Unlock Tomorrow / Words Uncaged is a collaborative effort between The Fortune Society, OPEN DOORS and the writers collective by the same name at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, CA. In this moment of social isolation, these words carry a particular weight and poignancy about what it means to have the freedom of movement to chart our own destinies. In an effort to convey the journey these words traveled to meet your eyes today, all works were scanned and presented in their raw form. Below is a letter from Joel Baptiste, leader of the collective, addressed to Jamie Maleszka from The Fortune Society, who carefully coordinated the handover of hundreds of pages of material from inside.

June 27, 2020 

Dear Jamie, 

Greetings to you all there on the East Coast. I am so excited to be able to send you something, at least, for the project you mentioned. I am depressed that we didn't have enough time to really get a full on class going. The time was just not enough for me to work out the logistics during this COVID situation. There are so many new protocols, I can't run my classes with more than six people at a time. I will tell you that I am getting so many little notes from the guys saying that they desperately want to be involved. Sadly to say, I had to inform them that it would be on the next opportunity that The Fortune Society has open, and we all look forward to that! 

I am sending you what I was able to collect from the Unlock Tomorrow/Words Uncaged, Richard J. Donovan collective. We are so proud to be able to have a voice, especially during these times. We are a proud representation of Ray's vision, and proud to be in recovery here in Richard J. Donovan. More than 90% of the population will be returning to society very soon. I don't know if you realize just how beneficial it is for us when we are included in these community writing experiences. Some people just need the opportunity to be seen and heard; at which point they can feel a part of the whole. Once that is achieved, I believe that we can be some of the best contributors within the community, because we know the cost of ignorance and failure. 

I have the group working on some beautiful art projects so that they will be ready should another project come up, we will be prepared to contribute. Everything takes longer now that COVID is a part of our lives. Please let Ray or me know when you get this. I am sorry we didn't have the time to get some sick art included. 

Please let us know how your project comes together, and anything that we can do to help or participate in the future. 

We send our gratitude and love full blast across the many miles between our states, in an attempt to foster a united community of social awareness, love, and changed perceptions. 

Joel Baptiste 

Thank you, Jamie.

Sincerely, 

Joel, and the Unlock Tomorrow/Words Uncaged group at Richard J. Donovan