--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've worked in the prison system for five…" description: "\"I've worked in the prison system for five years, and most of those folks in prison didn't have a direction.\" — Stedman Graham" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eaf/stedman-graham-17923_five_i-ve-worked-in-the-prison-system-for-fiv_2717097.jpg" --- # I've worked in the prison system for five years, and most… ![“I've worked in the prison system for five years, and most of those folks in prison didn't have a direction.” quote by Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eaf/stedman-graham-17923_five_i-ve-worked-in-the-prison-system-for-fiv_2717097.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eaf/stedman-graham-17923_five_i-ve-worked-in-the-prison-system-for-fiv_2717097.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eaf/stedman-graham-17923_five_i-ve-worked-in-the-prison-system-for-fiv_2717097.jpg) > “I've worked in the prison system for five years, and most of those folks in prison didn't have a direction.” [Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prison inmates often lack direction, highlighting the need for guidance and purpose. **In simple terms:** Inmates need direction and purpose. Key Takeaway Provide mentorship and goals. Themes social work rehabilitation purpose Mood empathetic hopeful Type social motivational When to use this quote - prison programs - volunteering - policy reform Key Concepts psychology career counseling Questions to Reflect On - How can we give inmates direction? - What programs succeed in rehabilitation? A Different Perspective Systemic barriers exist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Prison system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison-system/) ## Related quotes > [I've worked in the prison system, on death row and maximum security. I did that work for six years. I've worked with some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-halifax/i-ve-worked-in-the-prison-system-on-death-row-and-maximum-security-i/) [Joan Halifax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-halifax/) > [When people hear the term 'political prisoner,' especially on the Left, it becomes a kind of abstraction. Folks are aware of injustice, and they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/when-people-hear-the-term-political-prisoner-especially-on-the-left/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [I would have been content with still playing Inmate #1. I worked on every prison movie made, from 1985 to 1991. I would go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-trejo/i-would-have-been-content-with-still-playing-inmate-1-i-worked-on/) [Danny Trejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-trejo/) > [During the first day, curious at having outsiders among them, a long stream of inmates came over and talked with me. Remarkably, according to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/during-the-first-day-curious-at-having-outsiders-among-them-a-long/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [I escaped my destiny. The odds were that I would end up in prison, but I didn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-escaped-my-destiny-the-odds-were-that-i-would-end-up-in-prison-but/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [When you're poor and black in America, you stand a greater chance of going to prison for something you didn't do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ray-hinton/when-you-re-poor-and-black-in-america-you-stand-a-greater-chance-of/) [Anthony Ray Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ray-hinton/) > [“Before our white brothers arrived to make us civilized men, we didin't have any kind of prison. Because of this, we didn't have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fire-lame-deer-2/before-our-white-brothers-arrived-to-make-us-civilized-men-we-didin-t/) John (Fire) Lame Deer > [When I was released from prison, I didn't want to leave my house for the first three months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-walters/when-i-was-released-from-prison-i-didn-t-want-to-leave-my-house-for/) [Ashley Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-walters/) > [“Prison didn't frighten him especially. He had a lot of fans in there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/prison-didn-t-frighten-him-especially-he-had-a-lot-of-fans-in-there/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [If you put a woman in prison for four years when she's young and make her pay her time in a horrible place and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/if-you-put-a-woman-in-prison-for-four-years-when-she-s-young-and-make/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [I knew of a man who was sent to the State Prison for twenty-five years. All these years he was always thinking of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-tubman/i-knew-of-a-man-who-was-sent-to-the-state-prison-for-twenty-five/) [Harriet Tubman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-tubman/) > [Akbar Ganji was in prison for six years, and that was it...for six years, and it was finished. Of course the Iranian government could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/akbar-ganji-was-in-prison-for-six-years-and-that-was-it-for-six-years/) [Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/) > [“When I compare myself to the other fellows there is something stiff and awkward about me; I look as if I had been in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-stone/when-i-compare-myself-to-the-other-fellows-there-is-something-stiff/) [Irving Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-stone/) > [The making of the movie and the routine of making the movie is a lot like being in a Spanish prison for five years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/the-making-of-the-movie-and-the-routine-of-making-the-movie-is-a-lot/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [When I went to prison, for three years I didn't say a word to another human being until, going into the fourth year, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ray-hinton/when-i-went-to-prison-for-three-years-i-didn-t-say-a-word-to-another/) [Anthony Ray Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ray-hinton/) ## More by Stedman Graham > [You know and we have about 60 to 70 percent black men in prison today and it's because of the negativity they have in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/you-know-and-we-have-about-60-to-70-percent-black-men-in-prison-today/) [Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) > [You know, you're living in a society where if you say something that you might think may be OK, when it's more sensitive to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/you-know-you-re-living-in-a-society-where-if-you-say-something-that/) [Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) > [If you did the same thing you did yesterday as you did today as you will do tomorrow, what have you done? The same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/if-you-did-the-same-thing-you-did-yesterday-as-you-did-today-as-you/) [Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) > [A primary purpose for setting goals is to get you moving in the right direction. When you set goals, you have to keep them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/a-primary-purpose-for-setting-goals-is-to-get-you-moving-in-the-right/) [Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) > [Most people are defined by their titles, their cars, their house, where they came from, their color, their race, their religion. And so it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/most-people-are-defined-by-their-titles-their-cars-their-house-where/) [Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) > [And whenever you encounter a problem, no matter how insurmountable it might seem, there is one simple response that should be ingrained