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An app that helps incarcerated people stay connected to their families | Marcus Bullock

Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized Talk recommendations and more. Over his eight-year prison sentence, Marcus Bullock was sustained by his mother’s love — and by the daily letters and photos she sent of life on the outside. Years later, as an entrepreneur, Bullock asked himself: How can I…

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Over his eight-year prison sentence, Marcus Bullock was sustained by his mother’s love — and by the daily letters and photos she sent of life on the outside. Years later, as an entrepreneur, Bullock asked himself: How can I make it easier for all families to stay connected during incarceration? Enter FlikShop: an app he developed that lets families send quick postcards to loved ones in prison and help keep open a critical line of support.

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51 Comments

51 Comments

  1. Samantha

    November 8, 2019 at 10:32 pm

    Ok. Have barely started to watch .. why is his stage so small?

  2. mary kay

    November 8, 2019 at 10:41 pm

    Really why’d you go there

    • mary kay

      November 8, 2019 at 10:54 pm

      That’s so mean

    • mary kay

      November 9, 2019 at 11:05 pm

      Dont do this to me

  3. ThePresentation010

    November 8, 2019 at 11:06 pm

    Why do blaqs support crime so much. No apps. Just lock up criminals. And use them for experiments and target practice I say.

  4. Martha Patricia Puente de la Vega

    November 8, 2019 at 11:32 pm

    Only a Mother

  5. Jeremy Kenny

    November 9, 2019 at 1:08 am

    At 13:30 he asserts theres a “need for criminal justice reform”, lets not lose sight of his admission that as a teenager, he aquired a gun, set out with intent, held the gun to an innocent strangers face, threatened his life then robbed him, stealing his car. . . . without jail time what are the odds on him graduating quickly to killing people ? I think it’s highly likely that jail time saved innocent lives, and probably saved his own life. Be much more virtuous for ex-cons to maybe make ammends to victims of crime rather than improve the lot of convicts.

    • DeoMachina

      November 9, 2019 at 11:47 am

      “People who escape jail time quickly become murderers”
      Right sure Jeremy, not like there are decades of statistics showing that punitive jail increases the risk of reoffending or anything
      It’s not like reformative justice has been a massive success anywhere else in the world

      You fucking boomer

    • Alexandria Musick

      November 10, 2019 at 5:04 pm

      @DeoMachina That’s stupid…
      How many criminals who don’t get jail sentences just give up and never commit a crime again?
      Where are those statistics?

  6. Cindy Phillips

    November 9, 2019 at 3:27 am

    This is brilliant!!!

    • Cindy Phillips

      November 10, 2019 at 5:56 pm

      @Alexandria Musick that’s a fair statement. But until they do, then the criminals who are actually paying for their crimes should be able to reach out to their families.

    • Cindy Phillips

      November 10, 2019 at 5:57 pm

      Within reason. There should be no contact for pedophiles in my opinion

    • Alexandria Musick

      November 10, 2019 at 6:52 pm

      @Cindy Phillips they can… don’t be stupid…
      This guy just wants to have a prison Facebook and that’s a big no…

    • Cindy Phillips

      November 11, 2019 at 6:03 am

      @Alexandria Musick he already has it up. Try not to infantile your argument by name calling. You’re devaluing your argument.

    • Alexandria Musick

      November 11, 2019 at 7:05 am

      @Cindy Phillips valuing my argument with ad hominem is infantile…

  7. ArualBlack

    November 9, 2019 at 3:53 am

    The title is so black mirror. Let’s see what it is

    • ArualBlack

      November 9, 2019 at 4:01 am

      Oops, i read incinerated instead of incarcerated :[

  8. مطبخ بوسى

    November 9, 2019 at 7:36 am

    Hi possible follow love❤️💋

  9. Naomasa Ii fan

    November 9, 2019 at 7:36 am

    Yeah more luxuries for criminals, it’s bad enough tax payer money pays for their deodorant and lotion. Its supposed to be a punishment not a retreat

  10. Zayn Karisi

    November 9, 2019 at 7:47 am

    This is great and looks like a prosperous business idea for him.

  11. Berlherm E

    November 9, 2019 at 8:50 am

    The fundamental argument against punishment and obviously against the death penalty (in french) :

  12. Taylor Mann

    November 9, 2019 at 9:12 am

    This I ironic…I have a brother in prison…and I just told him I would send him random photos…

  13. your comment might not work so please

    November 9, 2019 at 2:50 pm

    Did he kill the driver…. If no….. 8 years, daymmm.

    • Deathbyjustice 1975

      November 9, 2019 at 2:54 pm

      Second armed robbery in 2 nights .Stole multiple cars and burnt them out. Oh he was a crack dealer as well.

