The Prison Post

02/22/2024

🌙✨ Transform Your Nights with ChatGPT: Your Guide to Blissful Sleep ✨🌙

Hey, community! Ever find yourself tossing and turning like I am tonight, wishing for a magic wand to grant you peaceful, restorative sleep? Well, guess what? While I may not have a wand, I’ve got something just as magical - a guide to achieving better sleep quality with the help of ChatGPT! 💤🔮

Here’s How It Can Change Your Nights:

1. Set Clear Sleep Goals: Whether you’re dreaming of a serene bedtime routine, fewer night-time wake-ups, or a cozy sleep haven, ChatGPT is your go-to guide. It’s here to help you pinpoint exactly what you need for a night of better sleep and to map out your path to get there.
2. A Sleep Plan Made Just for You: Imagine a sleep-improvement journey tailored specifically to your needs. Whether conquering insomnia is your quest or simply fine-tuning your sleep habits, ChatGPT crafts a personalized plan, guiding you step by step towards your dream sleep quality.
3. Learn, Practice, Improve: Dive into practical tips and exercises, all while receiving real-time feedback from ChatGPT. It’s like having a sleep coach in your corner, cheering you on and adjusting strategies to overcome any sleep hurdles you face.

Why Embrace This Journey?

• Personalized Guidance: ChatGPT listens to your unique sleep needs, adapting its advice to fit your personal journey towards better rest.
• A to Zzz of Sleep Improvement: From crafting a calming pre-sleep routine to advice on screen time, ChatGPT has got all bases covered to ensure you enjoy higher-quality sleep.
• Encouragement All the Way: More than just tips and tricks, ChatGPT offers ongoing support and motivation, celebrating your progress and helping you navigate any sleep snags.

Ready to embark on this journey to better sleep? 🛌🚀 Imagine waking up feeling refreshed, energized, and ready to embrace the day. That’s the power of improved sleep hygiene, and with ChatGPT by your side, it’s an achievable dream.

Let’s chat in the comments: What’s your biggest sleep challenge? Have you tried using AI to improve your sleep habits before?

Don’t forget to like, share, and follow for more tips on transforming your life with the help of AI. Together, let’s unlock the secrets to blissful nights and vibrant days! 🌟💫

02/13/2024

Hey, friends and fam! 👋 I’m super excited to share something I’ve been working on: a deep dive into the fascinating world of AI, with a special focus on GPT technology (yep, those smart systems that can chat, write, and even code like humans!). 🚀

From its humble beginnings to its jaw-dropping capabilities today, GPT is reshaping not just tech but how we live, learn, and work. But it’s not all smooth sailing; there are some big questions about ethics, jobs, and how we make sure this tech does more good than harm.

So, why am I geeking out about this on Facebook? Because I’m relaunching a page where I’ll be blogging daily about AI, crypto, investing, tech, and how we can use these tools for good – like reforming our prison system.🌐💼

Think of it as your go-to spot for cutting-edge insights, minus the jargon, and with a hearty dose of real talk. Whether you’re a tech newbie or a seasoned pro, there’s something for everyone and I’ll get better as I go.

Curious? Excited? Skeptical? Good! I want to hear it all. Follow me at 🌟 richard.theprisonposthost🌟 and let’s explore the future together. It’s going to be a wild ride, and I promise to keep it enlightening, engaging, and, most of all, human. Please feel free to ask any question you may have about the topics and I’ll reply and I’ll keep the cookies on the bottom shelf.

Let’s dive into the future, decode the tech, and make it work for us. Can’t wait to start this journey with you all. 🚀👨‍💻

P.S. Do you like the picture? I used DALL-E to create it based off an idea off the top of my head. It took 30 seconds. Send me an idea and I’ll generate a photo for you.

11/22/2023

🌟 Exciting News! 🌟 Giving Tuesday is approaching on November 28, and we're thrilled to invite you to join us in supporting CROP! Up until the big day, two generous donors are matching all contributions, doubling the impact of your donation up to $5,000. Let's reach our goal together and make a meaningful difference in the lives of those transitioning from incarceration.

Creating Restorative Opportunities and Programs, a nonprofit founded by formerly incarcerated individuals, is pioneering a human-centered approach to reentry. Our unique residential career campus offers wraparound support, housing, tech upskilling, and job training. Your support fuels our mission to create a fairer future for individuals leaving incarceration.
Mark your calendars for November 28 and consider making a tax-deductible Giving Tuesday donation to CROP. Your contribution, big or small, is crucial in building a more compassionate and supportive reentry system. Click the link below to join us in making a positive impact! Already donated? Increase your impact by sharing this post with your network, and sharing why you're investing in this Giving Tuesday season.
croporganization.org/donate Together, let's make a difference!

