This is an inmate's story. My name is not important but my story is.

It is about what I have learned since I came here some months ago. The crimes that lead me here I am not proud of but I am proud of the person who will soon be leaving. At the time of my crimes I did not think of what would follow. I did not think that my action was serious enough to put me behind walls and bars. I was fooling myself. Oh God! Look at where I am today.

Allow me to say something very personal. Please think before you do anything that will take you away from the people you love. When you go to bed each night in your cell you only turn in to an empty stall. You realize that this is not where you belong. You should be able to go to bed and cuddle into the one that you love the most. When you awake in the morning you should be able to wake up with her by your side and be able to tell her how much you love her. In the morning, you should hear the voices of happy children - not cows. You should be able to go to work and come home with a pay cheque and to feel good about doing a hard day's work. Here, you go to work and at the end of the week you say another week closer to getting out.

Is this the life you want? I have asked myself this very question and for me it is - NO. I have learned a lot about myself in here away from my family and love ones. The one thing that I am sure of is that crime does not pay. You and I, inmates, we pay the highest price. I have come to realize this and I have also come to realize who I am and who I want to be. I have a purpose and that is to give, not take any more. It is to love, not hate any more. I am leaving a better person.

I owe many thanks to staff, church members and to the school for helping me. Mr. Noseworthy, in particular, was a big part in helping me realize my change so I owe him a special thank you. Remember, you can come in here and leave the same person or you can leave a changed person and that's the one I have chosen and the one I will keep for I am happy with myself. Which one will you choose?

In closing, I can say that I will go home with my family soon and never leave them again and I will never commit another crime. Thank you SCI for believing in me and for giving me the chance to prove to myself that I am worth it. To other inmates, I am one of you who have changed and I will not be back. I will not tell you who I am but I hope my story will help someone find the same better person inside as I have.

Thank You

SCI. Inmate.