    • DeoMachina

      November 9, 2019 at 6:37 pm

      This is america.mp3

    • Jeremy Kenny

      November 9, 2019 at 11:05 pm

      Would you prefer if he killed the driver?

  14. your comment might not work so please

    November 9, 2019 at 2:55 pm

    Love ur doing

  15. Encyclopedia

    November 9, 2019 at 3:05 pm

    Anyone comes here to study English

  16. 전종인

    November 9, 2019 at 3:52 pm

    I have a question. Do incarcerated people ‘deserve’ to be connected with their families that much?
    Just a pure curiosity. No means of offending anyone.

    • SARAH 1988

      November 11, 2019 at 4:51 am

      Prison should be a cage keeping bad guys in and innocent people safe. The rest is just extra. We should lose the extra.

    • Kay Ren

      November 11, 2019 at 5:05 am

      SARAH 1988 I’m guessing you are a correctional officer, or a DA ? Am I close? Just curious.

    • SARAH 1988

      November 11, 2019 at 6:49 am

      @Kay Ren what I mean by extra is like extra rules that are unneeded. Im a nurse

    • Albrecht Quincke

      November 11, 2019 at 7:08 am

      @SARAH 1988 But you are aware that incarcerating the bad guys forever doesn’t work, aren’t you? One day they return to society and without the “extra” more bad things will happen then.

    • Kay Ren

      November 11, 2019 at 7:56 am

      SARAH 1988 ohhh thanks for clarifying 💛

  17. The Good Guy

    November 9, 2019 at 4:29 pm

    Hopefully something important can be done instead of this. Like bringing the death penalty for rape, murder, pedophiles….

  18. Carolyn Grace

    November 9, 2019 at 6:31 pm

    Thank you so much for making a difference!!

  19. Flying Up

    November 9, 2019 at 7:47 pm

    He x’ed you? Sir, why did you have a gun on you? Why would you use it to possibly injure another human being to begin with? Did your mother know you had a gun? No, nobody deserves connection with the outside world. This is what prison means. You are in PRISON. To connect you with everybody does nothing to change who we are. We have to do this. How about starting in our own neighborhood.

    • Deathbyjustice 1975

      November 10, 2019 at 6:22 pm

      @DeoMachina Couldn’t of put it any better myself👍

    • DeoMachina

      November 10, 2019 at 6:32 pm

      @Deathbyjustice 1975 Conservatism is a death cult

    • Deathbyjustice 1975

      November 10, 2019 at 6:32 pm

      @DeoMachina The three strike rule is now seen as outdated. The system is being reformed. Just not at your, let everybody free, nihilistic pace. You remind me of the occupy wall street folk.

    • Deathbyjustice 1975

      November 10, 2019 at 6:39 pm

      @DeoMachina Im sure it was liberals who brought in the 3 strike rule. But don’t worry Trumps a changing things. First step act, fair chance hiring. Just give him a little time my little anarchist.😉

    • Deathbyjustice 1975

      November 10, 2019 at 7:19 pm

      @DeoMachina In fact, you may want to check out Marcus Bullocks press conference at the White House with Trump. That was about prison reform. It was quite moving. I can feel a Seachange. How about you.

  20. beverly fuller

    November 10, 2019 at 3:02 am

    God bless you Marcus.

  21. Gladys Farmer Kitchen 8GladysWorld8

    November 10, 2019 at 5:54 am

    I love the photos with your mom, sister and niece. You have a lovely family and a mother very supportive. You are very lucky. Technology and apps are very helpful. Thanks for creating a very useful one.

  22. Olando Anônimo

    November 10, 2019 at 8:15 am

    Makes me happy to hear that he turned his life around.

    • Alexandria Musick

      November 10, 2019 at 4:51 pm

      Sounds to me like the prison worked well on him then..

  23. ASD43521

    November 10, 2019 at 8:30 am

    Is this person forgetting the fact that prisoners dont get phones?

    • Scott Summers

      November 10, 2019 at 9:02 am

      ASD43521 well actually inmates have the opportunity in many states to purchase tablets without wifi. They can connect it to kiosks and send and receive emails, music, books, etc. But all material is run through prison admin.

    • Alexandria Musick

      November 10, 2019 at 4:44 pm

      @Scott Summers So it’s already in effect in some places…
      No need to axe for a new app then…

  24. Alexandria Musick

    November 10, 2019 at 4:47 pm

    I agree that the sum of all human knowledge, a.k.a. the internet, should be available to people in prison.
    But not social media and apps…
    You don’t get rewarded for crimes.

  25. SARAH 1988

    November 11, 2019 at 4:46 am

    Im gonna down load that app right now

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