in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/and-whenever-you-encounter-a-problem-no-matter-how-insurmountable-it/) [Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) > [I define myself by everything that I love, everything I can create, everything that I can imagine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/i-define-myself-by-everything-that-i-love-everything-i-can-create/) [Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) > [To get where we want to go in life, we have to keep at it. We have to create a vision, make choices based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/to-get-where-we-want-to-go-in-life-we-have-to-keep-at-it-we-have-to/) [Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) > [Every day, do something that is truly important in moving you toward your goals. You must choose to invest your time in the important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/every-day-do-something-that-is-truly-important-in-moving-you-toward/) [Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) > [When everybody has access to an avalanche of information, becoming a master thinker is very important in your life-long security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/when-everybody-has-access-to-an-avalanche-of-information-becoming-a/) [Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) > [Everybody has 24 hours and the question is, what do you do with your 24 hours? That's what makes everybody equal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/everybody-has-24-hours-and-the-question-is-what-do-you-do-with-your/) [Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) > [Sports isn't just a part of life. It's not life itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/sports-isn-t-just-a-part-of-life-it-s-not-life-itself/) [Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) > [You know, and younger people today, you know, they may not have Social Security. They may not have a pension. They may have 17…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/you-know-and-younger-people-today-you-know-they-may-not-have-social/) [Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) > [People who consider themselves victims of their circumstances will always remain victims unless they develop a greater vision for their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/people-who-consider-themselves-victims-of-their-circumstances-will/) [Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) > [Freedom is about a way of thinking. Freedom is about understanding that you can do anything that you want and freedom is about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/freedom-is-about-a-way-of-thinking-freedom-is-about-understanding/) [Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) [Explore all 36 Stedman Graham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) ## More Five quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [Five days or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/five-days-or-five-months-but-it-certainly-isn-t-going-to-last-longer/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [If you look at the charts every year, there may be five or ten memorable songs from each year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-jackson/if-you-look-at-the-charts-every-year-there-may-be-five-or-ten/) [Randy Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-jackson/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. 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A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [I remember my friend Johnny von Neumann used to say, 'with four parameters I can fit an elephant and with five I can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrico-fermi/i-remember-my-friend-johnny-von-neumann-used-to-say-with-four/) [Enrico Fermi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enrico-fermi/) > [That is the real problem of depression - a condition which will affect an estimated one in five of the population at some point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-andreae/that-is-the-real-problem-of-depression-a-condition-which-will-affect/) [Giles Andreae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-andreae/) > [I don't think you should ever say, 'This is the last time'. Music isn't like that. You'll be sitting there not wishing to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-daltrey/i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-say-this-is-the-last-time-music-isn-t/) [Roger Daltrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-daltrey/) > [I don't think we need a featuring though , because five of us are enough .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-hyun-joong/i-don-t-think-we-need-a-featuring-though-because-five-of-us-are-enough/) [Kim Hyun-joong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-hyun-joong/) > [People who are complaining about the Fed are people who've been predicting runaway inflation for five and six years, and it hasn't happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/people-who-are-complaining-about-the-fed-are-people-who-ve-been/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [I am naturally a thin person and I am 5'1" and putting on five or 10 pounds, that looks like a lot on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-richie/i-am-naturally-a-thin-person-and-i-am-5-1-and-putting-on-five-or-10/) [Nicole Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-richie/) > [The official independence celebration was going to be held over four or five days, and a group of journalists from all over the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryszard-kapuscinski/the-official-independence-celebration-was-going-to-be-held-over-four/) [Ryszard Kapuscinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryszard-kapuscinski/) > [Man, you'd be surprised how much I'm learning - not only about myself, but about the musicians who came before me. You don't realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-hubbard/man-you-d-be-surprised-how-much-i-m-learning-not-only-about-myself/) [Freddie Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-hubbard/) > [A lot of times, when people send me books to read - new writers mostly - I find that the book is still in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-woodson/a-lot-of-times-when-people-send-me-books-to-read-new-writers-mostly-i/) [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) Browse all 6,265 Five quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've worked in the prison system for five years, and most of those folks in prison didn't have a direction.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stedman Graham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/i-ve-worked-in-the-prison-system-for-five-years-and-most-of-those/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Five" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/i-ve-worked-in-the-prison-system-for-five-years-and-most-of-those/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eaf/stedman-graham-17923_five_i-ve-worked-in-the-prison-system-for-fiv_2717097.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eaf/stedman-graham-17923_five_i-ve-worked-in-the-prison-system-for-fiv_2717097.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eaf/stedman-graham-17923_five_i-ve-worked-in-the-prison-system-for-fiv_2717097.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've worked in the prison system for five years, and most of those folks in prison didn't have a direction.” — Stedman Graham", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Stedman Graham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've worked in the prison system...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/i-ve-worked-in-the-prison-system-for-five-years-and-most-of-those/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/i-ve-worked-in-the-prison-system-for-five-years-and-most-of-those/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```