The following essay, “Redemption and the Power of Prison Writers” by Michael Philpot appears on the Prison Writers website.

Sharing lived experiences allows incarcerated persons to construct new narrative identities from their own voice, transform pain into purpose, and take accountability. Outlets and organizations like ours make the intention to amplify these voices not only foster personal healing and rehabilitation, but also challenge the stigma of mass incarceration by proving that inherent human worth remains.

Excerpts from the essay appear below.

The system of incarceration affects millions upon millions of individuals worldwide. However, there are only a few outlets that actually give the incarcerated a platform to voice their concerns, stories, and the things that affect them.

Seeing Beyond Judgment and Toward Redemption

It’s easy for a person on the outside looking in to judge and say whatever they think about the incarcerated. However, I want to thank bosslady Loen Kelley and others like her who give the incarcerated a chance to write their own narrative. Those who help give a voice to the voiceless, and actually listen to what they have to say.

True enough, we’ve committed crimes, we’ve done some terrible things, but does that mean our lives no longer matter? The sad truth is that I know some of you just answered yes that our lives no longer matter.

Growing Through Prison

Anyone who actually knows me or has followed my writings knows that I make no excuses for my mistakes, my failures, or my fuck-ups. It has taken me quite some time to realize and accept that just because I’ve made some terrible mistakes doesn’t mean that those mistakes should be held against me for the rest of my life.

It surely doesn’t mean that every time I try to do better I have to listen to or be judged again by some asshole who wants to down me.

Life is about learning, growing, and being better, and I’ve taken this time of incarceration to do just that. It isn’t because prison officials actually give a damn about my rehabilitation or growth, because they honestly don’t. It’s because I want better for myself, and because I want to prove people right who say, “Hey, don’t give up on the incarcerated, because they can change.”

You can read the full essay, “Redemption and the Power of Prison Writers” by Michael Philpot, at the Prison Writers website. Prison Writers offers uncensored, personal stories and thoughtful essays from incarcerated citizens across the country about what really goes on inside the secretive world of prison corrections.