by redclay | Sep 3, 2021 | Media Coverage, News
In his award-winning poem “I Cry”, Anthony Talbert laments over being incarcerated in the Alexandria Jail.
“Growing up I was told that the eyes are the windows to the soul,” reads Talbert’s poem. “So I cry to cleanse my soul of all the torment it holds.”
You can’t not be moved by Talbert’s first-place poem and the tears he sheds for everyone – you, me, Jesus, himself. You can read his entire work and more about our writing contest in Alxnow.com
Tales of regret and hope win in creative writing contest at the Alexandria Jail
by redclay | Sep 3, 2021 | Media Coverage, News
“We are extremely grateful for Heard’s continued outreach and engagement with those in our custody,” Sheriff Lawhorne said.
And we are grateful to you, Sheriff Lawhorne, for inviting us back to hold our annual writing contest with the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center again. Once again we laughed, cried, and were generally blown away by the honesty and courage of our authors. Congratulations to your winners, and a special shoutout to Caudron Megary, Blackburn Wealth Management Group for sponsoring this event.
The list of winners and a link to the first-place winning poem (and it’s amazing!) is here.
by redclay | Sep 3, 2021 | Creative Writing, Detention Center Writing Contests, Fiction, fiction
Ricky Turcios
First place, fiction, Heard/Arlington County Detention Center writing contest, August 2021
This is about a life of twins, not just any twins, conjoined twins. On the right, there was Ben and on the left there was Ken. In the womb, yes, they were twins with their own bodies but as they grew they tried to absorb one another. It was a constant battle between Ben and Ken even before birth.
But eventually nine months had passed but by then the twins were already fused to one another. As they mother, Nataly pushed and pushed Ben was the first to come out or should we say the first half to come out. To everyone’s surprise, shortly after Ben arrived Ken came as well. No one, not the nurses, doctors, midwives or Derrick and Nataly the mother and father of the twins expected this to happen or be possible, since the doctor had not seen or said there was a chance of this being an outcome.
But to Derrick and Nataly it didn’t matter, they were going to love them as any parents expecting wins would. After a week in the hospital after the birth of the twins were ready and excited to be able to bring the boys home. Raising Ben and Ken was as normal as raising conjoined twins could be.
As the boys grew older, it was a constant battle of left vs right, right vs left, etc. From which direction to walk, what to eat, what toys to play with, what color clothes they enjoyed wearing. Even at a young age, Derrick and Nataly could see that Ben and Ken were their own persons linked only by sharing one body.
As Ben and Ken became older their intrests were different from one another. Ben enjoyed logic and reason with math and science, while Ken enjoyed emotions and being a free spirit with art and music. Their mother and father never played favorites and loved each the son the same.
But Derrick and Nataly slowly were becoming worried that the conflicts Ben and Ken were having. The boys were in high school by now and had different goals and ambitions. Ben wanted to study math and science to make a career out of it, either an accountant or a scientist. Ken wanted to further his studies in art and music to become either an artist or music producer. The twins would argue about what subjects/activities to invest their time and energy into. Their parents did not take sides they just wanted them to be happy and successful. Derrick and Nataly soon wondered what the outcome would be and if there was any way the twins could agree to be one together.
Derick and Nataly soon found themselves talking to doctors and therapists to see if anything could be done to help them. Eventually Ben and Ken took matters into their own hands and found a surgery that could help them live their own lives and a doctor more than willing to do it. It was simple, well easier said than done. The surgery would split the twins apart giving them their own bodies. The survival rate was 50-50 meaning either twin could die from this. After showing their parents and week of talking and thinking and pleading, Nataly and Derrick decided to support it. It meant the world to their sons and [they] wanted them to be happy and live their own lives.
After countless appointments and discussions, Ben and Ken were ready to do the surgery. Nataly and Derrick asked the boys if this is truly what they wanted and that this was their last chance to back out. For once in a long time, Ben and Ken agreed in unison that this is what they wanted. The twins were placed and prepped for the surgery, the doctor put the twins under and told them to count backwards from 10. Ben and Ken fell into a deep sleep. It had been 13 hours since the twins went into the operation room, and fear had taken over Derrick and Nataly.
Another two hours would pass before the doctor came out and told them it was done. When Ben woke up in his hospital room he saw his mother and father by his side with a mirror. Ben had the biggest grin on his face.
