My friend…

Hey what’s up everyone! I wanted to share an amazing experience I had last week. I was outside of the prison getting my broken hand looked at. While waiting in the lobby, I noticed a man carrying his baby, who couldn’t have been more than 4 months old, step off the elevator. As our eyes met, I could see the concern on his face. He instinctively positioned himself in a protective manner, making…

What’s up everyone? Today, I want to talk about empathy and compassion. We all know the simple definitions of these words, but how do they apply to our lives? Empathy is the action of understanding and being aware of the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of another person, without them having to fully communicate those feelings in an objective manner. It’s about being sensitive to what others…