Maurice Tyree went to prison thinking that life was disposable. He came out knowing that he had a story to tell.

This is his story, told through letters and poems written during and since his time in prison. An honest and reflective narrative, this epistolary autoethnography provides a glimpse into the experience of a person who committed and served time for pre-meditated murder, and used his time incarcerated to reflect on and transform his life.

Ideal reading for students of Incarceration or Carceral Studies, Criminal Justice, Social Work and Family Studies, Sociology, Literature, and related courses, Mr Tyree offers first-hand insight to the experience of the US criminal legal system for an African-American man.

Maurice Tyree is a native of Washington, DC, USA. At the age of 27, he was convicted of murder. While incarcerated, Tyree worked to transform himself, and now works to share his story while continuing his journey of self-improvement as poet, philosopher, and scholar.

Katie Singer PhD is an independent scholar of American Studies, with expertise in writing, literature, and African-American studies.