As of 2016 2.3 million people are incarcerated in the United States. These numbers are continuing to grow each year as our prison system has a revolving door of individuals that aren’t being properly rehabilitated, given the proper job skills or education to get by in life, the demands of the reentry process can be difficult to follow all its requirements. People give up and go back to their old ways, and back to prison.
How do we change this?
By advocating for the incarcerated, by educating our communities and showing compassion and encouragement for those that need help finding the right path.
Former inmate, known as Marcus “Big Herc” Timmons and his partner Anthony M. are doing that and more. They are keeping it real, showing what people have to deal with after they are released and branded a felon.
Big Herc and Anthony created a series called Fresh Out: Life after the Penitentiary. This YouTube series boasts over a half-million subscribers viewing his content, seeing that a couple of formerly incarcerated men can bring a positive presence and message in our society, as well as plenty of education.
His content is raw, compelling and deep. Their years of experience in the prison system offer invaluable advice to others going through the same situation and inspire youth to stay out of the system.
Their mission as stated on their website is: “To educate the public, at-risk youth, and friends and family of incarcerated men and women about the brutal realities of prison life, and to strip away the inaccuracies, downright falsehoods, and even glamor associated with it in the media and on the streets.”
Marcus Timmons has come a long way in life. After spending 9 years in prison he went through a transformation that has caused him to thrive after his release. Not only his YouTube show, Fresh Out: Life after the Penitentiary and other entertaining spin off series, he is also an entrepreneur who has started many businesses, motivational speaker, author, executive coach and mentor.
If you want to check out his series go to his YouTube Fresh Out: Life after the Penitentiary Also, check out this interview with Big Herc on Life of a Lifer hosted by Taylor Conley.
Watch on YouTube
Or stream on Spotify