Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Part 1 Reconnecting
Letter 1 Aftermarket 11
Letter 2 The Nature of Freedom 17
Letter 3 Losing Is Learning: Letter from Lemon Andersen 23
Letter 4 Whose Life Is It?: The Stigma of the Incarcerated 38
Letter 5 Mentors and Options 45
Letter 6 Escape Plan: Letter from Dr. Jamal Bryant 55
Letter 7 Having an Impact 70
Letter 8 What Is a Slave? 76
Part 2 A Leap of Faith
Letter 9 Doing Time: Letter from Jeff Johnson 85
Letter 10 A Leap of Faith 93
Letter 11 Her Point of View 98
Letter 12 Hill's Assignment 105
Letter 13 Smart Enough: Letter from Dr. Rudolph E. Tanzi 112
Letter 14 You Can't Keep a Good Mind Down 122
Letter 15 Should I Join a Gang?: Letter from Lupe Fiasco 126
Letter 16 What Makes a Man? 137
Letter 17 Lockdown 143
Part 3 Quantify Your Life
Letter 18 Your Highest Aspirations 153
Letter 19 Commit to Endure 158
Letter 20 Cleaning House: Letter from Dr. Benjamin Chavis 162
Letter 21 Straying: Letter from Russell Simmons 169
Letter 22 Forgiving 177
Letter 23 Mental Health: Letter from Chloe Flower 184
Letter 24 The Seven C's 196
Letter 25 Flicking the Switch 201
Letter 26 End Points 204
Letter 27 Warm-ups 206
Part 4 Becoming an Active Architect of Your Life
Letter 28 Developing Your Blueprint 219
Letter 29 Erasing: Letter from Enitan Bereola II 224
Letter 30 True Access to Education 229
Letter 31 Grit and Grind 236
Letter 32 Fear: Letter from the Honorable Michael Steele 244
Letter 33 Allies 252
Letter 34 Changing Your Tune 256
Letter 35 Unequal Just Us 265
Letter 36 Out There: Letter from Kevin Hagan 269
Letter 37 A Little Help from My Friends: Letter from Catherine Rohr 279
Letter 38 Childhood Eyes 290
Letter 39 Six Months Later: One Day at a Time: Letter from Charles "Roc" Dutton 294
Letter 40 Final Judgment 304
Part 5 Addendum
Owner's Manual 313
Suggested Reading 353
Resources 357
State Correctional Education Coordinator by State 359
Appendix 367
Glossary of Terms 369
Bibliography 373
Acknowledgments 377
Notes 379