Trash bags are the Swiss Army knife of prison life. From tablet mounts to laundry lines to makeshift ovens, one sheet of plastic can become almost anything. In this first installment of #InmateIngenuity, Ray Corona shares the everyday creativity that helps people behind bars survive a world built with almost none of the tools the rest of us take for granted.
Token gestures make us feel righteous, but they donāt hold us accountable to change. What would happen if you reached down to someone in the pitānot as charity, but as a neighbor? You might discover a new and empowered version of yourself.
I used to breathe in lifeāmountain bike mornings, oil and rubber at the shop, the scents of youth and purpose. Now I breathe as little as possible. Prison air carries chemicals, suffering, and the scent of men waiting to die. Still, I pray for the day breathing feels like living again.