by Nina Zhao
After serving 27 years at the Rhode Island ACI, Jose Tapia was released in March 2020 to a completely different life. He is now the founder, owner, and operator of TSP Cache Hair & Barber Salon. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jose to learn more about his story.
TURNING POINT WHILE INCARCERATED
Now 48 years old, Jose is a different man from the 16-year-old kid he was when he went to prison. When asked about a turning point in his life, Jose thinks of a moment in 2010 – many years into his sentence but with many more to go – when he decided to pick up Deepak Chopra’s “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success,” a book that had been sitting in his cell unread. He recalls feeling tired and dejected, and when he read about the idea of manifesting your goals into reality, he decided to give it a try.
Remembering this time, he said, “I wrote all of my goals down. I looked at them every day, I was meditating on them, and before I knew it, things were starting to change. My attitude was starting to change. And from there I kept going and going. I started changing my thought patterns, and my thought patterns started to bring positive energy into my life. It helped me get to the goals that I set for myself.”
Of course, it wasn’t easy. In addition to battling his own negative thoughts, it was a challenge to battle the negative influence of others. “When you start trying to do things differently,” he said, “people keep viewing you as your past. They try to do things to set you back.” Still, Jose knew what was at stake and focused on his goals. “I knew – even if I took one step forward, one little misstep could set me back 100 times. All of that hard work could be lost with one bad action.” He kept looking forward, and in March of 2020, it was time for him to go home.
LIFE AT HOME
Jose has been cutting hair since he was about 12 years old. He and his cousin started cutting each other’s hair, and Jose later began cutting hair for other kids around the neighborhood, too. “Cutting hair is my passion,” he told me. While he was incarcerated, he continued to cut hair, got his barber’s license, and got a job lined up at a barber shop for when he was released. When he was sent home in March 2020, the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to adapt his plans. He set up a makeshift barber shop in the garage of where he was living. He continued to work hard and save money toward his goal of opening his own shop. In early 2022, he opened TSP Cache Hair & Barber Salon, an acronym created from his own nickname Tap, his sister’s name Sandra, and his father’s name Papo.
After more than two years in operation, he continues to face the multitude of challenges that come with being a small business owner. Jose explained that being financially illiterate has been challenging as he tries to navigate taxes, investments, and the many other things that are new to him. He reflects on how different the world is now from when he was first incarcerated. As an example, he recalled the unfamiliarity he felt with new technology like smartphones and smart TVs; he pointed to the laptop in front of me and laughed, saying, “I do not know how to use that.” But, he said, “I’m learning as I go.” In regards to the endless long days he spends working in the barber shop, he said, “It’s a lot of work and a lot of sacrifices that sometimes even your close friends can’t understand,” but for him, it’s worth it.
When asked about what keeps him motivated, he said, “I look at my past, at being in prison, at where I came from. I do it for the victims, for my redemption.” He credits the programs he completed in prison such as the Phoenix Project for teaching him the importance of setting goals and being patient with them. “Honestly, if I didn’t have goals and a plan after getting out of prison, I think I would have been lost,” he admitted.
I asked Jose, “If you think about the person you were 20 or 30 years ago, what would that person say about where you are now?” He laughed and said, “I think that person would say, ‘What? What the hell are you doing?’” The life he now lives is so different from what he would have imagined as a kid. “I used to think that I would grow up to be the biggest drug dealer. But that’s because I grew up in that type of environment. I watched my father do it, I watched him get money, and I was infatuated with that lifestyle. But that kid would look at me now, busting my ass and say ‘what the hell are you doing? What’s the matter? Are you stupid?’ But that’s because he wouldn’t understand it. He would think, ‘No, this way we’ll make way more money, way faster.’ But at that young age, I didn’t know what that would lead to.” Now, being away from that environment keeps him on track with his goals. “I know from being in that fast life, what it could bring.”
LOOKING FORWARD
Jose recently hired some barbers to work in his shop, and his current goal is to continue expanding his clientele. He also wants to pursue speaking opportunities. While incarcerated, he participated in the Special Community Outreach Education (SCORE) Program, which brings groups of middle school and high school students to hear about the stories of inmates at the Rhode Island ACI. His involvement in that program motivated him to develop his skills as a public speaker while he was in prison, and he wants to continue doing similar work now that he’s in the community. “Sometimes your story can impact somebody’s life,” he said.
Every day, he continues to adjust to his new life. “A lot of people will look at me and say, ‘Man, you’re reaching for too much.’ But why can’t I?” Jose responds. “I have a goal of being financially stable. My goal is to work hard right now and enjoy the fruits of my labor later down the line. I’m not wasting my time. I’m just working hard and trying to get to where I want to be. It takes a while to get all of that, but I’m gonna work and I’m gonna get there.”
Closing
Jose was extremely thoughtful in our conversation together, and his hard work and determination were evident and inspiring. We are proud to call him a Phoenix graduate, and we look forward to continuing to see him climb. Thank you to Jose for speaking with me!
Check out Jose’s barber shop at 145 Warwick Ave, Cranston, RI 02905.
Hours: Monday – Saturday: 9:00 AM – 8:30 PM
