Lots of people get into trouble, all the time. There is a constant flow of people into the prison system. Many of those people are juveniles, and wind up as cogs in the criminal industry through poor choices or a lack of awareness of choices. We're all down with this, aren't we? In my own country, the proportion of Aboriginal people in the prison system is scandalous, and I have no doubt that the American system is the same.
However, of those people, some brave and resourceful souls manage to break the cycle, to reinvent themselves and go on to a better life. My respect for these people is boundless.
Out of their number, an even smaller number of people, having succeeded in getting themselves right, reach out and spend their lives helping others to do the same. One of these exceptional human beings is Mark Baynard, whom I am proud to call friend. Mark spent over ten years in prison himself and is now established as a happy and productive citizen, and through his books and his advocacy work he helps to make it possible for others in that situation to do the same.
ONE MAN'S FIGHT TO SAVE OTHERS
Due to poor decisions, Mark ended up
serving more than a decade in prison on drug convictions.
After being released from prison, he was
determined to be a better man. He moved to Alabama where he met his wife and
they now share a nine year old together. He pursued a college education and
earned an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education from Ashford
University. He then earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from
Faulkner University. Mark is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree while taking
classes between Troy University and Auburn University Montgomery.
Mark is now
on a mission to reach our youth before they reach prison. He has been working
with troubled teenagers for the past nine years. He focuses on such qualities
as responsibility, accountability, and determination. Mark encourages good work
ethics and reminds teenagers to think before making a bad decision.
Mark's outreach work is supported by his writing, and he has published two books, with a third soon to be released. His published work is available from AMAZON, and his new book, 100 Years II: Truth Be Told, will release on 1 September 2016.
You can contact Mark here:
Twitter: @mark100years
Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Mark-Baynard/e/B00TLXK5L6
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/mark100years
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/journey100years
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markbaynard
Instagram: @mark100years
Google+: @mark100years
Pinterest: @mark100years
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