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Finding mentors for myself while in prison has been hard. I don’t want to trust people with the details of my private life. In prison, we mentor each other by facilitating rehabilitation and encouraging participation in self-help groups. Being genuine about change is required. As a result others look up to us.

The volunteers who come in as staff teachers are truly the mentors we need. The vocational teachers are held in high regard. They are professionals in their field of knowledge. They help us to open our minds to what is possible.

I have also found mentorship by going to the prison library and searching the yellow pages. I look up churches and write down their addresses. Then I send out many letters, asking if they have someone who can correspond with me and minister me. 

These volunteers have been a blessing from God. For example Harry at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Arroyo Grande, California, has really had my back. Also Sunny in Fort Worth, Indiana has blessed me with her kind acts by not leaving my letters unanswered. Jason, from Bridging the Gap, has volunteered to be a sponsor to me. Additionally, some older people from my past such as Matthew, Jean, and Berniece have all encouraged me to stay prayed up. They encourage me to stay away from trouble makers and to come home by staying free from bad behavior.

Disclaimer: The views in this article are those of the author. Prison Journalism Project has verified the writer’s identity and basic facts such as the names of institutions mentioned.

Kenneth Moore is an African-American writer and poet. He is the author of the book “Subconscious Poetry” (available at www.PrisonsFoundation.org) and has had one of his poems published in the book “Silent Screams: Poems from Uncharted Territory” by Dr. Unique Shaw-Smith. He is incarcerated in California.