Abstract

Author’s note: I need you to know that there are angels on earth—people who knowingly and willingly donate their time, knowledge and resources even in the face of adversity. While I was in Redwood City County Jail awaiting a return to the prison system I so loathe, I encountered several of these special beings in the form of Bill Burns, Instructor of Inmate Education, Usha Potter of Project Read, and Bill’s AmeriCorps volunteer assistant, Alli. The poetry class and my continuing desire to help others would not have been possible without their persistence and hard work. Copies of “Unlocked Voices,” the poetry book that the class wrote together, can be acquired by getting in touch with Mr. Bill Burns at bburns@smcoe.k12.ca.us.