Cheers to the Mercury News for this story on “The Beat Within,” a program that lets incarcerated youth create poems, essays and artwork to express their thoughts and fears.

The writing workshop program has now spread from the San Francisco Bay area to as far away as Miami and Washington, D.C.

“The Beat Within” is the brainchild of social worker David Inocencio.

“Our job is to help these kids tell their stories and realize they have choices in their lives,” he said. “I’ve watched them grow up from 14-year-olds who think it’s a rite of passage to be in the hall to young adults who want to go to college and might get a second chance.”

To learn more about how social workers such David Inocencio help young people visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Youth Development Web page by clicking here.