Following are brief biographies of some of the poets.  All names have been changed to protect their identities.

6’10  I come from Elizabeth, New Jersey, where not a lot of people succeed.  Have you ever had a dream that one day the world would hear your voice?  I dream that dream every day.  I am 18 years old and incarcerated at a JDC for something I don’t even remember doing.  Everyone makes mistakes, but only intelligent people learn from them.  My fellow poets and I are a group of those intelligent people who are not only trying to change ourselves, but change the world.  We are poetic prodigies!

Mas  I grew up in Neptune, NJ.  I come from a good family but took the wrong path as I grew older.  When I was 11 I started rapping for fun, then got serious three years later.  I’ve seen a lot in my life.  I am writing poetry now because I want to share what I’ve seen.  My heart was cold when I was running the streets but I always had a soft spot for the ladies lol.  As you read my poems you’ll see something of my life through your eyes.

#71  I’m 18 years old, but locked down behind blank walls.  I feel way beyond my years.  I’m from a small town in New Jersey where regardless of the path I took it would eventually lead me here.  Here I am – trying to survive any way I can.

Tre  I am a 19 year old man from Long Branch, NJ, who grew up with struggles that some people might relate to.  I write poems to explain things I don’t want to say.  Hopefully you will like them so leave comments if so.

Shane  Hi my name is Shane and I’m glad to be able to have my poems on this website. I tend to write poems with symbolistic features and animals so there is more meaning behind them. I am a person with many hidden talents and potential and poetry is one I recently realized I was good at. I love criticism and comments so I can improve with my next work. I am Jamaican and I moved to America when I was 12 and struggled with my education for 2 years, especially English. But now I excel in math and english which helps my poems.

XB   XB was born and raised in Trenton, NJ.  At the age of 3, he was placed in a foster home with his three siblings.  A few years later, him and his siblings were returned back home to their biological parents.  After about 4 years with their biological parents they were placed in another foster home for good.  After being adopted, X became very mellow and kept to himself.  People thought he was weird, but they haven’t been through what he’s been through.  At age 15, X started to get comfortable with his foster parents.  X started to come out of his quietness.  X solidified his place in the foster home when he started to help out around the house.  He did a little construction work on the house, he also became a good uncle to his foster mother’s daughter and son.  A year later, X got into some trouble and was incarcerated on October 29, 2014.  He is still incarcerated to this day.

SELF  I’m from a small town in New Jersey where young teens are killing for freedom.  I’m a 17 year old that loves expressing my experience of life.  Everywhere I go I seem to get caught up in the system.  My name is powerful and stands for Strong Exquisite Loyal Friend.