Between scant information, limited phone time and insensitive staff, prison compounded a profound loss.

Between a strained relationship with my family and the death of a good friend, I’ve struggled to feel like I’m worth something.

After serving more than 21 years for a crime he committed at age 15, Angel Alejandro was reintroducing himself to his family. Then the virus took three relatives.

Growing up with a father who was incarcerated didn’t define me. But it certainly taught me to challenge stereotypes and ask better questions.

My mom was by my side the first time I went away. The second time was just too much.

“What neither of us knew was that coming to prison would create new worlds for me to build.”

Or, what happens when guards and prison staff interact as just human beings.