Dear Readers:

I am writing this post in hopes of hearing from people who want to change lives and communities.

My name is Amondo Duckworth, I am 33 years old and have been in prison since 2006 for armed robbery. Before that I was in prison for possession w/ intent to deliver cocaine, but until a few years ago I never really looked at the long-term effect that my crimes had on my community. I never thought about the lives I may have changed, the psychological damage I may have caused or the continued effect that it would have on myself and my community even now.

With that said, I am reaching out to those who may have walked this road before or even after me, but have now become a positive and productive citizens, because I want to use these last four years of my prison sentence to build and in some cases re-build relationships with people who can help me with changing lives within our communities.

My idea is to use social media: I wish to reach out to organizations that film documentaries and/or work with prisoners who are still incarcerated, but have a positive and uplifting message for the community. And to do it so well it goes viral and draws the attention of news organizations everywhere.

I am reaching out to all influential members in the community, those influential people who are members of "street organizations" and truly see the devastation which is being wreaked upon our communities, and our lives because of the misguidance or just plain lack of guidance within those organizations.

As a person that has experienced the life of a "street organization" member, I know the true concepts behind what was built - what I was a part of - am a part of stood and still stands for love, truth, peace, freedom, justice... we were supposed to support, not destroy the community, uplift life, not destroy it, to educate, not miseducate... what happened!

I know I have taken so much from the community and those in it by my ignorance, but I am trying to make amends by preventing others from losing themselves to misguidance and ignorance.

I want to use social media to reach out to the "Folks, the Vice Lords, Latin Kings, etc and the project returns, fatherhood initiatives, and all community organizations with the same purpose - don't say wait until released! Help me while I'm incarcerated and when I'm released, so that together our experiences can help heal the communities we live in and those who have thus far been victims of our ignorance and selfishness.