Life of a Lifer - Allen Richarson

Today Cecilia interviews Allen Richarson who submitted his application, he has been incarcerated since he was  18, below is the transcript of his letter.

My name is Allen. I am about to turn 35 in February. I’ve been incarcerated since I was 18. Prison has been both a gift and a curse. A gift because I’ve learned some priceless lessons about things such as the ripple effect, one seemingly small decision can have on one’s life. This time has also been a curse because life is short, and I’ve spent almost two decades of my short life in here. I have no kids, I haven’t had a chance to establish much, and tomorrow is not promised. I just beat Covid-19.  The great thing is that I’ll be released in 2022, next year. I’ve waited a long time to be able to say, “O go home next year” and it feels good! Upon release I plan to continue my education and complete the two bachelor’s degrees I’ve started. I’ll continue school while I’m here but to double major I’ll need two semesters after I get home. I plan to start a nonprofit organization to introduce youth to the many opportunities available to them outside of their neighborhoods and cities. I also plan to do quite a bit of traveling.  In prison I have my up’s and down’s as one might expect. I’ve literally grown up in prison. I’ve been teased twice with the possibility of early release, to no avail obviously.  A goof majority of my time has been spent building character and combating institutionalization! I think I’ve done a decent job at both.  In closing, I want to say that I would love to be a part of something positive such as Designed Conviction. There are so much more accomplishments and how much of an asset I am. I’ve recently started my own media LLC. I am a music producer and I have a ton of documentary ideas. Thank you for your time.fer, Allen tells us about his life in prison.