Who are we?
CWCreform is the creation of two brothers, one currently incarcerated and the other advocating from the outside. Their family was put into pieces when the eldest brother Cyrus had a previously undiagnosed schizophrenic break. It landed him in a county jail with very little resources. The jail where he was being detained consistently tried to take him off medication and refused the help of therapy. If it wasn't for Cyrus's strong support system, and his family constantly reaching out to the facility this story may have been very different. They held him in the county jail for twenty two months with his court dates constantly getting pushed back. Never the less this did not stop Cyrus. Both brothers have now experienced the inadequacies within our system, one first hand and the other second. They decided to do something about it, they stood together. One brother directly affected by system and the other left with barely any power to help, CWCreform was born. Together and along with like minded individuals like yourselves CWCreform will shine light to those who thought there was none left. We stand for the wrongs in our system, we stand for those with no resources, we stand together.
OUR STORY
Hello my name is Cyrus Clearwater. I'm schizoaffective, a felon, and most recently a entrepreneur. Although those first two labels may not sound so great, they have helped me achieve the third. I've come to realize that hardship has the ability to become a great catalyst for change. Prior to my arrest, jail and mental illness were the last things on my mind. I was worried what to wear and what to do for fun. It wasn't that I didn't care, I just wasn't aware of what was going on. Life put me in a difficult situation, but as I reflect, I realize that it has contributed immensely to my growth as a person. During my time in jail I've seen a side of society few talk about, yet an unfortunate amount of people experience. I've found camaraderie with convicts, so to speak, and realized that we were not so different after all. Many experience mental illness as I do and are searching for help. All of us have dreams, ambitions and people we love. I felt from my own experience and the stories of others there are shortcomings in the system that is supposed to help us. With this growing awareness a seed was planted, a desire to change. Conversation with friends, family, and fellow inmates began to water this seed. While I began to realize what was going on, I did not know what I could do about it. At the same time a found joy through art. It was a window out of these walls and one that brought me peace. I felt as though I had a way to channel myself onto paper and find meaning in my time. Slowly an idea came into place, one I cannot take full credit for because life seemed to give it to me. The idea was to provide a platform where others like me can sell their artwork while also spreading awareness of all the issues I had become aware of on a personal level. I created CWCreform with the goal of giving myself and others an opportunity to express ourselves and grow. Awareness is something life taught me and through CWCreform a lesson I hope to pass to the world. Personally I love a comeback story. My family has helped with mine, and with CWCreform, I hope to help others with theirs.