Does Jail Change A Man? - Prison Poetry Testimony That Saves Lives

As for a fact, let us not ignore that a significant number of prisoners go through depression caused by prison itself among other factors, psychological reactions to certain conditions which lead to mood swinging, stress and many of the traumatic effects you cannot wish on anyone ever.

You will just come to realize that mental health behind bars is as serious as it is not being behind them. As the journal Pediatrics stated in a study, by the time they are 23, young adults who have been arrested represent 41% and those who serve their time in prison at a certain point of their lives came to 6% as reported by The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) with an increase of statistics to 32% of the prisoners being so-called African-American men, and shocking to find out more than half them are diagnosed with a mental disorder. This is in no way, shape or form going to exclude The Prison poet Wallstreet Wes, from Cleveland, Ohio. Born Wesley Robinson, sentenced at the age of 21 to 10 years in prison for robbery and gun possession. While incarcerated, he began to write poetry as a way to hold on to his mental health.

After a while, Wallstreet Wes began to teach other prisoners poetry in hopes that it would help them to learn how to identify with their emotions, instead of being violent. This is a testimony that not only inspires but saves lives too. The success of this mission placed him in the favor of the prison to do a full motion picture of the project which he later used to unify a great number of young adults.

One time I asked my mom if she was ashamed of me for being in prison; she told me that she in fact wasn’t, but her only problem with me was that I put all my energy into the wrong things. I redirected my energy and became legendary in prison. My program still exists even though I’m long gone.

Wallstreet Wes

In his “Prayer Poem”, he spoke about all the members of Poet’s Laureate, a poetry group he created when he was in prison helping his fellow inmates to write poetry and learn how to identify with their emotions which could make them better communicators instead of being violent. The only way for them to accept what they have been through and shift their energy into things that matter the most, their well-being, families and making an impact into their communities.

Through the creation of this program, I was able to find my true purpose in life.

Wallstreet Wes mention in GodGivenGifts1 Magazine Issue 02

As reported by ABC; Local, national juvenile justice reform the topic for HBO actor together with Tammara Calldwell-Willis, Visions Revealed founder. Actor Michael K. Williams spoke on juvenile justice reform at the Cleveland Marshall College of Law, showing the HBO season six premiere of VICE, titled "Raised in the System," addressing the national problem of mass incarcerations. Raising awareness on what it is like to be a child in prison and how to get help from the community in order to help them change for the better, giving them the opportunity to get to know their purposes in life, with vision boards to change the way they view themselves.

On August 20, 2016; Wallstreet wes was released from prison on fire for God and on a mission to use his gifts to uplift his community and to give them hope through poetry and activism. He had to go against his circle to be able to finish his semester at Cleveland State university.

Since then, Wallstreet Wes has continued to do community activities to inspire and give back to the community as a volunteer with Visions Revealed and on the other side pursue his entrepreneurial journey as a poet and filmmaker with the help of his power circle Great Mind Think Different Media and the support of the Comma Club Clothing to share his story with the theme “My Story Ain’t Over” not only to help inmates find their purpose but also to keep people out of prison and violence so that they can also create something that will be beneficial to the community and people around them.

Although, it may seem like Wallstreet Wes was blessed to have his turn and change happen so fast; for most inmates, it is a hard and long journey turning away from what is bad to embrace the good. Let us not have this stop us from helping our loved ones after their time in prison; let us give them the green light to have that period of grace, because there is so much more to what we see and know about them, and judging them does not have to be one of the options. There is so much to life and live for; in whatever situation you are, change is inevitable, change for the better; trust the process, healing takes time but the reward is priceless, just repeat after Wallstreet Wes, "My Story Ain't Over".