Rayshard Brooks spoke in an interview about life's struggles after incarceration, months before his death

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Violent riots after Rayshard Brooks' death

(CNN) - "They treat you like an animal."

Those were the words of Rayshard Brooks, 27, who was shot to death by an Atlanta police officer earlier this month. Brooks spoke those words in February, just a few months before his death, during an interview he gave to a company called Reconnect, which is focused on fighting incarceration.

The company had posted an ad on Craigslist, looking for people who would like to share their stories on how to navigate the criminal justice system, and Brooks answered the call.

CNN obtained the 40-minute interview with the help of CNN political commentator Van Jones, who said he was entrusted by a colleague working in the criminal justice field.

In the video, it is clear that Brooks is seeking redemption and a better life.

Reflect on life behind bars and openly talk about the struggles he faced after making the "mistake" that put him there.

• Ex-police officer who shot Rayshard Brooks charged with manslaughter

“I feel like part of the system could, you know, look at us as individuals. We have lives, you know, it was just a mistake we made, you know, and no, not just treating us like we were animals. You know, lock us up. ”

Brooks told the interviewer that he was arrested for illegal detention and credit card financial fraud. He said that his public defender told him that he could be sentenced to 10 years, for which he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year in prison.

"I'm like, 'OMG, I have kids here' ... so I'm trying to make the best possible choice to get back into society," he said.

Brooks described what it was like to be locked up 23 hours a day and how someone told him when to wake up and where to go. He said it affected his mental state.

“Going through that process, it hardened me at one point, you know, I like it, hey, you know, I have to keep my guard up because the world is cruel, you know, it took me to see different things and, you know, in the system you only know it, it only makes you harden to a certain point ”, he recalled.

• The Atlanta agent who shot Rayshard Brooks had several citizen complaints against him, according to records.

Brooks was critical of the criminal justice system, suggesting that he did nothing to help him get out from under the rock of a prison registry. He said he tried to find a job, but his records haunted him almost every step.

"You're going to fill out your application and come to this question, 'Have you ever been convicted of a crime or have you ever been arrested?' And, you know, you sit there like, 'oh my gosh… I hope this doesn't stop me from getting this job.'… So you finish the application and you have some employers saying, 'Well, Mister Brooks, unfortunately, we can't hire you for the fact that he was imprisoned or was… arrested for this and that, ”he said.

"Your heart just breaks," he said. "You put so much energy, you have so much hope, you go out and try to produce."

Brooks added: "They are not funding us, you know, they are not saying 'hey, we are going to give you a check ... maybe some help to help you recover' ... It is just a lot of pressure. You know, having all of that on your shoulder and on your back… Some people just can't deal with it. You know some people say, you know, that they are considering committing suicide. "

Brooks said he was heavily in debt when he came out. He had to pay court fines and restitution fees, in addition to supporting his wife and children. What he needed most was help from the same system that had locked him up.

"I feel like it should be offered, you know, I mean, every individual who has been through these things should be assigned a certain person to help guide him, you know, I mean, that's what parole is like, but parole is not there with you every day, as a mentor or something like that, ”he said.

He added: “They are not going to take you out to help you look for a job, you have to do these things on your own, and I think there should be a way to assign you some kind of person as a mentor so that, you know, keep your trail, keep you in the direction you should be going… but now I'm out and I have to try to cope on my own. ”

Perhaps Brooks' most chilling words in the video were these, uttered while still hoping for a better life: “I'm trying, you know, I'm not the type of person to give up. And I will continue until I get to where I want to be. ”

Rayshard Brooks