Cover story

by Leo Cardez • Published May 2025 I had a dream I woke up and went out into the prison Yard for child’s pose and downward-facing dog with a group of other inmates and officers. We all stretched on our rubber mats as our yogi guided us through a thirty-minute yoga session. I had a dream I went for a job around the prison grounds as an officer followed me on a … [Read more...] about Dream Prison

by Lee “Taqwaa” Bonner, LSPC Organizer My given name is Lee Bonner, and my spiritual name is Taqwaa, which everyone refers to me as. I was born and raised in East Oakland, California. After serving 30 years and 2 months straight, I’m keeping my promise to the incarcerated population that I would return to my community as an asset and not a liability.  In my quest to … [Read more...] about Life After Incarceration

by Wanda Sabir, Former LSPC Board Member The phrase the Black Woman is God is topical during Women’s History Month. Am I strong because I am Black too? Newsflash, I am no stronger than another woman. I have just survived a lot more. There were people in my community who could have lent a helping hand to this girlchild, grown people with resources or information who might … [Read more...] about The Black Woman is God

by John Cannon, LSPC Community Organizer My name is John Cannon, and I want to share my story as an incarcerated firefighter—a story of hard work, survival, and systemic injustice. At just 16 years old, I was tried as an adult and sentenced to prison. I spent most of my time in high-security yards, but when I was around 21 years old, I became eligible for minimum-security … [Read more...] about Forced Labor in the Firelines: My Story