Cracking the Code to Networking, Administration and Technology.

An enlightening interview with Aaron Smith.

From Delta to Omicron and from inflation to labor shortages, our world is never short of a crisis that our leaders must confront. With school closers and higher prices, these crises are not only affecting leaders but regular joes as well. The bright side of this story is that with the advances in technology we can move forward and be more pre-prepared for the next set of challenges that will come our way in the future. The more we use what we know, the better off we become. This implies we need to grow what we know and develop better ways of using that knowledge to grow as people and communities.

This is what Mr. Malcolm Smith is spearheading with his Psyche Project - not for profit. He is leveraging technical knowledge to create change with-in the formally incarcerated communities. Malcolm grew up in Oklahoma to a single mom and has always had an affinity for education and technology. A self-proclaimed nerd, Malcolm took the wrong step into the streets and eventually spent 2 years incarcerated for marijuana. When he returned home, he started an infectious prevention service, Victory Labs which he envisioned while attending Cisco Computer Networking Academy.

He realized by developing yourself through technology can lead to a path to Switch Hustles. Malcolm is helping people with complicated backgrounds receive the training required within the technology sector. He believes this will widen their pathways and channels into the industry and land a career that will give them the incentive to stay out the streets as it did for him.

The Psyche Project was created as a way to grow the knowledge base of people criminal backgrounds by giving them opportunities to learn skills such as coding, networking, and other skills that can make it easier for them to be hired in the field of networking administration and technology. His project will prepare underserved candidate with the practical game plan to start their careers in the right direction. By demonstrating a better way of using their knowledge, he believes, they can stay out of the street and become productive for their families and communities. All this helps the formally incarcerated switch their hustles, and hopefully, end the cycle of mass incarceration.

With so much focus on technology as a driver of successful outcomes, it only makes sense to utilize it to combat the problem of mass incarceration. By giving opportunities to people who may believe they don't have any, could be the game changer in the fight for behavioral change with-in these communities. The work that the Psyche Project is laying the foundation for adequate criminal

Justice reform work.

Let’s hope that this work inspires more law makers to see that there is hope for the people entangled within the system. If we just change the focal point and open new ways for people to seek betterment. People will change for the better and grow to meet any challenge in their life with the right opportunities.

Written by: Joseph Boyden (currently incarcerated writer)

Editor: Aaron Smith

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