Rehabilitation

Here’s to the crazy ones.


The misfits.

The rebels.

The troublemakers.

The round pegs in square holes.

The ones who see things differently.

They are not fond of rules.

And they have no respect for the status quo.

You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.

Because they change things.

They invent. They imagine. They heal.

They explore. They create. They inspire.

They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy.

How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art?

Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written?

Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?

We make tools for these kinds of people.

While some see them as crazy ones, we see genius.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

-Written for the Apple's Think Different campaign

I think that this "Think Different" ad campaign serves to adequately describe my feelings about law school and why I even selected law as a career to begin with. My objective is to get society to "think differently" about the way we view ex felons and their re entry into society. I know many of you are wondering "Why in the hell is she in law school?" Or the million dollar question for the "sharper knives" is "How in the hell did she get into law school?" Well, "Inquiring minds would like to know." LOL. Outside of all the inquiring minds what lies at the heart of my thoughts are that I imagine the political status specifically relating to occupational licensees will endure for decades for the following reason: Our society lacks a mechanism to ascertain actual reform in offenders.  This mechanism would be similar to discerning what is in a persons mind-the last refuge of privacy.  To this day I do not understand why I committed my crime; when asked at various court hearings to say something in my behalf for their consideration, I said "I can not find any reason for your votes." Why? Because my time spent in prison seemed trivial to the offense- and to have some answer would have been like making sense out of non sense....   There were times when asked the same question, the rebel inside me just wanted to grab the seat of my pants and shout out like a bonafide gang banger "I guess because I refuse to die.  So for me its prolly gonna be thug life even though that's not what I want. Also I wanna send a shot out to all the convicts...stay up and lastly let the haters hate their just wasting their time." Or should have said something like "I served my time and don't owe the interest society has demanded. My kids couldn't afford to pay it either!"

So what does it take to prove good character? Well I am convinced that this would require knowing the minds of each state license board because having a good philosophy on life isn't good enough. 

To date this is the social rule in place: Green v. Missouri Pacific Railroad, 523 F. 2d 1290 (8th Cir. 1975), appeal after remand, 549 F. 2d 1158 (8th Cir. 1977). Apparently society has a great need to eliminate risks for greater rewards.

The Eye of The Tiger

I really can appreciate and respect the sacrifice of hard work! Standing on the this side of graduation from the UCLA Paralegal program, I am most happy to say in short....."I did it!" I am glad that I challenged myself to go above and beyond the call of duty! If you are defeated in the mind, you'll be defeated every time! Real talk folks.  It's about time that attention is given to ex-felons. I think people in society talk from both sides of their mouth when they are talking about rehabilitation.  Especially about people who are going through great efforts to get on with their lives.  Society create fake barriers and double jeopardy clauses where there need not be any. 

Be aware of "do gooders" that talk from both sides of their mouth.  The Salvation Army was started to help convicted felons, but their missions have changed to help the homeless.  They have ignored us to a greater degree.  Apparently, they do not get paid for helping ex felons anymore. (Why I'm I not surprised?)  We are EX FELONS, meaning that our sins are in the past.  We are not FELONS any more. Most of our lives are about living it and trying to get on with it.  WORK IS A GREAT part of it.  I have committed to not being a part of the problem, but part of the solution.

But this has most definitely been an experience for me!

The Alex Sanchez Case

Alex Sanchez is an internationally recognized peacemaker and co-founder of Homies Unidos in Los Angeles where he has developed and implemented innovative prevention and intervention programs since 1998 and has also lead the organization as Executive Director since 2006.

An outspoken community leader, Alex's commitment to disenfranchised you and their family in the Latino and largely Central American communities of the Pico Union, Westlake and Koreatown areas of Los Angeles, is rooted in his own personal journey that included having been a gang-involved youth, target of the INS, LAPD and Salvadoran nationall police and death squads. After being involved in gangs and serving tme in state prison, he was deported in 1994 to El Salvador where he met the founder of Homies Unidoes, Magdaleno Rose Avila, and other striving for social change. This turning point marked Alex's commitment to improve his life and to help other youth do the same.

He has been sought out to consult with academics, journalist, filmmakers, elected officals, non-profit agencies and advocates at local national and transitional levels to address youth violence prevention and intervention and is the recipent of many awards including the Drum Major Award from the Martin Luther King Legacy Assoc., the Lottie Wexler Award, the AGAPE Award and others. He is husband, father, and symbol of peace, compassion and courage to his family and community.

Alex is currently facing federal charges for violation of federal RICO statue laws, alleging his peacekeeping efforts are just a front for furthering the illegal activities of the MS-13 street gang. Alex was denied bail twice. It was subsequently released in December of 2009. Alex must now face a long trial towards freedom, but the granting of bail is a welcomed step. Alex's trial is scheduled to begin in October 2010.

Where do you stand? Do you think Alex was sincere in his efforts as peacekeeping? Do you think there is a valid case? Why or why not, what legally support your position on the issue if possible?

Justice Now CD Project Experience-www.jnow.org

In 2002 while I was incarcerated I was blessed with the unique opportunity to perform an original piece of poetry which when on to become published work by an organization called Justice Now (http://www.jnow.org/). The CD collection is entitled "The We That Set Us Free" polictical icons such as Angela Davis, Assata Shakur, and Climbing Poetry also appear as guest artist on this CD collection. I actually performed this piece standing in the visitation room at the Central California Women Facility. Enjoy and hopefully you will support our cause and order your personal copy today at: http://www.akpress.org/ or http://www.jnow.org/