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MR. TARIK AKIM CLARK #P93422 GROW FACILITATOR ECHO~YARD WOW!!!! WHAT A DIFFERENCE A CLASS MAKES. I have been to and also facilitated numerous groups since my incarceration, but I have not seen one impact a prison society as much as I witnessed GROW do. And without seeming prideful, I am very proud to be a part of that process that brought a non-violent change to myself and other inmates at CMC~WEST ECHO FACILITY. At first, I truly believed that my message to the inmates on the yard was falling on deaf ears, because prison is prison and those must do what they have to do consequences never mattered. BOY!!!! WAS I WRONG. After other CROW classes were being held I soon begin to realize that we as FACILITATORS OF PEACE AND SECURITY had alot more ammunition on our side. We talked, we shared, we compared without judging, we taught, we learned, we smiled, we laughed, we cried, we listened and we loved. WE IMPACTED.... Being amongst my peers of my former lifestyle and advocating for them to accept other inmates that they no longer deemed acceptable really pushed my vand other facilitators backs against the wall. We got criticized, ridiculed and outsed by some. But all that did for me was affirm my decision of walking away from that negative lifestyle in the first place. And we knew we wasn't gonna reach everybody, we just moved forward with the intention to change enough mindsets that would tip the scales of peace and security in our favor. AND DID WE EVER!!!! When I started speaking peaceful transition it were those that was strongly against it and speaking doing harm to any and everybody for it, I knew as a facilitator I was playing with fire, I just prayed God supplied enough water to put the fire out. And He did. That water came in the UNITY, PEACE, LOVE AND FREEDOM that GROW created, produced and instilled into the society of CMC—WEST ECHO FACILITY. When the new inmates arrived at ECHO—YARD it was like they always belonged here. They were kinda skiddish at first, but after a few handshakes and introductions they began to relax and walk around. And today, I am proud to say that ECHO FACILITY made an excellent transition into a NDBF without any incidents of any‘ kind. tarik akim clark
