01/24/2024
A Tribute to Hayden
By: Zach Wyner
The Beat Within is saddened to announce the sudden passing of friend and former workshop participant, Hayden Renato.
The Alameda County team first encountered Hayden in 2017 as he was awaiting extradition to Arizona. At a time of acute alienation, The Beat was a lifeline for Hayden. He took full advantage of the opportunity it provided to connect with facilitators and share his story with our readers, openly sharing reflections on family, homelessness, physical abuse, mental health and the criminal justice system.
Hayden had a huge heart and, even while incarcerated, disconnected from his family, and anxious about the possibility of being sent back to the adult prison in Arizona in which he’d been incarcerated at the age of 15, he was equally concerned with the plight of other young people who had been raised in circumstances that mirrored his own. Each week, along with the many pages of stories and personal essays that he would somewhat bashfully hand over to his facilitators (he knew someone had to type all that writing up and respond to it), Hayden would give us at least half a dozen responses written directly to other Beat Within contributors. These thoughtful reflections demonstrated the power of The Beat Within magazine and the realization of our founder David Inocencio’s vision—that the magazine might serve as a vehicle for connection and community building.
After fighting an extended legal battle against the state of Arizona—in which he represented himself and eventually won his freedom—Hayden dedicated himself to improving the lives of at-risk and incarcerated youth in Arizona and Oakland, California. While pursuing his undergraduate degree (after which he planned to attend law school), he accepted a position with Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ) so he might advocate for a humane transition away from juvenile incarceration.
In recent years, Hayden mostly lived abroad in Peru and Paris, taking advantage of his aptitude for languages and building a life with his girlfriend, Josselyn.
In his brief time on this earth, Hayden endured unimaginable pain. And yet, despite the abuse he suffered as a child, and despite his incarceration in an adult facility at the age of 15 and the trauma inflicted upon him there, he never succumbed to bitterness. When given the opportunity to share his story and his ideas, he made it a point, time and again, to not only explore his darkest moments, but to express his solidarity with and concern for all at-risk and incarcerated youth. His capacity for empathy was boundless, and his eagerness to make a tangible difference in the lives of the marginalized and oppressed will continue to inspire those who knew him.
Back in 2019, Hayden wrote: “Can I really break the chain off myself and countless others bound by ignorant laws and judges with this beige paper and a flexible jail pen? Are my arguments enough to set us all free? I can’t just fight for myself. It’s a matter of principle and collective struggle. It’s about all of us. All incarcerated youth.”
The Beat is forever grateful for your fight, Hayden, and for all the love you put into this world. We’ll miss you terribly. Rest in peace.
-Zach Wyner, Alameda County
