Life Without Prison
By Jarvis Garner Jr., currently incarcerated at LA Country Prison in Lancaster

Last night I had a dream of my life without prison;

It was a plethora of boundless possibilities;

I was a scholar of medicines specializing in human resources;

I was an emergency medic enrolled in the armed forces;

I was a better role model for my generation;

It was 2008 and I was present at President Obama’s historical inauguration;

I was a father figure to my nieces;

I put myself in a positive environment surrounded by good people and watched as my chance of success increased immensely;

I was employee of the year twice and executive of the month once;
I was a good friend;

I was an honest man;

I had many hard times;

But was pretty sure it made me a better man;

I was African-American, Asian, Hispanic, and Caucasian;

I was color blind;

I was the embodiment of love and it was amazing;

Last night, I had a dream of my life without prison;

It was a plethora of good deeds and unboundless of limits!


With No Handshaking, What Now?
By Dortell Williams, currently incarcerated at LA Country Prison in Lancaster

Human contact, that soul-deep gratification of touch—that electrifying tactile sensation—a human social need since birth—has been abruptly taken off the table. In the era of contagion, what now? In what other ways can we acknowledge one another, and esteem the other beyond a simple smile?

The Japanese have an interesting, age-old gesture. They bow to one another. This mutual bow is the highest display of respect among the Nihongo. It means, in short, you’re a creator, and I find deep value in you as an equal. It is their way of acknowledging the special essence and ability of the other’s uniqueness. People who see one another with such a high level of esteem want to position themselves as allies, they see great value in one another.

As life for us changes drastically around the world, it is time to find new and meaningful ways to connect because physical distancing doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be social. It just means we have a physical, albeit temporal barrier between us. So, let’s put our minds together and stay connected in some meaningful way that continues to unite us. We can do it; we can do anything together.