Behind The Scenes

Stick, TDC #227733

Served almost 12 years on a 45, Stick was released on Mandatory Supervision until he proved to the Texas Parole Board that he was worthy enough to be on regular supervision. He grew up in the oilfield and worked many jobs in the patch, from roustabout, roughneck, driller, and eventually company man for an oil company. Like so many before him, once in prison his wife moved on and divorced him, taking their kids and remarrying.

Paroled in 2002, Stick began the journey back to becoming a normal citizen after the hard goodbye that society had given him upon entering the Texas Prison system. Stick has moved forward and helped many people who have experienced trouble with the law. It has been his understanding that if you help someone it always ends up helping you. With the deck stacked against him by society, Stick, worked and became a successful business owner which helped his community grow. He does not regret his life in the prison system. Instead he looks at it as a series of learning skills helpful in his development as a good citizen.

Duck, TDC #449056

After serving 13 years on a 40, Duck was released on mandatory supervision and scheduled to be off paper in the year 2027. While incarcerated, he took advantage of every educational opportunity afforded inmates until the Pell Grant program was cut in 1996. His insight, words, experience, and lessons learned add to the making of our courseware and workshops.

While on probation, Duck passed away in February, 2017 to an empty room. Until his dying day, Duck fought his conviction, never accepted the guilty verdict, and always confessed his innocence to anyone who would listen. Abandoned by society and a broken judicial system, he never saw his children beyond 1985. Though yet to be published, Duck’s autobiographical novel takes the reader into one soul of many souls unjustly imprisoned.

A friend of mine for many years, his journey is no different than the thousands of invisible individuals struggling reintegration only to find walls, bars, and razor wire are not limited to the inside of prison. Duck has been an inspiration.