03/29/2023

09/07/2022

On this week's episode of The Prison Post Podcast, we have a conversation with immersion journalist, Lauren Kessler. She has taken a deep dive into looking at the Challenges of Life After Prison. Her book: 'Free' Two years, Six Lives and The Long Journey Home" is powerful, moving, emotional, and revealing. Lauren is both clear-eyed and compassionate, as she follows six people whose diverse stories paint an intimate portrait of struggle, persistence, and resilience.What is the road they must travel from caged to free? How do they navigate their way home?

Lauren Kessler is an award-winning author of ten works of nonfiction, all of which combine lively narrative with deep research and in-the-trenches immersion to explore hidden worlds. The creator of two graduate programs in creative nonfiction, she founded a writers’ group for those sentenced to life in prison at a maximum security prison.

There's Arnoldo, who came of age inside a maximum security penitentiary, now free after nineteen years. Trevor and Catherine, who spent half of their young lives behind bars for terrible crimes committed when they were kids. Dave, inside the walls for 34 years, now about to reenter an unrecognizable world. Vicki, a five-time loser who had cycled in and out of prison for more than a third of her life. They are simultaneously joyful and overwhelmed at the prospect of freedom. Anxious, confused, sometimes terrified, and often ill-prepared to face the challenges of the free world, all are intent on reclaiming and remaking their lives.

FREE is a gripping and empathetic work of immersion reportage, FREE reveals what awaits them and the hundreds of thousands of others who are released from prison every year: the first rush of freedom followed quickly by institutionalized obstacles and logistical roadblocks, grinding bureaucracies, lack of resources, societal stigmas and damning self-perceptions, the sometimes overwhelming psychological challenges.

Here's some of the reentry topics we discuss:
• The common challenges those recently released encounter in the first month that very few people truly understand?
• What being imprisoned means to your sense of self and how to reclaim that?
• What being surveilled, regulated, and managed does to your abilities to trust yourself and others?
• How you learn to function and reconnect, like understanding the latest technology?
• The rocky road of learning how to make so many decisions, big and small, every day?
• The staggering racial inequality behind bars (1 in 6 Latino boys and 1 out of every 3 Black kids will go to prison in their lifetime) and the overall “epidemic of mass incarceration” in the U.S., which accounts for 25% of the world’s prison population?
• What communities can do to help those returning from incarcerated life become a functioning part of that community

To purchase a copy of Lauren's book on Amazon visit this link: https://www.amazon.com/Free-Years-Liv...

Click this link to visit her website titled, "The Lauren Chronicles" and check out Lauren's other books at http://www.laurenchronicles.com/activ...

08/11/2022

Creating Restorative Opportunities and Programs' Executive Director, Terah Lawyer with Richard Mireles, Director of Outreach and Engagement and James Willock, Lead Transformational Quest Coach are all formerly incarcerated with 66 years of incarceration between them. They were honored to stand with 100's of formerly incarcerated people & family members speaking directly to legislators about bills that affect our communities!

08/11/2022

Thank you Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo, Johnny Howe, and Joslyn Beard for your service to transform lives by being of service to our communities. You inspire us!

08/11/2022

Apply for Creating Restorative Opportunities and Programs reentry programs in LA or Oakland by clicking this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdE8zUyZCy2MzL--mnBjYwKgSdr8wZPZvYB5_WlgjnZurfKNA/viewform

  Apply to ready 4 life Thank you for your interest in CROP’s Ready 4 Life program! We are accepting applications on a rolling basis. Please apply using the link below. We look forward to seeing your application! Apply Now    Frequently asked questions Coming Soon  

08/11/2022

Thanh Tran called me from the phones of San Quentin Prison 9 months ago. In my 21 years of incarceration, I have never met a more policy-minded incarcerated person. I was impressed by his perspectives, his language, and the freedom he held on the inside, not to mention his brilliant accomplishments all before the age of 28!

Episode 48 features Thanh Tran, a formerly incarcerated Filmmaker, Podcaster, and Organizer. He is the Co-Creator and Co-host of the Uncuffed Podcast. He is also Co-Creator of the incarcerated film crew Forward This Productions. He was released from prison almost 3 months ago and is now the Senior Policy and Comms Fellow with the Ella Baker Center.

Thanh was incarcerated at the age of 18. He was sentenced to 17 years. He was commuted by Governor Newsom after serving over 10 years. He survived the horrific conditions of Covid 19 in San Quentin. He had Covid three times and had to scream for medical attention through his door before a nurse finally showed some humanity and got him desperately needed medicine that helped him when he was at his worst. He rang the bell for the fellas on the inside and shared the story of how correctional officers refused to serve the incarcerated food because of their fear of contracting Covid. He shared how he heard the shrieks of men who were dying of Covid in their cells without receiving help for a month. He shared how he saw those whom he shared a building with succumbing to Covid and being medically escorted out. Because of Covid and an inhumane lack of medical attention, several he knew didn’t return. This is the real trauma that is hidden from the public eye everyday.

