Robert Roskind On the positive effects the One Love concert had for the inmates at the Alexander Prison

"On my first visit, I told the Alexander group I would make a long-term relationship with the group to help them claim themselves as peacemakers if they would bring this vibe out into the yard and encourage other inmates to do the same, in whatever manner with which they were comfortable. After about a year meeting with this group, sometimes including Julia to talk to them about meditation, we all agreed to do a One Love Concert for the whole prison and invite all the incarcerated brothers to join the Rastas as peacemakers in the yard. Laura Reed, a very conscious recording artist living in Asheville and her seven-piece band, Deep Pocket, agreed to perform for free. Petite, beautiful, with long dreads, five-foot tall Laura was described in a review as 'belting out a song like Janis Joplin with the attitude of Aretha Franklin.'"

"Over the next two hours the concert continued under the same vibration. Julia spoke from her heart about using our breath in meditation to feel the rhythm of our heart and soul to free ourselves, reminding them that they could be in Zion even 'in this house at Alexander lock-down prison.' We showed video footage of various elders speaking of love. Laura kept taking the audience higher and higher, with her soulful songs and conscious lyrics - all written and composed by her - as Deep Pocket (Derrick Johnson, Greg Hollowell, Ryan Burns, Ben Didelot, Barrett Helms, Travis Ward, mgr. Katherine Powell & sound, Brook Binion) blew everyone out of their chairs with their tight backup. After her second of four sets, they got a standing ovation and at that point all of us knew we were experiencing something powerful, something blessed. Even the guards standing out in the hall were moving to the music and the vibe, with big smiles on their faces. For the rest of the program, many men were on their feet and every time we spoke, the applause was enthusiastic and sustained."

"At the end of the concert, I stood by one of the exit doors to say good-night to some of the inmates. I wanted to look them in the eye to see if the message was resisted by a few, perhaps too wounded to forgive. Everyone looked me straight in the eye and with a big smile thanked me. The last man out was an elderly inmate in a wheelchair being pushed by younger inmate. He was frail and looked like he was nearing the end of a hard life, 'That was incredible,' he said through his tooth-less grin, his eyes gleaming. 'Absolutely, absolutely incredible!'"