TERICO ALLEN -Wiseman #4

 My name is Terico Allen, I'm 52 years of age. I been incarcerated since the age of 18 for the shooting and killing of another young man.

Prior to my arrest I was a misguided young man who had no aspirations to be anything that would make me a productive citizen. My criminal life begun at the age of 12 by way of being arrested for selling drugs (heroin & marijuana). I sold drugs because my mother struggled to take care of me and my five siblings. General assistance wasn't enough to take care of six hungry children. That was a great weight on my mother. So that is why I would sneak and sell drugs.

I dropped out of school during the 10th grade. I performed poorly in school due to my lack of interest in learning. I became bored with school. I was a functioning illiterate.

Prison is where I discovered that I had more to offer myself and those who I had affected with my wayward behavior.

My journey in prison wasn't always positive because I served a period where I gotten into trouble and had a reputation that preceded me. I spent a lot of time in segregation in the early periods of my incarceration due to me trying to wrap my mind around how young I was and thrown away to die in here. I felt no one cared about what, why and how my life unfolded the way it did. I think of my victim each day and the hurt I caused his family.

I later learned that I needed help in understanding what happened to me. I couldn’t seek help from the mental health department unless I was someone who was attempting suicide or someone who had some severe mental issues. I needed to be heard.

I lost my parents in the beginning of my bid. My mother died from AIDS and my father died from complications with the abuse of drugs. Those loses allowed me to understand the pain of my victim's family. It crushed me knowing that I hurt someone to such great measure. I learned the meaning of empathy through those loses. Today I am a co-facilitator with 3 other brothers whom I developed a brotherhood and friendship with.

We teach a class entitled Compassion and Accountability. This course is geared towards helping others to walk in the shoes of those who were/are adversely affected by the crimes they committed. We draft letters to youth at the Pure Heart organization, who have parents that are incarcerated. We also write to women at domestic violence shelters. We have graduated over 200 men with this course. This is also a mentorship where men of all ages are mentored through this course for various experiences & struggles.

I have made a lot of accomplishments over the years. I received my GED, I am certified in Culinary Arts, Custodial Maintenance, I received an A- in Sociology through the U of M inside out college program, as well as some education in English through Calvin college. And, numerous of core and non-core self-help courses. I have maintained employment over the years, gaining skills from several occupations with positive work evaluations.

I also study law, working on my case and assisting other to obtain their freedom.

Although I have made some very important strides in my life, nothing is more essential than the work me and my brothers conduct with the Compassion & Accountability course. Helping others is what makes our work gratifying. I have had the help that I needed over the years of my incarceration, so we pay it forward.

Thank you for investing your time in reading a synopsis of my bio. If you have any questions or comments, I can be contacted via Jpay (email) by using my name Terico L. Allen, prison #194679 or you can contact me at:

Terico L. Allen #194679
Chippewa Correctional Facility
4269 W. M-80
Kincheloe, Michigan 49784