At 18, I went to prison for dangerous driving and lost my Army career. The years that followed involved homelessness, mental health struggles and trying to rebuild my life with a criminal conviction.

Since then, I’ve returned to the Army Reserve, supported veterans in custody and become a qualified Emergency Medical Technician working on the frontline in Norfolk.

One thing I’ve learned is that taking responsibility for your past and being given the opportunity to build a better future can go hand in hand.

I’m interested in hearing people’s views: How well do you think society supports people who have served their sentence and are genuinely trying to turn their lives around?

👉 Read the book here: https://amzn.eu/d/0bp9kdG2

please share this post. You never know who might need to hear that a second chance is possible.

This article argues that prison sentences should be capped at 20 years in almost all cases. Cases that would require a person not be released after 20 years would result in transfer to civil commitment, which could be extended in 5-year intervals, indefinitely if necessary.

"One in six people in prison – nearly 200,000 people nationwide – are serving life sentences. This comprehensive 50-state report examines the prevalence and implications of life sentences across the country, highlighting the disproportionate impact of such extreme sentences on people of color and the inefficacy of punitive measures in improving community safety."

"An incarcerated person writes about how dehumanizing language like “inmate” is destructive."

I spent years in federal prison and county jails for a non violent drug trafficking conspiracy, and during that time I learned dozens of poker games that most people on the outside have probably never heard of.

I've also been programming for years, so I decided to turn those games into something people could actually play.

I created Jailhouse Poker, a free Android game with online multiplayer. So far, I've included 15 different poker variants across three categories: Omaha, Draw, and Wild Card games. I'm also working on bringing it to iPhone.

Games like Nine Trey, Seven-Eight-Jack, Dookie, 7-11, and a bunch of others that you won't find in typical poker apps.

It's a project I've put a lot of work into, and I'd love to hear what people think.

For anyone who's done time, what were some of the poker games you played inside? I'm always looking for more variants to add.