Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 6-16-17

Features
Sent To Prison As A Teen, Man Values The Lessons He Learned
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
Talmedge Hayes was 16 years old when he got into trouble with ‘the law.’ By the time he turned 17, he had been given multiple life sentences and sent to prison.
On April 1, 2016, Hayes (not related to this writer), was released from prison after 27 years. Seventeen (17-1/2) of those years were spent at Sumpter Correctional Institu- tion.
Since he was released on April 1st, Hayes said when he was first told of his release date, he didn’t know if it “was a joke or not.” His sister and niece met him with a cell phone. “I asked them, ‘what am I supposed to do with this?’” He’s still learning the features of the phone.
With the assistance of the Equal Justice Initiative of Montgomery, AL, a non-profit organization, Brian Steven- son went to court on his be- half, in search of a reduced sentence for a young man who went to prison as a teenager. His case was handled pro bono.
In 2012, he received a re- duced sentence from the mandatory life sentence. He was released in 2016 on gain time. His adult co-conspira- tors received less time of incar- ceration than he.
Hayes, now 45, a native of Tampa, who lived throughout
TALMEDGE HAYES ...Spent 27 years as an inmate
the community as a youngster, did not waste his prison time. Within 11 months after going to prison, he had earned his General Equivalency Diploma (GED).
He then entered the Prison Rehabilitative Industries and Diversified Enterprises (PRIDE) Program (1995- 2012), where he learned job skills. These skills led to his learning offset printing.
Today, he is gainfully em- ployed with the Graphics Divi- sion of Public Affairs, Palm Beach County, having secured employment 87 days after re- lease, based on the skills he learned while incarcerated. He works 8-10 hours per day.
Hayes was serious about his release and moving in the right direction. He received his driver’s license 22 days after his release and now owns a 2008 Chrysler.
“I’m just thankful for being where I am today,” he said.
However, Hayes did not go on job interviews right after his release. He attended the Ready4Work Program at Abe Brown Ministries to learn job interview skills and currently stays in contact with the Life Coaches of that ministry.
Because he is now a model, Hayes is in demand for speaking engagements. He is often in Tampa to speak before various venues, where in some cases he speaks with newly re- leased inmates or potential employers to share his story. He encourages employers to hire former offenders.
Hayes recalls that he was unable to attend his mother’s funeral. Ms. Agnes Burgess died in 2006. His father, Sammy Lee Hayes died in 1972 in a fiery car accident with several other persons, 9 months after his birth.
What message can he share with former offenders and younger ones before entering the system, Hayes said:
“Always do right. It will gratify some and astonish the rest. Nelson Mandela also spent 27 years in prison. When he left, he said, ‘As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my free- dom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred be- hind, I'd still be in prison.” He, too, has adopted that philoso- phy.
Tampa Housing Authority’s 7th Annual Fatherhood Initiative Promotes Importance Of Responsible Parenting
Tampa Housing Authority is hosting its annual Father- hood Initiative Event that fo- cuses on empowering local fathers and raising awareness of the important role they play in the emotional and physical well-being of their children’s lives.
The free event, themed “Building Healthy Families,” will give fathers an opportu- nity to spend quality time with their children.
Apart from entertaining activities, food and give- aways, vendors will also be on site to offer a variety of re- sources regarding: health and wellness, education, job train- ing, employment, and home- ownership.
Last year’s event was at- tended by approximately 200 people and received a positive response from fathers who vowed to support their homes and families throughout
Tampa Housing Authority’s communities.
The fatherhood initiative began in 2010 under Presi- dent Obama’s push for stronger families and was adopted and implemented by HUD, the Housing Author- ity’s governing body.
There are countless exam- ples of what happens when men are not present to men- tor and enrich other young men as they navigate toward adulthood.
Contributions by men, who are fathers to their chil- dren or act as “father figures” to those whom they mentor, is the sole purpose of the Fa- therhood Initiative.
The Fatherhood Initiative will be held at Oaks at Riverview Community Cen- ter, 110 E. Kirby Street, Tampa, FL 33604, on Friday, June 16 from 10 a. m. until 3 p. m.
PAGE 2-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017