Wheeling, WV (BlackNews.com) — Justin Daugherty spent 12 years behind bars, but he has always believed that he committed the offenses leading up to his conviction because of a lack of job opportunities and lack of guidance. For that reason, in 2015 he launched JourStarr Quality Publications, LLC (www.jourstarr.com), a small, independent press that offers second chances. JourStarr publishes quality works in the genres of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and even photo journals, offering talented writers an opportunity to be published, whether they are free or incarcerated.
“I spent the better half of my adult years behind bars. I was about 18 years old when I was arrested,” Justin says. “Around that time, there was the ‘Weed and Seed Initiative’ that led to an increase in racial profiling by law enforcement in my area. That, and a series of bad decisions, led to my incarceration. But I knew my story didn’t have to end there.”
Since his release, Justin had been working in demolition and welding for the Honda Line at Yorozu Automotive, located in Tennessee. He has also been attending West Virginia Northern Community College for coursework in Small Business administration, and has been serving as director of an early-stage non-profit aimed to curb youth incarceration and drug abuse by promoting literacy and encouraging creative writing.
Justin has also been painstakingly sifting through manuscript after manuscript in search of quality material. “My goal for the future of the company is to consistently provide groundbreaking material. Right now, we have a lineup of authors whose real lives are just as compelling as the tales they write. We plan for JourStarr to be around for the long haul, offering an opportunity for talented writers to have their works showcased properly. We stand firm in, helping all talented writers pursue their dreams, including ex-offenders, because everyone deserves a second chance.”
