Use Your Head

Use your head. These three words, featured on red pins at music festivals around the world, changed Richard Guerra’s life.

The 2014 BU College of Communication graduate is the founder and editor-in-chief of Lost in Sound, an online magazine that encourages music-fanatics to "rage" responsibly. Lost in Sound is an online magazine featuring album reviews, multimedia event previews and coverage, editorials, and artist interviews. “The publication brings forth the best of live music and festival culture,” said Guerra.

In 2006, Guerra left his hometown in Texas to pursue a journalism degree at Boston University. He was the typical college student, classes during the week and parties on the weekend. “I just wanted to see live music, travel to NYC and go to music festivals,” said Guerra. “Making that a priority is dangerous. I was often intoxicated and I started to deal drugs.”

Just months before his graduation in 2010, the shoe dropped. Guerra was arrested for possession of drugs in Allston and he was suspended from BU. Even with no prior arrests, he was convicted to three years in federal prison.

When a plea deal was reached months late, Guerra was sentenced to serve 20 months at the Suffolk County Jail in South Bay beginning May 2011. With a high school diploma and three-and-a-half years of college credits, Guerra decided to pursue education in prison.

“Learning is part of my life even though I had issues with drugs,” said Guerra. He passed the time in jail without violations or bad behavior. “I was still the same person."

Guerra read 70 books, kept a journal (which he hopes to publish), and wrote about 70 poems. “It was the most productive period of my life for reading, writing and learning. I was able to put so many hours of every day into doing all of it,” said Guerra.

Guerra took every class the prison offered (one or two each six-month period), all of which were taught by Harvard teaching fellows. One of his favorite classes taught mindfulness. Each inmate had to stay on good behavior to take classes. If they got into trouble, then they were often denied access to education.

According to Guerra, reform is one of the greatest challenges inmates face. Incarceration is, in theory, a way to reform people who have committed crimes – but it isn’t always that simple. The process is complex and varies depending on each person’s unique lived experience.

“Some people are definitely averse to taking the opportunity to better their lives, further their education, or feel the strength of being sober,” said Guerra.

When prisoners began to make positive changes, Guerra found that their efforts were often stopped short. “They break a rule and everything falls apart. That’s an issue with reform. If an inmate gets into trouble, then their opportunities are wiped away. It's devastating,” said Guerra.

Guerra embraced education as he sobered-up. “Reform is amazing and there's a lot of people in jail feeling it. But there's also a lot of people who aren't, and it's for different reasons. Maybe it's the system, maybe it's where they come from,” said Guerra.

Guerra felt the struggle inmates face to stay in their classes. If an inmate got in trouble, then they couldn't return to class for three to six months. According to Guerra, trouble was fairly easy to find.

Guerra participated in a specific six-month program focused on substance abuse. It can take time for an inmate to be qualified to participate in such a program, so Guerra considers himself lucky.

“It’s a privilege to be educated about substance abuse when everyone, in jail especially, needs to be educated about it,” Guerra said. “It could save lives.”

“A lot of the cards were in my favor to be reformed,” said Guerra. “That’s not the case for most people.” Guerra could draw upon his past education, meditation practices, and support from family and friends to have a good attitude throughout the 20 months.

“People often look at those who have been incarcerated like they’re different or somehow beneath them. It's not a compassionate or correct way to think. Anybody could do something to land themselves in prison,” said Guerra.

Guerra was released from jail and placed on one year of parole in November of 2012. From the day of his arrest to last day of his probation, Guerra's incarceration lasted about five years.

Guerra was reaccepted to BU and finished his degree in January of 2014. Guerra prioritized school and received straight A’s, something he had never achieved before in college.

"It was a whole different game,” Guerra said. "I worked and went to school and it was a blessing. I knew that I could not be working, not be in school. I could be back in jail,” said Guerra.

With a fresh start, Guerra circled back to Lost in Sound, the project he had started before his arrest. During his time in prison, his team sent money, books and letters each day.

"The support from BU and Lost in Sound was vital in getting me through that part of my life,” Guerra said. "I got back involved and now Lost in Sound is in a whole new place. We started operating as a business. We’ve got a really tight team and we’re hoping to make big waves with live music.”

Guerra’s experience amped-up his appreciation for education and creativity. His love for music, culture, community and the arts is apparent through his work as a publicist for musicians and artists.

“With the amount of energy, money and opportunity spent on reform each year, not enough people in prison are being helped,” Guerra said. “It's an issue our country needs to focus on. So many of us are affected, and education is key.”

Use your head. It’s these three words, the motto of Lost in Sound, that forever changed Guerra's life.