Tag Page PrisonReform

#PrisonReform
Andrew Goltz

The New Golden Rule: Before You Hit Send

This is a piggyback off my last post about the Golden Rule in prison. Lately, I’ve gotten a lot of hateful comments on my stories. I don’t write about what the president has done that I like — I could, but that’d just be writing to half the country. I write about the things that matter to me: criminal justice reform, addiction and recovery, and mental health awareness — all from personal experience. The hate usually starts when someone flings wild, unproven accusations at the president. I try to moderate my comments. I push back on things that aren’t or can’t be proven. I’m not for shutting people up — that’s wrong. But when I do that, the same people turn on me. The truth is, the left is pushing away people like me — people who might have listened, people who just want real solutions for the issues that matter most. So before you hit send, think about what you’re doing. Are you writing for others in your echo chamber, or are you trying to reach everyone? Andrew Goltz writes straight from experience — 22 years in the federal system taught him a lot about justice, redemption, and what real change takes. Now free, he’s using his voice to bridge the divide between politics and people. --- Hashtags #RealTalk #FreeSpeech #SecondChances #PrisonReform #AddictionRecovery #MentalHealthAwareness #JusticeSystem #TruthTeller #NewsBreakCommunity #ThinkBeforeYouPost

The New Golden Rule: Before You Hit Send
Andrew Goltz

25 Years Inside the Federal System — What I Learned About America’s Prisons & Why Reform Can’t Wait

I spent 25 years in federal prison. There are five security levels: minimum, low, medium, high, and administrative max (ADX). I never made it to a minimum. Beyond those, there are two behavior management programs — the Special Management Unit (SMU) and the Communication Management Unit (CMU). I was never in the CMU, which mostly houses terrorists and individuals tied to organizations the U.S. is actively at war with. When I was inside, that meant Al-Qaeda, Taliban, and ISIS operatives, along with members of The Order and other organized subversive groups. The United States has some of the harshest sentencing laws in the world. Out of about 9 billion people globally, roughly 8 million are incarcerated — and 2 million of them are here in the U.S. That means we hold 25% of the world’s prison population but make up only 4% of its people. We also have the world’s highest recidivism rate: about 63% return to prison within two years of release. In my experience, there’s almost nothing in federal prison that prepares you for life afterward. The mental rewiring needed to survive inside is often destructive outside. Without real prison and criminal justice reform, we’ll keep producing men who are institutionalized and struggling to function in a free society. I’m here to answer real questions — about doing time, helping incarcerated loved ones, and navigating the legal maze. I’ve spent years helping men file appeals, briefs, and motions, and I understand how district, circuit, and Supreme Court rulings differ — and why federal law can contradict itself. If you’re seeking clarity about the system or someone caught in it, I’m here to help I spent 25 years in federal prison — mostly in medium and high-security facilities, with some time in the SMU and lows. I write about incarceration, reentry, and the realities of America’s justice system, offering firsthand insight and guidance for those affected by it. #PrisonReform #CriminalJusticeReform

25 Years Inside the Federal System — What I Learned About America’s Prisons & Why Reform Can’t Wait
Kathleen

Beyond Alligator Alcatraz

By Kathleen Bird “Alligator Alcatraz,” the nickname for Florida’s Sumter Correctional Institution confinement unit, is infamous for cramming 32 men into one 750-square-foot space—just 23 square feet per inmate. Reports from watchdog groups and the Florida Department of Corrections describe broken toilets, sweltering heat, inedible food, and ignored medical needs. But what’s more alarming is how similar these conditions are to many prisons across the U.S. In most state facilities, a two-person cell offers only about 60 square feet total. Dormitory-style housing units often cram 60 or more inmates into shared spaces with only 60–75 square feet per person. According to the Prison Policy Initiative and ACLU, overcrowding, poor sanitation, and failing infrastructure are widespread—from Rikers Island to Mississippi’s Parchman Prison. These conditions persist due to chronic underfunding, public apathy, and political reluctance to appear “soft on crime.” Yet the cost of that indifference is measured in suffering, increased recidivism, worsening mental health, and ripple effects on families and communities. We must stop treating cruelty as a feature of incarceration. Real reform requires action: support the First Step Implementation Act, push state lawmakers for independent prison oversight, and back organizations like the Prison Policy Initiative, Southern Center for Human Rights, and Florida Cares. Contact your state representatives and demand that incarceration meets basic standards of human dignity. If Alligator Alcatraz is only slightly worse than the norm, then the entire system is the problem — and it's past time to fix it.#KathleenBirdWrites#PrisonReform #AlligatorAlcatraz#PrisonPolicyInitiative

Beyond Alligator Alcatraz
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: PrisonReform | LocalHood