Life Sentences: Writings from Inside an American Prison

by The Elsinore-Bennu Think Tank for Restorative Justice

Overview

A collection of autobiographical writing by prison inmates that illuminates the challenges of the American criminal justice system.
 
A collection of poetry and prose by six incarcerated men. Featuring an introduction by Amber Epps and an afterword by novelist John Edgar Wideman. The six authors of Life Sentences—Fly, Faruq, Khalifa, Malakki, Oscar, and Shawn—met at the State Correctional Institution in Pittsburgh and came together in 2013 to form the Elsinore Bennu Think Tank for Restorative Justice. The men met weekly for years, along with other writers, activists, and political leaders who bonded over the creation of this book, a hybrid of prison memoir, philosophy, history, policy document, and manifesto. Centered around the principles of restorative justice, which aims to heal communities broken by criminal and state violence through collective action, Life Sentences is more than a literary collection. It is a how to guide for those who are trapped inside any community. It's also a letter of invitation, asking readers to join with the incarcerated and their families so we can all continue to fly over walls, form loving connections with each other, and teach one another to be free. An urgent collection that sheds light on the criminal justice system, written by those most directly involved in it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781948742603
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	05/01/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	167
File size:	18 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

The Elsinore-Bennu Think Tank for Restorative Justice develops strategies to heal communities broken by criminal and state violence. This process brings the victims, the offenders, and the community together to resolve collectively how to deal with the aftermath of the offense and its implications for the future. Formed in 2013 by six men (Fly, Faruq, Khalifa, Malakki, Oscar, Shawn) serving life or near-life sentences at the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution in Pittsburgh, the group's name reflects both Hamlet’s grim Elsinore castle and Bennu, the Egyptian symbol of rebirth.
The Elsinore-Bennu Think Tank for Restorative Justice develops strategies to heal communities broken by criminal and state violence. This process brings the victims, the offenders, and the community together to resolve collectively how to deal with the aftermath of the offense and its implications for the future. Formed in 2013 by six men (Fly, Faruq, Khalifa, Malakki, Oscar, Shawn) serving life or near-life sentences at the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution in Pittsburgh, the group's name reflects both Hamlet’s grim Elsinore castle and Bennu, the Egyptian symbol of rebirth.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Amber Epps 7

Chapter 1 Life

Found Memories #1 and #2 / Fly 19

Scratch Poets / Malakki 21

Doing Dirt / Oscar 23

My Very Young Years/Khalifa 24

My Life / Shawn 29

Life / Faruq 31

See Me / Khalifa 34

A Bullet and a Prayer / Malakki 39

A Gangsta and a Gentleman / Faruq 41

Karma / Faruq 43

What I Lost / Khalifa 45

Chapter 2 Rupture

Losses / Khalifa 51

Space / Khalifa 54

From the Bottomless / Malakki 56

Fit to Kill: A Reactionary Existence (Part I) / Malakki 60

Why Did They Give Up on Me? / Oscar 70

The Worst Day of My Life / Fly 72

Living Grave / Malakki 76

What is it Like to Get a Life Sentence? / Shawn 79

Police / Khalifa 82

Pull it Back / Malakki 83

Chapter 3 Prison Life

I'll Never Swallow this Pill / Oscar 89

Fare Enough / Malakki 91

In a Cell / Malakki 95

The Distinguisher Between Truth and Falsehood / Faruq 101

Teaching for the University / Faruq 103

Lost and Gain / faruq 106

Fit to Kill: A Reactionary Existence (Part II) / Malakki 114

The Visit / Oscar 119

The Resolution / Khalifa 120

Lock Up My Body Not My Mind / Oscar 121

Chapter 4 Restoration

Can U Stand? / Oscar 125

Playing Cards with Men in Cages / Oscar 126

Helping Inmates / Shawn 132

Trying Something Different / Fly 133

The Talking Game / Khalifa 135

No Room for Games (with enclosed essay) / Khalifa 138

Consider the Fist / Malakki 143

Talking about Race / Fly 146

How Policing Can Be Better in the Black Community / Shawn 147

Human Relations (A Sermon) / Khalifa 148

The Journey to Ourselves / Malakki 151

A Letter to My Sisters / Khalifa 155

Afterword: List Day 159

About the Writers and Editors 167