I heard a rumor here at Taft Camp that I find disturbing. I don’t know whether there is truth behind it, and I won’t explore it further than writing about my frustrations concerning the rumor on this journal entry. What I heard concerns access to visiting and telephone. The rules of Taft prison camp limit [...]
My wife is moving today. I’ve tried to count, but I don’t know for sure how many times my wife has moved during the many years she has devoted her life to me. I know that moving can induce stress, though Carole accepts the challenge without much complaint. She stays true to our plan, which [...]
Last night’s mail brought me a new dictionary that I asked Carole to order for me. It’s the Oxford edition, based on the famous multi-volume Oxford English Dictionary. The book is large, taking up too much space in my locker. I made room for it, as I really enjoy this kind of book and I [...]
I began writing well this morning, but dizziness struck again around 5:30. When the guards unlocked the housing unit at 6:00 I went outside to run. I finished 10 miles, boosting my tally to 1,478 miles over the past 167 days. At 9:15 I had an appointment with the nurse. She recorded my vital statistics. [...]
Today would have been my father’s 74th birthday. He passed away five years ago on June 11, 2004. I had not spoken with my father since 1998, as he suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and couldn’t carry on a conversation over the telephone. Traveling to visit me was not an option. The last time I saw [...]
I am grateful for the electronic messages people who read Inside: Life Behind Bars in America send, as well as for the comments and feedback that readers post when they come upon my website. As a federal prisoner, I have never been able to access the Internet. It did not exist when I began serving [...]
Today is Memorial Day, and I feel rejuvenated because Carole drove over to spend the day holding my hand. I feel so blessed to have Carole’s love, and every minute I share with her in a visit liberates me from confinement. