In October 2011, Jeffrey Young submitted his first commentary to the MSR. His following commentaries became “Reaching Out From Within,” a column in which he wrote about issues surrounding his incarceration. “Reaching Out” was regularly published in the MSR through April of 2014.
We welcome Jeffrey Young back with the commentary below, giving readers a vivid glimpse through his eyes as he reaches out from the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Rush City.
It took tremendous work for me to overcome the hurdles prison imposed on me and becoming a socially responsible, empathetic and crime-free person.
Restorative justice should be applied to all crime Read More
Current policy discriminates based on gender Jhana is an eighth grader aspiring to become a dolphin trainer. She admits that in preparation to become a dolphin trainer, she has flushed …
Children need time with their incarcerated fathers Read More
In my last column, “Overcrowding in Rush City Prison creates a risk to the public” (MSR, Mar. 24, 2016), I wrote about the overcrowding and double bunking in a prison originally designed for single occupancy in each cell.
An update concerning overcrowding in Rush City Prison Read More
This past January, President Obama issued executive orders forcing the federal prison system to change its solitary confinement practices. But an often overlooked issue is how double bunking and overcrowding in prisons creates dangerous risk as well.
Overcrowding in Rush City Prison creates a risk to the public Read MorePrisoners who lack a positive purpose in life or believe there isn’t any opportunity to pursue their purpose, often possess a “nothing to lose” attitude. These men pose a terrible …
The Department of Corrections may end the Power of People Read More Last month, a young man who read some of my columns sent me a response letter. In it, he described some of his struggles with making changes in his …
Changing negative behavior? — First, change the company you keep Read More “Police!” The shout from outside the front door was followed by the house shaking violently from a stampede of police exploding through the door. I was a terrified four-year-old …
We must challenge and change our system of mass incarceration Read More During one of my summer breaks from college, I was sitting outside enjoying the summer breeze. In one hand I held a mayonnaise jar full of red Kool-Aid and ice. …
Police officers need to live among the people they serve Read More “You have 60 seconds left on this phone call,” blurts the automated voice. It’s an irritating reminder of where I live. When I talk to my daughter on the telephone, …
Prison life: consequences of the street life Read More Conclusion of a three-part column It’s another sunny day in the ’hood, and the same old tired events are unfolding. A young brother is swindled, mean-mugged, and called a punk. …
Money, power, respect: Part 3 — Respect Read More “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” — Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple At first glance, it …
Money, power, respect: Part 2 — Power Read More Part one of three-part column Bullets in search of flesh and bone burst forth from a semi-automatic pistol, cracking the silence of the night air. Zipping to their tragic …
Money, power, respect: Part 1, the money Read More Over the past few months, my columns have mostly been directed toward the MSR’s adult readers. After a few readers’ responses that I’ve received, I see I have caught the …
Let it go: dealing with unresolved beefs after changing your life Read More It was an August afternoon and the sun was blazing. I was a penniless seven-year-old, and I decided I was going to have an ice cream by any means necessary. …
Show our youth we care by resurrecting the village Read More Last month I wrote about purpose and stated that unresolved pain from the past had blurred my vision of my purpose. That pain developed from witnessing domestic violence as a …
Intervene in domestic abuse without perpetuating the violence Read MoreBy Jeffery Young Guest Commentator While sitting in my prison cell reading the September 8 issue of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, I came across something that revitalized a call of action …
A message from prison: We felons must do our part to end the violence Read More