Unique way of communicating with inmates

We’ve been writing a lot about inmate communication, and how difficult it is to stay in touch when you have a loved one behind bars, and how very, very expensive and stressful it can be. Today we wanted to bring to your attention a unique way of communicating with inmates from the group of Rochester based hip-hop artists that call themselves Da Cloth. They did something incredible!

 

Inspired by the stories of their friends and relatives who served time in prison, Travis Florence and his recording group, Da Cloth, have been sending inmates a story set to rap music—they call it an “audio movie”—that chronicles the life of a man who has just been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

The project, entitled “4 Da Mountains,” consists of 25 tracks of songs and dialogues that take the listener through a long narrative arc, following a man named Shadow from his crime to his sentencing and efforts to adjust to prison life. The harsh reality he faces is reflected in the raw lyrics and simple hip-hop beats.

Prison-themes hip-hop album

Prison-themes hip-hop album 4 Da Mountains

Florence says he came up with the idea of the tape as a way to talk to his cousin, who is currently serving a 26-to-life sentence for murder at Auburn Correctional Facility in upstate New York.

“I can’t pick up the phone and call him,” Florence said. “I can’t hug him. I can’t look him in the eye and tell him how I feel.” So he started writing “4 Da Mountains” as a way to tell his cousin everything he wanted to say.

 

 

The main aim of “4 Da Mountains” is to let the people behind bars know that someone is thinking about them. The ultimate goal of these artists is to turn a bad situation into something positive.

 

Members of Da Cloth have sent the tape to over 150 people in prisons across upstate New York.

 

Florence has received nearly 70 letters from inmates who have listened to the tape, and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Inmates say the project, and the recording, will help them get through tough times.

 

 

Florence and the other members of Da Cloth are passionate about prison reform—and hope to draw attention to issues such as mandatory minimum sentencing for nonviolent crimes, the psychological effects of solitary confinement, and the general mistreatment of prisoners.

 

“Action doesn’t define who you are. A lot of people made a lot of mistakes, but those people still need love,” said Florence. “We want to help them fight all the negative sides of being behind the bars, from being away from the family to trying to actually hurt themselves because of the terrible situation they are in”.

 

Da Cloth and 4 Da Mountains

Da Cloth and 4 Da Mountains

 

If you have a friend or a loved one in prison, and you want to give them a temporary escape, you can send them “4 Da Mountains.”

 

If you would like to join our discussions, go to YOUR VOICE, and send us your comments, or contributions.

 

 

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Posted by on September 2, 2014

Category: Inmate communication, Inmate support, News, Press, Projects

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