Bros and Cons
A Non-Profit Proposal
What’s the hardest part of serving an extended prison sentence?
A loaded question, perhaps. You might consider the isolation from the outside world, the risk of harm from other inmates, or the grim, claustrophobic environment. While these things certainly aren’t good, there remains one element of long-term prison sentences that makes all this other stuff pale in comparison: Getting out.
In 2018, the prison recidivism rate was a monumental 77%. Throughout the United States, readjustment to the outside world remains one of the greatest hurdles facing the prison system today, acting as key source of criticism from prison reform activists.
The growing recidivism rate paints a troubling portrait of our nation’s prison system.
There’s little denying that fundamental reform is necessary. But that will take time, and in the short-term, recently-released convicts are left scared and directionless in a world that they don’t understand and haven’t been prepared for. They need a helping hand from human beings who are willing to stick their necks out for them.
This is where Bros and Cons comes in.
Meet Troy Mackenzie.
Troy is a characteristically chill dude. He’s a craft beer encyclopedia, Step Brothers fanatic, and connoisseur of Taco Bell’s secret menu items. Troy has gone on record saying he would “take a bullet for any one of his boys” after an evening of back-to-back power hours.
Simply put, Troy possesses the warmth and dedication necessary for getting a convict back on their feet. And he’s willing to do it for nothing but the satisfaction of helping those in need.
Cindy Needed Help.
Cindy “the Cinderblock” Townsend was 19 when she received a 23-year sentence for a litany of drug and animal abuse charges following a harrowing episode at a Bennigan’s outside Raleigh.
Instead of learning the principles of personal finance or her own professional potential, Cindy’s prison stint left her cold-hearted, violent, and distrusting of the world around her. She stated that upon her release from the Franklin Correctional Center, she was left without “friends, family, or a path to a normal life.”
I recently connected Troy and Cindy and organized a meet-up. Though Cindy was hesitant at first, she eventually warmed up to the idea and the two had their first hang sesh at Dave & Buster’s, where they sunk hoops, pounded brews, and babbled the night away over games of air hockey and Big Buck Hunter.
Unfortunately, Cindy’s history of addiction didn’t lend itself to rapid alcohol consumption. After parting ways with Troy, her evening devolved into a 3-day bender that landed her back in prison for 5 more years.
Cindy and Troy hitting it off earlier in the night.
But I know potential when I see it. And my ideas are usually very good. So that’s why I’m writing to you, John Stamos. With your celebrity power and benevolent public persona, we could take Cindy and Troy’s magical evening and turn it into a life-changing program for ex-convicts across the country.
Please give my proposal serious consideration. Not just for the convicts whose lives you can touch, but also for me, and the money I could make. Because at the end of the day, that’s what non-profits are for, I think.
Your biggest fan,
Ben Englander