THINK AND WIN
Think Outside the Cell wants our readers to win in life. Reading our books is a great start along that road. And we are also featuring contests designed to inspire you to think about a range of ideas, concepts and options that can help you, your family and our people. The best submissions in each contest will win cash prizes.
New York, NY – Resilience Multimedia, publisher of the widely praised book, “Think Outside the Cell: An Entrepreneur’s Guide for the Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated,” has announced the winners of its writing contest for people who are or were in prison, and their loved ones. The winning stories will be included in books in Resilience’s “Think Outside the Cell Series,” which is intended to help the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated tackle hard challenges and have successful lives. In the process, the series will present a fairer, more balanced image of those who’ve spent time behind prison walls.
“We were moved by the honesty and power of the many stories we received,” said Sheila Rule, president of Resilience Multimedia. “We thank everyone who entered. And although the contest has ended, we invite others to contact us if they have work they’d like to offer for the series.”
Contestants were asked to submit stories about actual events on one or more of these topics: reentering society after incarceration, waiting for loved ones to return home from prison, and prison marriages and relationships. Three winners were chosen for each of the topics, receiving $300 for first place, $150 for second place, and $75 for third place. For the topic prison marriages and relationships, there was a third-place tie, with each writer receiving $75.
Reentering society after incarceration:
1st Place: Tion Terrell, Pound, VA
2nd Place: Esther Morales Guzman, San Diego, CA
3rd Place: Delores Mariano, Anaheim, CA
Waiting for loved ones to return home from prison:
1st Place: Lawrence J. Schulenberg, Council Bluffs, IA
2nd Place: Kimberly Milberg, Massachusetts
3rd Place: Zee Mink-Fuller, Burleson, TX
Prison marriages and relationships:
1st Place: Tanea Lunsford, San Francisco, CA
2nd Place: Joel Williams, Ione, CA
3rd Place: (tie) Daniel Skalla, Rockwell City, IA and Lise Porter, San Diego, CA
Many stories that did not win cash prizes are still eligible for inclusion in the series. Writers whose stories are published will receive a free copy of the book in which their work appears.
For more information, please email us or write to:
Resilience MultimediaThink Outside the Cell Week™ is part of a global movement to inspire people to overcome self-defeating beliefs, attitudes and behavior, and to achieve their full potential.
The week was conceived in September, 2007 by Joseph Robinson, author of “Think Outside the Cell: An Entrepreneur’s Guide for the Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated.” Joe initially had this nation’s millions of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated persons in mind, but he soon realized that the universal themes on which the week rests are easily applicable to all people.
Because spring signifies new beginnings, Think Outside the Cell Week is the third week of April.
Each day of the week is dedicated to one of 7 Pillars of Success: Education/Personal Growth; Entrepreneurship/Employment; Family/Community; Health & Fitness; Financial Literacy & Stability; Spiritual Enlightenment, and Building Institutions/Leaving a Legacy. The pillars are essentially themes around which empowering activities are to take place. It is not expected that all activities proposed here will be carried out, but that at least one of the activities, or a similar one of your own creation, will be done each day.
Though officially observed for a week, the 7 Pillars of Success should be implemented daily throughout the year.
Joe is calling on everyone—including individuals, families, towns and cities, schools, companies, and faith-based and other organizations—to participate in Think Outside the Cell Week and organize daily activities devoted to the 7 Pillars of Success. If you plan to sponsor events devoted to Think Outside the Cell Week, or if you want to share ideas for activities, please send an email to resiliencemultimedia@verizon.net, or call 877-267-2303, or write to Resilience Multimedia, 511 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 525, New York, NY 10011.
Day 1: Education/Personal Growth
Day 2: Entrepreneurship/Employment
Day 3: Family/Community
Day 4: Health & Fitness
Day 5: Financial Literacy & Stability
Day 6: Spiritual Enlightenment
Day 7: Building Institutions/Leaving a Legacy