Building XIII - Forward Living The Change

BUILDING XIII - Forward Living The Change Editor: T Darshan At 6:00PM every night, as the Fishkill's facility walkways spring open, an interesting insight into the inmate's orientation also springs to life: some men race to the yard to play; other men walk to school to work. It may not be realized at first glance, but the future of these men follow in each direction. Building XIII, the sprawling school facility in the deep backyard of Fishkill Corrections, transforms by night. It goes from housing and state mandated programs by day to honing voluntary engagement under the moonlight. Small civic circles of inmate collaboration form to learn and change. Just think of a generator where small installments of positive energy gradually turn into a force, as performance-based discipline and enlighten-based discussions fuel a forward living that moves beyond the wall. It's largely between these two channels, Building XIII or another number in the yard, that you receive a lasting glimpse into what the first sparks of an inmate's change must be–motivation. Webster Almonor is at Building XIII every night. He provides guidance for those fighting the law to earn their freedom, and he receives guidance on how to steer clear of the law upon earning his freedom. Turning sparks of motivation into a driving force to change is no task for the weak at heart, Almonor knows, but he is a fine example of someone rising to the challenge. On paper, Almonor actually fits a strange prison trend, one that is not easily classified. Call this the new prisoner's paradox, where on file–and prior to entering prison–the person is just as capable of succeeding as he is of failing. Growing up, Almonor was bounced from foster home to foster home, yet he somehow managed to obtain his Associates Degree in Applied Science and Music Electronics Technology. Weak community support and few windows of opportunity loomed large in Almonor's poor life choices. As he explains, "I was in debt due to financial aid and the only job opportunities available were minimum wage, entry-level jobs. After working so hard for a degree, my mindset led me to believe I deserved more–and maybe I did, but I went about it the wrong way." Making more and wanting it now is a common cry for inner city neighborhoods. This caused Almonor's much slower, college approach to be the object of much ridicule. "You did all that college work for nothing!" his friends would taunt. "Better off in the streets getting that money, homeboy." Peer pressure, which most of our Forward Living participants at BeyondTheCurve.org confronted, poached at Almonor's tolerance and hurt him in a big way. The motivation to change while establishing a focus that rises above your transgressions can often result from one moment of clarity. Losing those he loved in prison did it for Almonor. He realized that his dependency on the street code was more enslaving than empowering. Discovering a future of change and value increasingly became his only goal, compelling Almonor to sign up for the Network Program, a therapeutic prison community that focuses on confronting destructive attitudes of facilitating behavioral change. In the context of change, Almonor flourished. He developed as a senior member of the program and earned the respect and admiration of Anne Williams, Director of the program. He additionally took aggression replacement courses, Green Energy math courses, and a few business courses, which has largely rekindled his entrepreneurial spirit. Almonor's acceptance into the Forward Living Program is an outgrowth of this commitment to change. He looks forward to sharing his life at BeyondTheCurve.org and discovering new opportunities with it's intervention community. "I'm really excited about joining Beyond The Curve's online intervention community. They're really disrupting the norm for guys coming home. Interacting with the world beyond my neighborhood is just…it truly is a new wave support that I need." Interestingly enough, Almonor has three brothers that have all excelled. Noah is an Army Colonel who served our country in Afghanistan and South Korea; David earned his Master's in Media Studies; and Drew earned his B.A. in Forensic Science from John Jay College. Apparently, the entrepreneur spirit runs in the family's blood, as Drew is a skilled rap artist with a fateful following on YouTube (he also moonlights as a model in the fashion industry). When I ask Almonor about the success of his brothers, he naturally expresses mixed emotions. "I'm proud of my brothers, of course, but at the same token, I feel like a disappointment. This is something I've worked hard at getting over." Almonor also expresses mixed emotions about reentry programs. He feels many keep you recovering from your past instead of helping you discover your future. As a result, he fears the many out-patient programs will only serve to 'post incarcerate' his freedom. "If there is one advantage about Forward Living at BeyondTheCurve.org, it's that you're not answering for your past. You're asking important questions about your future. I did the time, now I want to live the change." The bar for achievement is exceptionally low for ex-inmates. Many find it comparable to being a social handicap. Almonor rejects the idea that staying out of prison is sufficient as a success story. "The expectations and the standards are very demanding in the Forward Living Program at Beyond The Curve. I can tell you that. They say no to complacency. It's about exploring new opportunities, discovering a better future, and climbing up the ladder of empowerment. To simply survive prison and call that a success is just foolish. Yet it's the norm. It's all we ask of ourselves. Time to disrupt that." Almonor plans to go back to college as a business major. He will be doing this while pursuing his life's dream and documenting it on BeyondTheCurve.org: the dream of launching his own company, LANDMINE Entertainment, with his brother Drew. "We hope to expose our potential, find some opportunities, and disrupt the norm at BeyondTheCurve.org," Almonor says as he leaves Building XIII to building his future at Beyond The Curve. Rather than recover a fracture past, Almonor ambitiously plan to discover a future of personal change and social difference. "When I succeed, I also want to make sure others succeed that struggle like me. An online intervention community changing outcomes and changing lives ellipses -- I need that platform. I can't just move from program to program. I have to make real progress, something that improves my future and something I can hang my hat on."