But as Ben looked around the room he felt an urgency, where was his brother Ken? Ben frantically looked left and right, right and left, but could not see his twin. Ben quickly stood on his feet ready to bust out of the room to find his brother. He heard a flushing sound from the bathroom and out came his twin Ken in his own body. The brothers hugged and cried tears of joy that they both got what they wanted.
Nataly and Derrick teared up as they saw both their sons for the first time be their own. It took some adjusting but Ben and Ken came out strong. The twins graduated high school. Both applied colleges that interested them. Ben went off to Texas to study math and computer science, while Ken went off to New York to study fashion and music engineering.
Nataly and Derrick were proud of them both and happy to see them take off on their own and study what had interested them. Even though thousands [of] miles apart, the twins could still feel one another and would always be spiritually attached.
by redclay | Sep 3, 2021 | Creative Writing, Detention Center Writing Contests, Non-fiction, non-fiction
Nonfiction, Heard/Arlington County Detention Facility writing contest, August 2021
Growing up and living, being a black person can be hard and stressfull because nine times out of ten you get stereyotyped. Sometimes I find it hard to believe their are still racists people in the world.
Not liking a person for a specific reason is one thing but to hate a person for the color of their skin is outrageous to me. I never was the racist type. I myself have white friends. That’s like saying I hate white people because they inslaved my people.
I don’t understand why more white people are still and openly racists. Black people as a whole got over it so why can’t they? Nowadays a lot of people will say life is what you make it but I have met so many people who was booked up of the first crime they committed and either did jail time or labeled a felon or a criminal. A lot of times, to me it don’t make sense and I’m sure a lot of people would agree. The fact is there are more black people than whites incarcerated. Theirs no way around the truth.
Then you have racists police officers who swore an oath to protect and serve but ran racists gangs inside of the system who abuse authority. They are shooting and killing my brothers and sisters dead in the street. My people get locked up for anything instead of the help they need and I don’t think it’s right.
A lot of people don’t get the help they need until it’s to late and most of them are dead. Growing up I watched my brother die do to street violence and drug overdose because they had no guidance or help.
Going to jail doesn’t make it any better, its called being institutionalized. Jail causes stress and leads you downhill.
I know jail is for criminals but just because someone commits a crime doesn’t mean they are a criminal. Everyone makes mistakes plus the law is unfair. A lot of people who never been in jail are categorized as an inmate may read this and say of course jail isn’t fair coming from someone incarcerated but if the shoe where on the other foot I bet they would agree.
Growing up in a certain neighorhoods are most of the times is hard and can lead to a lot of trauma and stress.
Like watching your loved one die in front of you, fighting for your life, and even getting into street fights.
Hearing gunshots, getting shot is another example that can lead you down the wrong path to a stressfull life. I know because I lived it and I am currently at my breaking point. A lot of people also deal with being bullied, which can be worse in some situations, it can go beyond stress and lead to suicide.
I never had a person bully me but I was a quiet person you can say antisocial most of the time. I didn’t talk so people would test me a lot and press my buttons which gave me no choice but the defend myself
Bullys are a real thing in school, neighborhoods, jail, outside and even in work, professional environments. On top of what the average person deals with on a daily basis that can be stressful having to deal with bullies.
It’s a scientific fact that being bullied can cause stress [which] can shorten your life span.
by redclay | Sep 3, 2021 | Creative Writing, Detention Center Writing Contests, Non-fiction, non-fiction
Second place, Nonfiction, Heard/Arlington County Detention Facility writing contest, August 2021
As a child I have a very vivid imagination. My thoughts and dreams were clear pictures of everything from cowboys and Indians to moonwalks in outerspace, nothing wasn’t fun. With a little time and mental energy my brothers and I could defeat Dragons or swing through the jungle with Tarzan leading our way.
As our boyhoods left us we turned our thoughts to older exploits like who would get the first kiss, how would we make it through jr high, or was it possible to be the running back on the school football team?
Now that I’m a man wounded and scared by my hard life I’ve lossed the ability to recall old thoughts, play mind games like chess, or just find pleasure in remembrance of last nights dreams.
Age has brought me a long way, now that I’m here I’d give a fortune to return to the times when I could be anyone, go to any place, or just draw out my days activities based on last nights journeys.
Our minds are wonderful things we can use it to be the greatest of thinkers of plotter of heinous crimes. No child lays in there beds at night with ill thoughts hoping they’d come true. As adults we need to return to our boyhoods in remembrance of the kids who played with giants, flew with Eagles and swam with Dolphins.
Thats the minds we can use to live inside these old bodies on this Hard unimaginable cold world.
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