Provide A Good Start to A Good Second Chance

Hi, my name is Shanise, I am reaching out to you with a cause that is deeply personal and close to my heart. I am seeking support for my brother, Darrell, also known as Dee. He has been incarcerated since he was a teenager, and the exciting news is that he is set to be released in the coming months. I am overjoyed to finally have my big brother back after all these years.

Throughout his incarceration, I have witnessed his unwavering determination and remarkable transformation. He has become a man who refuses to let his circumstances define him. While in prison he has earned two Associate’s degrees, one degree in Business and the other in Liberal arts, He has also completed business, horticulture, and business computer user certifications in addition to a year-long faith-infused entrepreneurship program. He is the student horticulture coordinator, growing plants for special projects such as growing trees for the Up with Trees organization, and flowers to establish butterfly waystations for migrating monarch butterflies. He is the resident intern where he mentors participating students in the horticulture program for Tulsa Community College at the prison campus. He has spent his whole incarceration serving others by creating a sense of community through community service and events. These are a few examples of the positive contributions he has already made in others’ lives and is a reflection of the positive contribution I know he will give back to society.

My family and I are wanting give him the good start he needs, and we are raising funds to cover essential costs such as:

Housing Deposits + First Three Months' Rent, Bill Coverage (Electric, Gas, etc.),

Clothing – Personal & Professional.

Now, as he approaches his release, we are eager for the journey ahead and we are inviting you to join us. I firmly believe that investing in my brother is also an investment in others, who like him just need a good start towards a second chance. He is already planning to use his experiences to pay it forward by positively impacting others who are transitioning from incarceration. That is exactly the type of person he is; as he is experiencing his own transition he is thinking of how he can improve others transition back to society. Rather than hearing it solely from me about his plans and aspirations, I want to share a message directly from him:

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Hi, I’m Dee.

As I prepare to be released from prison something I say to my sister is constantly at the forefront of my mind, “All I need is a good start.” But what does a good start look like for someone being released from prison? This is a reoccurring question I am glad I get the privilege to ask, though sadly the answer comes with an overwhelming realization that I cannot do it alone. I understand the responsibilities that come with freedom, however, those responsibilities are almost impossible to meet with impracticable expectations. While having to meet the most basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter, I am expected to pay thousands of dollars in fines almost immediately leaving prison. I know that it isn’t anyone else’s responsibility to provide me with anything, but I am asking for your to help provide the opportunity to prove that reintegration is a human experience that can be successful with community support. Community is something we all desire and need because it takes community support to not only survive, but thrive. For those of us coming out of the prison system, community support is even more crucial.

At the time of my arrest I was a 17 year old kid who didn’t understand the severity of my actions, but I have always strived to take responsibility for those actions without making excuses. I am now a 33 year old man who believes the actions that had such a negative impact on so many people then—can now be used to create a positive impact on many people going forward. One of the most difficult things for me to accept about prison wasn’t that my freedom had been taken but that my value and purpose had been. And growing up in prison made it challenging for me to believe that my life could have meaning. Prison also is where I discovered that my life can have meaning if it's not just about me. A meaningful life now means to me that my life and my experiences are of no value to myself if I don’t use them to aid others on their journey towards a second chance.

That is why I am determined to use my life’s experiences as an advocacy tool, shedding light on the need for comprehensive support systems during an individuals' critical transition from incarceration. I am currently in the process of writing my own reentry book called Freedom MEN-tality. I am also determined to create something more beneficial for others who are transitioning back into society by starting a nonprofit called A Good Start that puts together “Good Start Kits,” a duffle bag full of basic necessities such as: underwear, socks, t-shirts, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, conditioner, etc. So to answer that reoccurring question, a good start looks like support, and I plan to be the support I’m in need of today for someone else’s tomorrow.

Thank you for reading.

Darrell (Dee)

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Thank you so much for reading and considering a donation to this extremely exciting and new experience for Dee. We are excited to see what positive impact he will have in the community.

With gratitude,

Shanise