http://otwhreentry.org/Stories?blogid=11340&view=post&articleid=291135&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
Written by Richard Fox, an incarcerated board member of On The Way Home, this piece explores why reentry must begin long before release. Drawing from decades inside Alabama's prison system, Richard challenges current reentry practices and explains what people truly need to not just get out—but stay out. His perspective is raw, honest, and rooted in lived experience.
/Blog/Stories/VOICES-FROM-THE-INSIDE/The-Importance-of-Reentry/?link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
The first 90 days after release are often the most challenging. In this story, OTWH Reentry shares a realistic look at the obstacles returning citizens face during reentry and why early, consistent support is essential for long-term stability and successful reintegration.
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In Alabama, Christmas is often described as a season of warmth, faith, and family. It's a time when churches are full, tables are set, and traditions are honored year after year. But for tens of thousands of Alabamians, Christmas arrives with locked doors, empty chairs, and long stretches of silence. The joy we associate with the holidays stands in sharp contrast to the reality faced by families impacted by incarceration.
Behind the razor wire, Christmas is not marked by celebration, but by absence. It is felt in missed phone calls, denied visits, and the quiet weight of separation. For families on the outside—and for those incarcerated within Alabama's prison system—the holidays often magnify loss, uncertainty, and struggle. This season reveals not just who is missing from the table, but how deeply incarceration reaches into homes, families, and entire communities across our state.
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You don't fully grasp how broken a prison policy is until it shatters your own family. For years, I've helped a journalist friend gather information for families desperate for updates on their incarcerated loved ones—updates the system refuses to give. I never thought much of it… until the night I slipped on wet concrete, shattered my ankle in three places, and disappeared into the "black hole" that swallows anyone taken off prison grounds.
For eleven days, I lay in a hospital bed recovering from surgery while my 75-year-old mother was told only this: "He's in the hospital, but he's alive." No explanation. No reassurance. Just enough information to fuel terror. That single sentence—born from a flawed, outdated policy—left her sleepless, panicked, and imagining every nightmare Alabama's prison system is known for. And she's not the only one. This is happening to families all across the state, and it doesn't have to.
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Sex offenders are often seen as the most hated people in society—especially when a child is involved. I understand that hatred more than anyone, because no one has ever despised me as deeply as I've despised myself. I'm not here to argue guilt or innocence; I know what I've done, and I know what I didn't do. What matters is that my choices led me here, and the shame of that has nearly destroyed me more than once.
Prison didn't break me—it forced me to finally face myself. Over the last decade, I've torn apart my past to understand the damage, the fear, and the flaws that shaped me. Strange as it sounds, prison became the place where I learned who I really am. My hope now isn't freedom—it's healing, especially with the daughter I failed. Her words, her uncertainty, and her willingness to forgive are the only light I hold onto.
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Some stories break us open, and Richard Corey Fox's is one of them. Arrested at 20 and now more than three decades into his sentence, Richard writes from a place of deep honesty and transformation. This isn't about labels, crimes, or the years he's spent behind bars. It's about a young man who ran from pain he didn't know how to face, and the man he's become by finally stopping long enough to confront it.
Richard's journey speaks to anyone who has ever felt lost, broken, or searching for hope. Through faith, accountability, and a willingness to grow, he discovered a freedom that has nothing to do with prison walls. His story is proof that redemption is real and that change begins the moment we choose to face who we are and who we can become.
This is his story, and it may help someone else find their way.
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Every movement starts with a moment, one truth you can no longer ignore. My Why is the story behind that moment for me. It's the story of how I went from living my everyday life to stepping into a world most people never see… a world that changes you the second you understand what's really happening behind prison walls.
This first blog isn't just an introduction. It's the heartbeat of On The Way Home. It's the reason I chose to speak up, the reason I refuse to look away, and the reason I believe we must do better, for the men and women who have been forgotten, misunderstood, or dismissed by a system that was supposed to protect justice, not bury it.
If you've ever wondered why I started this work… this is where the journey begins.
