This regular feature, written by Alvaro Cumberbatch, is comprised of the musings of a formerly incarcerated man who is currently in the process of building his own better future. Read the blog after the jump.

“Last month I reached my one year home mark. What’s so funny is that I remember the day I came home like it was yesterday. I remember what I wore. I remember the weather. And I remember what I was thinking.  I remember thinking where I wanted to be at with my progress within one year. Now that the one year mark has come and gone I have to say that I’m happy with my progress, but I’m certainly not content yet…” Read the full post after the jump!

This regular feature, written by Alvaro Cumberbatch, is comprised of the musings of a formerly incarcerated man who is currently in the process of building his own better future.  Having served six and a half years on the inside, Alvaro has a unique inside/out perspective to share with our readers.  Comments and questions are encouraged!! …

Erika Loseman, Fortune’s talented Art Therapist and author of the “Creative Works” feature on this blog, shares the story of how she came to Fortune – and how working here has impacted her life.  Learn more about Erika after the jump, as well as in the upcoming issue of the Fortune News, coming out in March!

This regular feature, written by Alvaro Cumberbatch, is comprised of the musings of a formerly incarcerated man who is currently in the process of building his own better future.  Having served six and a half years on the inside, Alvaro has a unique inside/out perspective to share with our readers.  Comments and questions are encouraged!!  Find out more after the jump!

“Prison, too often is viewed as the quick fix for problems that society can’t or won’t confront. The devastating and tragic suicide of a Rutgers University sophomore prompted cries of vengeance and a call for prison sentencing. Tyler Clementi took his own life after he was “outed” by two fellow students. They had used the internet to expose the young man’s homosexuality…” Read the full post after the jump!

“According to an old Native American proverb, there are two wolves in each of us. The good wolf, and the bad wolf. And whichever one we feed is the one that will survive.  

I myself have fed both. I’ve fed the bad wolf to the point that I was living like one. I treated everything and everyone like a potential meal. Until eventually my journey with the bad wolf led me to prison. It wasn’t in prison that I found the other wolf, but it was in prison that I learned to care about it.

My experience on the inside has shown me how to nurture a side of me that had always been there. And its because of that nurturing that I’ve been trying to show others that’s its ok to feed the good wolf…”

Read the full post after the jump!

Every few weeks the DOC & RIDE allow me to invite guests to come speak to the men. On August 7, 2010, Patrick Mathieu was our guest artist. He led us on a discussion about his journey in and out of prison.  He talked about using time as an opportunity to make changes within yourself and perhaps start writing about those changes and future goals. In prison, he became an avid reader and began writing down his thoughts and feelings…Read more after the jump!

Hollywood, Crime, and the Sponsorship of the Prison-Industrial Complex

“…Crime sells. Advertisers flock to crime programs. And many of the products endorsing these shows are subsidiaries of corporations that sustain the prison industrial complex. They have an investment in selling crime.

Drug laws in the 1970′s led to a swelling prison population around the nation. the building and maintenance of new prisons meant big dollars for architects, construction companies, manufacturers of steel and other providers for institutions. A visit to the annual American Correction Association convention would validate this. Large arenas are host for vendors selling their wares to buyer from 50 States and the Feds. Barbed wire and non-flammable blankets are sold by the ton, metal cots are sold and various food contracts are consummated. The orders come in by the thousands and profits are measured by the number of institutions built and the number of individuals in lockup…”

Read David’s full article after the jump!

This new regular feature, written by Alvaro Cumberbatch, is comprised of the musings of a formerly incarcerated man who is currently in the process of building his own better future.  Having served six and a half years on the inside, Alvaro has a unique inside/out perspective to share with our readers.  Comments and questions are encouraged!!  To learn more about Alvaro, please scroll to the bottom for a full profile.

The Game is Clearer from the Sidelines

“There is a saying that goes: people, places, and things play a role in
the course that ones life takes. Some people believe in that
wholeheartedly, while others take the approach of believing that they
are like the coffee bean that has the ability to change the water around
them…”

Read the full piece after the jump!