The second half of “Writing Our Way Out” was just as emotional of a reading experience as the first, with the conclusion of the men’s journeys and their alter views on life post-incarceration lending a sense of hope and optimism to the end of the book. Because of this, or maybe in spite of it, the story that struck me the most was Andre’s.

Andre’s story starts with his father getting him addicted to heroin when he was just twelve years old. To feed his addiction, he becomes a dealer, while also getting his friends and the people close to him addicted, just as his father did to him. He loses one of his best friends to a shooting, before getting shot himself by angry users looking for Andre’s friend, a fellow dealer. When Andre’s eighteen, he gets arrested for dealing drugs. In prison, he goes through intense withdraws, but comes out on the other side with a more positive outlook on life. During his imprisonment, he gets his GED and becomes certified as a graphic designer and as a data entry clerk.

Once released from prison, Andre’s strained relationship with his father leads him to relapse on heroin, subsequently ruining most of his personal relationships. However, he sees that a change needs to be made within himself, and he signs up for a rehabilitation program. The program helps him stay clean while he is living in the program’s house, but he is kicked out of the house following another relapse. This failure motivates him to quit again, and he becomes a salesman, though he does still sell drugs on the side, albeit without using them himself. Unfortunately, Andre is sent back to prison for the last time with numerous charges, all coming from his involvement with an armed robbery. The catch is, Andre was never a part of the robbery, he was just getting a ride with some of his friends after they had already committed the crime, and he had no idea it had occurred. His arrest was accompanied by heavy police brutality, sexual assault, and an all around failure of the justice system.

Andre wins his trials (three of them) and is released for the final time. The story ends on a sad note though, as Andre is seen robbing a convenance store, leading to a police chase. A police chase that ends with a fatal car crash taking Andre’s life. This is the event Dr. Coogan is talking with Kelvin about in the book’s opening chapter.

The most impactful thing about Andre’s story is the fact that it didn’t come to a happy conclusion. All the other guys’ stories are full of hope for the future and determination to change their lives and the lives of others. Andre never has a chance at that. His story ends too soon, but it’s clear from his writing leading up to the fatal accident that he was making a real effort to change, an effort which makes his tragic death all the more painful.