This one’s about what we carry after unimaginable injustice.

In the span of 24 hours, I saw that unfold in very different ways.

A man I admired, who once wore prison blues, now belittles those still trapped in the system he escaped. I won’t share the specifics of the conversation, only that something in me cracked.

Then came Jeff.

Inside and serving life, he responded without pause when I made an urgent request. I needed help identifying men inside for a developing restorative justice program that Jeff himself isn’t eligible for. The deadline was the following day and I had few candidates.

Credit: Lifegate.com #Kintsugi: The art of precious scars

Within hours, I had names, context, and backstory – everything I needed. If you know, you know: that’s no small feat from behind concrete, metal, and barbed wire.

Jeff’s response didn’t undo the crack.
But he unknowingly honored it, turning it into something I could carry.

In Japanese culture, there’s a practice called kintsugi, repairing broken pottery with gold, not to hide the fracture, but to mark it as part of the object’s history. A sign of survival.

That’s what Jeff gave me.

Note:  Jeff, the lifer whose kindness sparked this post, is on our waiting list, hoping for someone to connect with. If you feel called to reach out, you can comment below, contact us, or submit an adopter form. (Check out our FAQ about adopting).

🐝 One connection can change everything.

That contrast brought Ray Hinton to mind, a man who lost three decades to injustice, and yet refuses to let it steal his joy. Asked if he was angry (~11:00 in, in the video below), he said:

Scott Pelley: Are you angry?

Ray Hinton: No.

Scott Pelley: How could you not be? Three decades of your life, most all of your life.

Ray Hinton: They took 30 years of my life, as you said. What joy I have I cannot … afford to give that to ’em. And so being angry is … would be giving them … letting them win.

Scott Pelley: You’d still be in prison.

Ray Hinton: Oh absolutely. I am a person that love to laugh. I love to see other people smile. And how can I smile when I’m full of hate. And so the 30 years that they got from me, I count today … I count every day as a joy.

There it is.
The difference between survival and true freedom.

What gets carried through the gate?

If you want to hear Ray Hinton’s story in his own words, see the 60-minutes episode featuring Hinton and his longtime advocate, Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative.

You can dive deeper with these powerful books:

The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton
Genre: Memoir / Wrongful Conviction
Ray Hinton spent 30 years on Alabama’s death row for a crime he didn’t commit. His story isn’t just about injustice, it’s about grace. I still think about his sense of humor, his unshakable belief in hope, and the deep friendships he formed inside. It’s the kind of book that wrecks you and rebuilds you.

Buy on Bookshop.org
(Supports independent bookstores)

Buy on ThriftBooks
(Discounted used copies, budget-friendly)

Buy on Barnes & Noble
(Note: Barnes & Noble is the only vendor allowed to ship into Arizona prisons)

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Genre: Memoir / Criminal Justice Reform
Bryan Stevenson’s work through the Equal Justice Initiative has saved countless lives and exposed the brutal realities of mass incarceration, racial injustice, and wrongful conviction.Just Mercy isn’t just a book about the broken system — it’s a call to empathy, action, and courage. Stevenson reminds us that “each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.” His compassion, perseverance, and relentless belief in human dignity stay with you long after the last page.

Buy on Bookshop.org
(Supports independent bookstores)

Buy on ThriftBooks
(Discounted used copies, budget-friendly)

Buy on Barnes & Noble
(Note: Barnes & Noble is the only vendor allowed to ship into Arizona prisons)