>> My reasons for wanting to be a
part of this kind of work is twofold.

One is because I realized that we are
considered the subject matter experts.

We've done the time.

We've struggled with ourselves.

We understand the mindset and
how to deal with the mindset.

We understand the fears that come
along of being labeled a certain way.

And I also understand that being around
people who are incarcerated such as myself,

I understand the vast amount of gifts
and talents that people like myself have.

Because we made bad choices, because we
made mistakes, because we made bad judgments

in our lives, it doesn't rob
us of the gifts that we have.

And what I realized was that by being
incarcerated, someone once told me

that adversity breeds creativity.

And if you could be around some of the gifted
people that are locked behind these fences

and these walls and see the amount of
creativity that they have to offer society,

once they have served their time and once
they have changed their lifestyles around,

you would be amazed of the amount of
things that people are able to do.

A lot of us went to jail with gifts.

And while we were incarcerated, many
people found other gifts and talents

that they didn't even know that they had.

So to know that these gifts and
these talents and the beauty lies

within these very same people that
will be released back into society,

I know by looking at myself if given a
chance, if given the opportunity to be able

to share my gifts with the
world, to give back to society

that I helped messed up in my own way.

It's a joy to see people come out with their
gifts to be given an opportunity and then

to show and to see how they add on
to whatever occupation that it is,

because we're not just limited to helping
people once they are released from prison.

You have people that have come
out that can do everything.

They are geniuses.

And if you don't watch it,
people will become exploited

because of the fact that we hold a record.

It doesn't limit us to what
it is that we can do.

Because we have a record, does that mean
that we should only be placed in a box,

that we could only work certain jobs?

Well, I do agree that if we went in for a
certain charge, based on that certain charge

that you are not going to just bloom us out
into certain careers that we have to be limited

in certain ways, but don't limit us wholly
because to limit us is to rob society.

And if you don't watch it and if you try
to put us in a box, eventually you're going

to be exploiting us and you're going to lock
people in and you're going to put people

in a box eventually that you don't
even know that the more you push them

in a corner is the more you are
already re-arresting them again.

So they're going to be locked
up now in a free world.

Give us a chance.

Give people a chance to use their
magnificent gifts that they've been born with.

And if you don't watch it, you can do more harm
by limiting us in what it is that we can do.

So that's why I find joy in this work.

I want to just be able to free people who were
formerly incarcerated to come out now and live

and let people see the beauty of
what we have to offer society.