De’Markus Matthews – How has TLM positively impacted your life? October 4, 2023 The Last Mile set me apart within the prison system in many ways, most importantly by giving me hope. Before The Last Mile, waking up every day was the same. Going to sleep was the best part of the day and waking up was the worst part of the day. That quickly changed when I was accepted into the Last Mile. “Being released back into my old community and seeing a lot of the same problems that produced the mindset that landed me in prison was now perceived differently.” I was now waking up and thinking about how to solve yesterday’s problem and how to improve my coding skills. I was waking up with hope and positive thoughts. My mindset was different. I was no longer looking forward to going to the day room to play chess or cards. I was looking forward to going to the day room to study with my classmates and bond over our dedication to code. It created a community within the walls. I felt like if you weren’t speaking JavaScript then we weren’t speaking the same language. I think other guys inside became curious and wanted to join The Last Mile because they saw how positive and joyful we were. I knew they wanted the same feeling because just the month before, I had been waking up with their mindset and going through the same emotional roller coaster ride that they were experiencing! The impact of TLM after my release has greatly impacted my life in so many ways. Being released back into my old community and seeing a lot of the same problems that produced the mindset that landed me in prison was now perceived differently. I looked at these circumstances as bugs in my application that could be solved. I began seeking solutions in problems that, before TLM, I didn’t know how to solve. Outside of encountering bugs in my life, I now possessed a tool that made me a “need” in this new world of the Internet of Things. I now feel valued by the compensation that I receive for my hard work.