An advantage of moving deeper into my 22nd year of imprisonment is that it gives me a better perspective of time. I do not expect to serve three more years, or at least not much more than another three years. I’m 45 now and I expect to be home when I’m 48. By then I [...]
President Obama made another significant break from the policies of the previous Bush administration when he signed an order authorizing federal funding for stem-cell research. The reports that I saw on CNN indicated that President Obama would not allow the specious value of politics to interfere with the objective findings of science. We have seen [...]
In prison it’s easy to lose track of time. I read news magazines each week, though my schedule does not allow for television. The only time I listen to the radio is when I’m running. And other than my wife, I hardly talk to anyone else. When I do talk with others, the conversations generally [...]
The economic crisis that plagues the lives of millions really stings some people in prison. Today I interviewed Thomas Ross, a fellow prisoner who serves time with me at Taft Camp. Thomas serves a lengthy sentence, though the prison time is not nearly as difficult as the despondency that comes with knowing that his wife [...]
Today I enjoyed the most magnificent visit with my wife. I woke at 2:30, eager to hold her in my arms. We’ve been fortunate that her work schedule has been allowing her to see me each Friday for the past several months. When one visit ended, I began counting the hours until I could see [...]
In the mail that I received yesterday, I found an e-mail message from a man who identified himself as James. James was writing on behalf of a friend of his who was recently extradited from another country to face several counts of mail fraud. James was expecting authorities to convict his friend, and anticipated that [...]
The batch of mail I received yesterday was large. My wife sent me several pages of questions she had received from students at California State University, Long Beach. The students are enrolled in a criminal justice program. Many expect to pursue careers in law enforcement. Some will become probation officers, others police officers, and others [...]
I called my wife this morning early because I wanted her to check the Internet on news about possible legislative action concerning prison reform. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t pay attention to the surge of rumors that others prisoners were spreading. During the more than 21 years I’ve served, I’ve learned to expect the prisoners around me [...]
As I wrote in the early morning hours, I paused to look through a large window. This morning, as I was writing, I saw two men carrying plastic bags that were stuffed with their personal belongings. It was before four in the morning, so the compound of Taft’s prison camp was closed. The men were [...]
