I wrote this book from a high security federal prison on a mountain top because I know you are lost and in need of direction. I really hope that anything I say or that others whom are mentioned in this book will help you. Maybe between the lines we can communicate as if I were sitting next to you in your corner of the world. I wrote this book more as a token of my love and friendship, rather than an eloquent argument for or against any point of view. If you decide to read through this book versus throwing your life away, just imagine the depth of compassion and understanding you can offer to others who suffer in their own forms of hell. I hope for you, me and for the world, that you can emerge from this struggle as a person who has learned your true self, with a loving heart which has been forged in the hottest fire of pain.
About the Author: Eugene Linwood, Jr. founded Reaching Out Beyond Bars (ROBB) to help save at-risk youth from behavior leading to incarceration. Officially established in 2008, ROBB was created to make a difference in the lives of at-risk youth both inside and outside prisons. As a teen, Eugene became an accomplished artist and after finishing high school enrolled in college and worked as a disc jockey for local radio stations. At 24 he joined the Army serving two tours of duty both overseas and stateside. While serving in Brooklyn, New York, he counseled youth who like himself, had been abused as a child. He went on to help several people start a program that provided housing to homeless teens. The Blueberry Program provided homeless teens with housing, counseling for mental illness, physical, emotional and sexual abuse and launched Eugene into the work that would eventually mold him into his present position. In 1992, Eugene left the Army to pursue educational goals. However his bout with PTSD and the demons of his past cast him deep into the world of drugs, alcohol and criminal behavior. In 1994, Eugene was imprisoned in the federal prison system where he started the difficult road to recovery. He worked tirelessly on self-improvement before helping others. In 2004, Eugene interviewed several young men for his informative book 'Young, Gifted & Incarcerated.' He also created an online news service 'Alternatives To Youth Crime News Service' to inform society about the ills facing our youth nationwide. In 2006, Eugene joined forces with Mr. Ron Fryer, President of The Insider Magazine, Inc. who sponsors ROBB. At the heart of Eugene's values is his commitment to the communities he left behind. As a grass roots non-profit organization ROBB serves to use all means necessary to connect with at-risk youth. Since its establishment, the organization has introduced several projects for at-risk youth. These projects have already begun to impact the lives of the over 200,000 at-risk youth who enter America's jails and prisons each year. Thus far, Eugene has a lifetime of success and failure but with his faith in redemption, rehabilitation and change his creation of Reaching Out Beyond Bars is a worthwhile and rewarding project. He believes that ROBB is the launching pad into his future work as the "voice" of the youth through radio, television and print media. Eugene Linwood, Jr. has only just begun.