My name is Ricardo, I am currently housed at the Chicago Metropolitan Correctional
Center as I await sentencing in federal court. While I never imagined my life would bring
me to this point, I accept full responsibility for the choices I made and the consequences
that followed.
A couple of months ago I began documenting my journey as a commitment to change
and a determination to help others. This experience, though difficult, has given me the
chance to reflect deeply on my past, to recognize where I went wrong, and to
understand the impact of my actions. My goal is to tell a true story that shows success
is possible regardless of our situation. My aspiration is that by reading this, one may
also be inspired to transform their life. My commitment is to use this moment not as an
ending, but as a beginning, a chance to rebuild my life with dignity, meaning, and a clear
purpose to contribute positively to others.
Being in jail for the first time in my life, the first weeks were times of brokenness and
desperation. As I reflected upon my life, I realized that what once seemed the most
significant and alluring now feels futile and absurd. Little did I know at the time that I had
destroyed my life. As a functioning alcoholic, I allowed greed and addiction to creep in.
Instead of focusing on integrity, family, and discipline, I came to believe that money was
everything. That belief blinded me, consumed me, and led me to a series of terrible
choices I will regret.
Those decisions did more than take away my freedom; they marked the end of my old
life. I failed the very people I was supposed to protect and the ones who looked up to
me, the ones I love the most. Yet, in the midst of losing everything, incarceration
became the moment where I could finally confront the truth. What once felt like the end
became the beginning of a new life. A chance to rebuild myself with humility, clarity, and
a renewed commitment to live in a way that truly honors my family and community.
I quickly realized that in order to turn my life around, I needed a new attitude. I needed
to start thinking differently. I had to take responsibility for my actions, see mistakes as
learning opportunities, and remind myself that each day opens a new opportunity for
change. Since then, I have learned that everyone falls at some point, but a man’s
greatest struggle is not about never falling. It’s about rising every time he falls.
In jail, we don’t have many choices, but we can choose to embrace challenges, persist
in the face of setbacks, and seek opportunities for growth and learning. During the first
couple months, I dedicated my time to reading and studying the law, understanding my
case, and mentoring anyone who needed help. Through helping others, I began to see
the lack of confidence and hope that exists in jail. I started to recognize the patterns of
failure that often begin long before incarceration. I’ve learned of many problems within

our communities that lead to crime. I have seen the fear in the eyes of individuals who
lack the courage to stand up. I have met pessimistic people whose negativity keeps
them stuck in the swaps of self-pity. Many carry the belief that the system set them up
for failure, and in many ways, their experiences have reinforced that belief.
The reality is that this cycle of failure and neglect perpetrates from generation to
generation. It is worsened by the high prison recidivism rates that tear families apart and
leave millions of children without parents and role models. On top of that, the culture of
confinement causes individuals to adjust in detrimental ways that do not allow them to
rehabilitate but only to survive. And one of the most damaging issues is the lack of
positive guidance to build values, goals, and aspirations. Although jail and prison
extinguish hope, we still have the power to change our lives regardless of our
environment and situations. We can choose to pursue excellence by taking
responsibility, changing our attitude, setting goals, and embracing change.
The small jail where I am detained lacks many of the programs and services that larger
facilities offer. Without access to windows or outdoors, we live twenty-four hours a day
confined within a dorm room cell with up to sixty-four other individuals. During my time
here I have met great people, some who I consider my friends. But many are lost in a
state of hopelessness, without the inner resources or outside support to guide them
through this time. Some believe there is nothing to be gained from being in jail, and
certainly nothing they could possibly learn from another inmate. The idea of returning to
society seems so distant and remote that it seems best to simply wait for time to pass.
The perception is that we are in the worst stages of our journey and there is nothing we
can do. People cope in different ways. Some spend their time watching TV, playing card
games, and trying to forget about the world outside. Others turn to reading, studying the
Bible or exercising relentlessly to numb themselves to the passing of time. However, the
never-ending lecture you hear, is how much “I will change when I get out of here” or
“when I get to prison.”
As I began writing my journey from inside a jail cell, still awaiting a conviction, in a place
where most people say, “there is nothing we can do” I knew I could not waste any time. I
needed to act. If I was going to be in jail, I would make my time as productive and
proactive as I could. This inspired me to create this website. I visualized a place where
justice impacted individuals could create a profile, share the story of their inspiring
journey and have a place to publish book reports and articles. My goal is to create a
place where the voices of people undergoing some of life’s hardest struggles can be
heard. A place to show commitment to change and provide motivation that can inspire
others to a path of success.
In jail there are many people who lack guidance, support, and the courage to believe in
their self-worth. But I know that together we can build a community support network that

provides tools, strategies and resources to help others. I want this site to encourage as
many people as possible to show that transformation is possible, success is possible
and that together we can come out as valuable members of society. I want to prove that
extraordinary rehabilitation is possible even in the individuals that society has long
condemned. I know that we all have the ability to overcome all adversities regardless of
our situation. I know people need to hear success stories that provide inspiration; kind
of like a proven guide on how to overcome the challenges of confinement. I am
documenting my journey, so I may empower others to reject patterns of failure and have
the courage to fight against the fear of the unknown. I am committed to creating content
and a community where we can embrace challenges and understand that after our
greatest failures comes our greatest success.

“I wake up every day knowing that, if I can make a difference in even one person’s life,
all the adversities I have gone through would have been worthwhile.”