Hello,

 

My name is Shaquille Davis, I’m an author, convict, advocate and entrepreneur. I am currently serving a 20-Life sentence but I didn’t let that stop my creativity. Taking the skills I learned on the streets and applied them to starting a business from behind bars. Going legit, seeing an opportunity to apply what I learned in the streets and applied them to something real. Getting my GED in prison, then worked to get my Associates degree in small business management. Continuing to further my education no matter how hard the prison system tries to stop me.

 

Investing into multiple business ventures, self publishing my books while getting others published. Starting a prison blog website, (Tales From A Convict) with my wife to help give the voiceless behind bars a voice. Seeing the struggle first hand for how hard it is for an incarcerated writer to get exposure, so I decided to cut out the middle man and do it myself. Letting my entrepreneur spirit flourish from behind these confines, trying to help others who have a passion for writing get the exposure they need.    

 

While still fighting the injustice we all deal with behind bars, the outrageous sentencing laws, giving people twenty four and under life sentences. Trying to shed a light on the corruption in the justice system, being someone who is dealing with it themselves and telling my stories through multiple outlets who has published my pieces. Trying to do my part to make change for the ones coming after me, doing what I need too and not just settling with draconian sentences that are handed out on a daily basis.

 

Discovering a passion I didn’t know I had behind bars, writing has become a great outlet for me and my mental health. Boiling with creativity, crafting such unique and deep diverse stories that everyone can relate too, no matter the color of your skin. Loving to write as a form of escapism, having no mentor I taught myself to write. Reading and staying consistent, my writing skills lacked at first but I didn’t let it stop me from being prolific, writing book after book. Watching my writing skills improve with each project, learning new techniques and styles as I stayed at it.

 

Even in a such a depressing place, I didn’t let it dampen my creativity, shining bright like the sun. Writing a total of eight books my first year of pursuing this passion and seeing an opportunity to exercise my other passion. Finding a way to make it profitable, trying to turn my passion into a way I could generate income to help others in my situation. Reading a variety of books to help inspire me and try to quench my thirst for knowledge. Living as a life long learner, always having a fascination for science fiction.

 

To think of all the possible futures we can go into, expanding my mind in to the fields of the impossible. Not realizing the struggles I would face when I tried to get published, dealing with discrimination as an incarcerated writer. Traditional publishing houses and literary agents looking down on incarcerated writers for mistakes they made. I sent out over a hundred inquiries and did not hear anything back, other than false promises of a submission kit to submit my manuscript that never came. Getting lucky and finding a prison friendly publisher, who is a good friend now, publishing my first book and set me on this journey. Now choosing to move forward as a reformed man, focusing on self improvement, trying to be the best version of myself.