We also covered how he transformed his life on the inside to become the podcaster, film producer, organizer, and policy minded man that he is today. Than shares the challenges of reentering society and how he's courageously facing them. I have full confidence that Thanh will lead from the front for prison reform for years to come. Thank you for watching this episode.

Please hit the like button, subscribe, and leave a comment or ask us or Thanh a question in the comments. We respond to everyone!

You can find Thanh Tran on Twitter at

Learn more about how CROP Organization is reimagining reentry by investing in people over punishment on our website at: https://croporganization.org/

Apply to be in our Ready 4 Life Reentry Programs in Oakland and LA here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...

Thanh Tran called me from the phones of San Quentin Prison 9 months ago. In my 21 years of incarceration, I have never met a more policy-minded incarcerated ...

07/30/2022

Ready 4 Life is our signature reentry program designed to equip justice-involved people with the tools they need for success in the community. Read more below or visit our Ready 4 Life overview page on our website here: https://croporganization.org/ready-4-life-program

07/30/2022

We are excited Creating Restorative Opportunities and Programs to post our Ready 4 Life Application. Please share with justice involved loved ones and currently incarcerated loved ones who will be paroling to the Bay Area or LA in the next 5-6 months. They can apply for our holistic & human-centered approach to reentry. Sign up by clicking the link on the One-Pager that says, "Apply for Ready 4 Life here." Notice our Core Services & Benefits!

Check out this 5.5 x 8.5 Flyer designed by Jason Bryant.

06/09/2022

Thank you so for subscribing, liking, and watching. We have some new and exciting shows coming out starting next week! Please continue to watch and if you have any people that you think would be great on our podcast, please feel free to refer them to [email protected] and he'd be happy to have a conversation with them for a potential interview. We haven't forgotten any of you who we've talked to about future interviews.

Shout out to my YouTube family! You continue to inspire and motivate me. 💞

06/02/2022

It’s a crucial step to help people who were incarcerated reclaim their lives, support their families and rejoin their communities. | Commentary

06/01/2022

Join us in a discussion about how the age of technology has amplified the issues around reentry. Read more...Reentry has always been a challenge for returnin...

06/01/2022

Join us via Zoom tonight at 6:30 PM PT

Terah Lawyer-Harper will be presenting about her journey from incarceration to becoming the new Executive Director of CROP Organization (Creating Restorative Opportunities and Programs) at the CCWP Bay Area Monthly meeting. Under Lawyer-Harper’s direction, CROP will open a 12-month residential and training facility located in the Bay Area that will provide residents with a holistic reentry program that includes 6-9 months of workforce training and employment support for livable wage careers. Terah will also talk about her work as Associate Director of Impact Justice's Homecoming Project. CCWP worked with Terah for many years while she was incarcerated at California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWF) and we are so excited that she will be sharing her insights about re-entry and her plans as Executive Director of CROP! Please join us with the Zoom meeting link below. See you there. Wednesday, June 1, 6:30 pm PT. Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 820 0143 2146
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04/22/2022

We’re super excited to have our first guest from New York now residing in Ohio on our show today. Donald Wiggins Jr. holds a JD, MPA and is the Co-Founder & Director of Strategic Initiatives & Policy at Ohio Families Unite for Political Action and Change (OFUPAC). He’s a writer, a researcher, reformer, futurist, and abolitionist, but when I asked him to describe himself, he said, “It’s not about me. It’s about we! I’m just doing my part in the grand cog of history!"

In this episode we discuss Donald and OFUPAC's vision to make fundamental shifts in America by creating national legislation that would allow the incarcerated and those who are 16 and older to vote. We have a deep conversation about universal suffrage and restructuring society by caring about our future we could have 20-30 years from now and what it would take to make that happen.

OFUPAC builds and harnesses the political power of impacted families across Ohio, providing them with a space to leverage their power and drive policy to enact lasting change. Their mission is to end state violence against communities in Ohio by uplifting and amplifying the voices of impacted families to transform the criminal and civil justice landscape in Ohio.

They do this by engaging in effective public advocacy, legislative outreach, and public education activities. They center the voices of those most impacted by systemic racism, oppression, police violence, and systemic violence in the criminal and civil justice systems. Our vision is for us all to live in a space where one's income, race, public school, neighborhood, air quality, orientation, spirituality, and very identity do not determine your treatment, your life, and your livelihood by the criminal and civil justice systems in Ohio. OFUPAC holds space, organizes, and mobilizes those directly impacted by police brutality, the carceral system, and the juvenile justice system, to respond to immediate and emergent threats to our lives and our humanity.

Learn more about Ohio Families United for Political Action and Change here: https://www.ofupac.org/
Follow Donald on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/DWigginsJ3
Join their universal suffrage campaign by signing up at https://www.votingishuman.us/

We’re super excited to have our first guest from New York now residing in Ohio on our show today. Donald Wiggins Jr. holds a JD, MPA and is the Co-Founder & ...