This introduction starts with a prayer of appreciation that someone has given me a measure of freedom after spending over 32 years behind prison razorwire and Double fences. I am a 59 year old Christian with truth as my compass and transparency as my principle. I’m a Black man with no bitterness or ax to grind for I have found the key to joy and happiness, even behind these prison barriers. I was born in Dayton Ohio and Graduated from Colonel White High School in the city. I have a flair for art and love to make personalized greeting cards. I also am a 1981 graduate, of DeVry Institute of Technology Formerly called Ohio Tech. in Columbus, Ohio. I love Sports and I am a former Basketball, Football and Baseball star that never made it to the pros, but I won a lot of trophies, Mostly 1st place ones. When I came to prison I never conformed to the convict life and for 32 years I’ve accepted that My body was now stuck on Lockdown I became the MENTOR that I needed which could’ve kept me out of this place. Through the years I have influenced a lot of lives, including my own, and I learned, that we cannot help someone up a hill without also helping ourselves. Life is not about Money and Material things. I know because as I have seeked first that kingdom, so much has been added to me, I know Jehovah God cares for us. I’ve been to four prisons and in all four of them I have steady evolved into the man everyone in the free world knew I would become. Everybody knew but me. I have learned that forgiveness is not for others ….. it’s for me and my own liberation. I believe in Victims rights and wish there was a law that allowed me to serve the Family of my victim for the rest of my life. Since it is not, the next best thing was for me to learn from my errors and CHANGE the mindset and behavior that brought me to prison. at this stage of my incarceration I have been given many privileges by the ODRC. Sometimes the system gets a bad rap. This system awards model behavior. So I guess you can call me a model prisoner. These are the blessings that good conduct has awarded me.Since 1990, I’ve had my own inmate Sports program, Became a Laubach trained ABE Tudor, ASL Graduate, Ordained Minister, Talent Show Winner, Basketball Champion, In the last three Decades, Football Cahmp, Baseball champ, President of the Toastmasters Gavel Club, 18 years in Ohio Penal Industries work force, Champion Coach in three Sports, Head Official of all Institution referee’s and umpires, Chief Baker in the Officers Dining room, President of the Creative Writer’s Club, Master trainer of Roots of Success Environmental Literacy Project Curriculum,( www. rootsofsuccess.org) Currently I am in a Mentor Alliance Group and I facilitate a Group of young men in a program I created called PL/PC (Powerful Lessons in Personal Change). and much much more. It has made me rich, in fine works and I am going to enjoy blogging with the world and sharing what I have written throughout the years in my Journals and or stated in my groups where I facilitate. Currently my flesh and blood family members are still learning to love themselves so, we have been enstranged over all these years. I have so much to share with this sight and add this experience to my long list of accomplishments while being in this environment. I’m about to start a new class in roots of success, it takes 22 weeks and perhaps that can be the first journey we embark on together.I failed to mention that I was part of a Think Tank within the prison that comes from Ohio State University @Newark that is Collaborating on Criminal Justice Reform through PAR Methodologies.
I will do my best to share powerful insight with all you readers out there at least, once or twice a week and we will see where we go from there. feel free to connect with me directly on my J-pay if you wish, I welcome all new friends or comments. I am 6’5″ tall and I weigh 210 pounds in great physical shape and sound in mind. Without intervention I may have a chance to get out in 8 years, especially since many politicians are becoming more interested in prison reform. Seeing how most of them are headed here,they want to make the beds softer, visits longer and sentences shorter since they are on their way.:-) Soon they will know
FULLY IN THE STRUGGLE
Anthony D. Simmons
ODRC #194-507
