Tag Page LifeAfterPrison

#LifeAfterPrison
Andrew Goltz

Reprogramming the Mind After Prison

It’s strange to admit this, but sometimes I have to lock myself in the bathroom just to calm my anxiety. I’ll freeze in the grocery store, staring at the cereal aisle — too many choices, too much noise. I’ve gotten so overwhelmed that I’ve just walked out with nothing. There are times in a restaurant when I can’t even eat. The movement, the chatter, the people walking past — my brain focuses on everything except the food in front of me. These are all signs of institutionalization. When you’ve lived in a place where survival depends on routine, control, and hyper-awareness, your mind changes. You reprogram yourself — not by choice, but by necessity. Most of us don’t realize how deep those changes go until we’re free again. And that’s when the anxiety hits hardest. You feel different. You know you’re different. And that knowledge alone can be crushing. Institutionalization is a kind of mental illness — an unintended consequence of the last 45 years of mass incarceration in America. Until a person actively works to reprogram their brain again, they’re at real risk of reoffending. So if you know someone going through this, show empathy. Ask how they’re feeling. Listen without judgment. You might be the one person who helps them stay free. About the author: Andrew Goltz writes about criminal justice, reentry, resilience, and recovery after incarceration — drawing from lived experience to shed light on the human #TheStruggleIsReal #Institutionalization #CriminalJusticeReform #Reentry #MentalHealthAwarenessNeeded #Anxiety #MassIncarceration #LifeAfterPrison

Reprogramming the Mind After Prison
Andrew Goltz

The Golden Rule — Convict Style

In prison, we live by a set of rules that go back so far nobody even knows who made them. You’ll hear guys say, “I didn’t make the rules, but we gotta follow them.” Out here, people talk about the Golden Rule — “Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you.” Inside, that rule still applies — but it’s got teeth. Everybody knows: snitches and sex offenders don’t last long. The penalty for either is final. But here’s what most people don’t know — if you falsely accuse someone of being one without proof (paperwork), then you wear that jacket. And your exit usually comes with a LifeFlight ride to the ER — if you’re lucky. So when you’re out here throwing wild accusations at politicians, public figures, or anyone else, remember — in the convict’s world, claims come with consequences. Better have the paperwork. Andrew Goltz writes raw, unfiltered stories about prison life, addiction recovery, and second chances. A reformed convict with firsthand experience in the federal system, he’s on a mission to expose the truth, break stigma, and change how people see those rebuilding after incarceration. #PrisonReform #ConvictStories #LifeAfterPrison #JusticeSystem #TruthTeller #RealTalk #SecondChances #ReentryMatters #RespectEarned #NewsBreakCommunity

The Golden Rule — Convict Style
You've reached the end!
Tag: LifeAfterPrison | LocalHood