Kirjahaku

This epic memoir captures the emotional journey of a preteen coming of age in the Nation's capitol during an era in which Washington, D.C. was the murder capitol of the country. From his initiation into the drug trade at the age of twelve, to his receiving two life sentences at the age of sixteen, the words on these pages relate a tale that is devastating and inspiring in the same breath as its readers will learn the path to contrition which Halim A. Flowers took to transform from a prisoner to a publisher, author, poet, blogger, college student, and an at-risk youth activist.

Halim Flowers is the author of eleven books. #UNCHAINABLE is his fourth collection of poetry. From the author: I was born and raised in Washington, D.C. during the crack era, pre-gentrification, when the nation's capital was the murder capital. I am 37 years old, and I have been incarcerated since the age of 16. I was convicted of aiding and abetting a felony murder, while my co-defendant had all charges dismissed against him. I was sentenced to 40 years to life imprisonment. I am not innocent, and I am not sure how to quantify a number of years to equate to the unjust loss of a human soul. My life is a poetic actualization of repentance.I have previously published 10 books that I use for my outreach work with at-risk youth in society and to heal others outside of the confines of prison. In 2016, the DC City Council enacted the Comprehensive Youth Justice Amendment Act, a law that provides a process for juveniles who received life sentences and have served at least 20 years behind bars to seek resentencing and release. I will have a hearing this year under the new law. Is my sentence just? I cannot say with certainty. My humility and love for humanity only concerns me with doing the work of embodying the compassion and love that I want to see at work in the world.I am human. Can you see me as such?-Halim A. Flowers