With Edwards in the Governor's Mansion: From Angola to Free Man
"The secret to fighting is to never panic when you suffer a disadvantage." Forest "Saint" Hammond attempted to live his life the same way a boxer survives a fight, continually recovering from disadvantages. When he was twelve years old, he lost his mother under tragic circumstances. Still, Saint worked hard in school, made good grades, and earned an athletic scholarship to college. It seemed all was lost, however, when this bright young man got caught up by the criminal activities infecting his neighborhood. A headstrong teenager, he misevaluated a situation, made a terrible judgment call, and wound up accused of murder. In a single day, Saint went from the loving brother who braided his little sister's hair and the dependable employee at his father's janitorial service to a target of legal corruption and prison brutality. The seventeen-year-old was beaten, manipulated, and politically exploited. Determined to win his freedom, he studied the law to educate himself. Saint also became the light heavyweight boxing champion of the prison and earned himself a spot working at the governor's mansion for Edwin Edwards, giving him the chance for a pardon.  Much like the boxer he was, Saint took his blows in life, dancing from one opportunity to the next without letting his opponents see the extent of his damages. Saint was a champion fighter who wasn't above pulling punches as a form of mercy. He was always an athlete and a warrior but never a murderer. In this way Saint grew from boy to man in one of the harshest environments in the United States-Angola Penitentiary.  [Back Flap] Now known as Forest C. Hammond-Martin, Sr., Saint is a boxing instructor devoted to mentoring youth and being a role model to his growing family. He has received many certificates of appreciation for his presentation with the R(eality) A(t) W(ork) Tour Training Program addressing youth at risk for criminal behavior. He has worked as an investigator, paralegal, and legal assistant for the Baton Rouge Public Defender's Office and boxed for Sugar Ray Leonard's Boxing Gym in Maryland. The proud father of six and grandfather of seven lives with his wife in Alexandria, Louisiana. Tom Aswell worked as a journalist for more than twenty-five years. He has been a reporter and editor for multiple Louisiana newspapers including the Baton Rouge Advocate, the Monroe News-Star, and the Ruston Daily Leader. He also owned his own news service for eight years. Aswell has served in the U.S. Air Force, owned and coached a semi-pro baseball team, and taught defensive driving classes. Aswell once worked as a stand-up comedian for the Funny Bone Comedy Club in Baton Rouge and was the 1992 funniest person in Louisiana. He lives with his wife in Denham Springs, Louisiana.