- Your name and where are you from? Kevin Palmer from Greensboro, NC currently living in Florida.
- What year were you incarcerated and when were you released? 2011-2014
- While incarcerated did you take any classes or make plans for when you come home to help aid your transition? While incarcerated I took classes often. I used these to help pass the time and stay busy. I also used these classes to move to certain prison camps that were closer to home to help my family commute for visitation.
- How was the transition from prison back into society? My transition from prison was smooth due to my family sticking by my side my entire bid. I started a work release job 9 months before being released. So that helped with my financial transition, this helped before I transitioned into trucking.
- What job or jobs do you have now? My current job now is in the trucking industry, I started as a company driver then transitioned to owning my own trucks total of 3 now. Since then, we have begun the process of starting our own CDL Training School, that will train formerly incarcerated individuals to get their CDL and get into trucking.
- What keeps you from not going back? What is your motivation? Realizing how precious time and family is what keeps me from going back to prison. Also, most of us must realize is that we were addicted to the crimes we were committing or felt as if we had no other choice. Since obtaining my CDL it gives me so many choices and that took away the slightest desire to jeopardize my freedom.
- If you could change something about the prison system from behind the walls to probation/parole or even having the label felon, what would you change? Things that I would change about the prison system would be upon release, give people their lives back! It seems that so many times even after the “punishment” is served that we still have to fight and convince people and employers that we trying to achieve change for the better.
- Would you like to leave some encouraging words for those who are still incarcerated or the youth of the community? Encouraging words would be do not over think what you want to accomplish out here. It is so much easier than you think. Also remember EVERYTHING works out to the good, even this dark background that we carry. Try to find ways to use this to your advantage. EACH ONE TEACH ONE!