John Ackah is 31 years old and incarcerated in Washington, USA

My mom always told me you catch more bees with honey than with vinegar, so let me tell you a few sweet things about me. My name is John, proudly named after my father. I’m 6 feet tall, weigh 222 lbs, and am decorated in ink and art, with an athletic build. I’m Ghanaian but speak Arabic, a bit of Russian, enough Spanish to talk my talk, and a smidge of French to cuss you out.

I’m a bougie guy, and since the age of 2, I’ve had a passport. By the age of 10, I started my first business manicuring lawns, hiring my cousin as my first employee. Today, I own a clothing line called and an independent recording label. All year round, I wear Air Forces, Air Jordans, and Dunks, but my feet have also been known to sport Gary Paytons, Stephen Currys, Penny Hardaways, and Allen Iversons.

I’m a water, boba tea, Don Julio, and Hennessy drinker. I order my weed from the best farmers in the state and smoke nothing harsher than a loose leaf. I eat Indian, Kenyan, Japanese, and Vietnamese dishes from all corners of the galaxy. But if I had to eat only one meal for the rest of my life, it would be my dad's fufu, oxtail, and peanut butter soup. Oh, I’m really saying something now.

Acts of service and physical touch are my love languages, and my happiest moments are when I’m laughing. I want to be loved, I want to be held with affection, and I want to be actively listened to.