You’d hardly think that being in prison could offer any sense of the word freedom.
If you have any experience in the matter, you know that there is more than one form of prison.

Finding myself in prison for the 3rd time served as my wakeup to my prisons of the mind, spirit, and emotion.

Its simple to follow the trail with an experienced mind but as a young man trying to find my way i was doomed.

I’d made countless decisions that had affected my confidence and caused me doubt about my own efficacy in achieving my goals in life.

Having a mind filled with doubts only served to push me further and further away from the person whom i wanted to be.

Doubt led to emotional pains that i tried to medicate away with alcohol and drug use.

When my mother died i was really stuck. I couldn’t handle the rush of emotions that washed over me and drowned my senses.

My spirit suffered the effects of my emotional degradation. I became less motivated to do anything. I wasn’t capable of looking back to face the mess i’d made of my life.

Strangely, i was lucky to get locked up. I was on my way to a worse fate.
I was not at all optimistic when i came back to prison but time had a way of showing me hope.

Addressing the baggage was a moving and unforgettable experience that will allow me to handle anything else life has to throw at me.

I’ve invested in myself and that is the best feeling in the world. I’ve made a world of progress from the boy that kept finding himself trapped within himself.

I finally feel like the man that came to save that kid and let him know that he has what it takes to live.

Adolphus E. Redding
DOC #956796