Poems put rhyme, rhythm into troubled lives

CHICAGO (WLS) -- At a halfway house on Chicago's West Side, there's been a sudden burst of creativity that has to do with putting rhyme and rhythm into troubled lives.

For over 60 years, St. Leonard's House and the Episcopalian church has been helping people transition from prison life to freedom.

Right now, they're involved in a project called "Finding Freedom," a book to be published this summer featuring photos and poems written by St. Leonard's residents. The photos were all taken by world-renowned photographer Sondro.

"In these faces I saw, I saw hope and a need for friendship and a need for an ear. Someone they could talk to. Someone they could trust," Sondro said.

Christophe Collins, 35, was homeless and lost in life when he arrived here. He had never written a word of poetry until now.

"I found that I loved it. And I am a fierce fan of the Bible so the poetry and the Bible writing went hand in hand. So that's the kind of poetry I do. Spiritual poetry," Collins said.

Brandon Crockett is the man behind the project. He writes poetry and teaches poetry here. He saw potential and just had to do something about it.

"The thought came to me. We need to make a book. I don't know how we're going to do it but we need to make a book. Poetry on one page, portrait on the other. We're going to do this," Crockett said.

Paul Randle spent a year in prison for heroin possession. He says it was one of the worst times in his life, but despite that, it still opened up his mind and his soul.

"It's amazing what solitude can do for you when you're incarcerated. You see, feel and hear things that will affect you more than any other time in your life," Randle said.

They have already raised $28,000 on Kickstarter to publish their book - just $2,000 shy of their goal.