Help Josh re-enter the world

Hello,

For all who don't know me, my name is Joshua Mitchell, and I'm currently incarcerated at the Georgia Dept of Corrections. On October 21st, 2019, I made the life-destroying decision of knowingly possessing over 10 lbs of marijuana. After losing just about everything I had in my arrest and paying a bondsman to get out on bail, I spent a year and a half out on bond. I spent that time fighting my case, hoping to avoid prison time, and also trying to rebuild my life and save up some money for the worst-case scenario of me having to go to prison. Although I had no prior criminal record, and only had marijuana (no other drugs or any firearms were involved in my case) I was sentenced to 5 years in prison, followed by 10 years of probation and $175,150 in fines. So, in May of 2021, I turned myself in to begin my sentence.

I've spent my time as well as I could, having set up an independent library and coffee shop in my dorm for some time, eventually getting transferred to a facility where I was utilized by the Spalding County Public Works Department as free labor to help keep their community maintained, and finally getting transferred to the facility I'm currently at, where I teach an Adult Basic Education class that helps inmates acquire a firm grasp on the fundamentals of math and language arts in order to progress on to the GED program here. I've even started organizing one-on-one tutoring sessions for folks in my dorm who aren't able to get what they need from the education department here and who need additional help.

When I'm not working on education, I spend my time reading, playing dominos, or even cooking. You'd be surprised what you can do with commissary ingredients and a little imagination. (My latest craze has been deviled eggs I make once a week on Mondays.)

I say all of this to paint a picture of who I am. If you knew me in the real world, you probably know me as an independent, motivated, and selfless person. I take pride in providing for myself and others and being able to help those in need. But my incarceration has forced me to practice a trait I was previously too prideful to practice- which is having the humility to ask for help.

My prison sentence was 5 years, which would have me out in May of 2026. But with the "good time" I've earned with my behavior, work details, and programs I've completed, I could be out as early as this summer (2023). What I need is assistance to help me get my feet on the ground when I get out. Due to an unfortunate situation where the belongings I had put up in storage all were lost to me since I've been gone, in addition to having to get rid of my car- I will essentially be returning to society with nothing but the clothes on my back. Specifically, what I need is help getting things like clothes, shoes, and a phone, with any funds left to be put towards getting some form of transportation again.

I do have a very gracious friend that is allowing me to parole out to his house and has a job lined up for me once I get readjusted to society. So food and housing are things I know I will have covered when I am released. It's just the big looming concern of everything else.

I appreciate your reading, and ask you to share this where you feel appropriate, and to donate what you're comfortable with, and hope you know just how much this all means to me.