INNOCENT PRISONER FIGHTS FOR FREEDOM WHILE PENNING NOVELS AND TEACHING THE CRAFT

[Oasis]

Docuversion
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INNOCENT PRISONER FIGHTS FOR FREEDOM WHILE
PENNING NOVELS AND TEACHING THE CRAFT


(Edgefield, S.C., August 22, 2008) African American males make up the majority of the national prison population, which exceeds 2,000,000; the recidivism rate plunges forward because there are few opportunities to learn productive trades and skills behind bars. However, Oasis is making an effort to decrease the statistics by giving felons an alternative with novels.
"Being sentenced to 15 1/2 years for a crime I didn't commit caused me a lot of anger. Seven years ago, I decided to turn this negative situation into something positive by channeling my anger in a constructive direction," says Oasis, a 36-year-old federal prisoner. "The prison system does not rehabilitate, and the education department is substandard. I spent my prison earnings—$22.00 a month—buying countless books to master the craft of novel writing. I studied diligently between the hours of dissecting law books and filing briefs to the courts.

Once I became proficient with the elements and techniques of novel writing, I began teaching it to a diverse group of so-called criminals so that they could have the same opportunities that I have created for myself."

Oasis' debut novel, PUSH COMES TO SHOVE, (Voices Books & Publishing, August 22, 2008) examines the pitfalls and struggles that an honest family faces to survive the perils of financial woes. It also proves that Oasis' incarceration is a gateway to greater things for him in the world of literature.
Oasis is a certified creative-writing instructor and a copyeditor for Docuversion. He is currently pursuing an MA in Communications and creating his fifth novel. To learn more about Oasis, visit www.oasisnovels.com.

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Pub. Date: August 22, 2008; Push Comes To Shove by Oasis; Trade paperback, 264 pages; published by Voices Books & Publishing; Price: $14.95; ISBN: 10:0-9800512-4-x; 13:978-0-9800512-4-7; www.oasisnovels.com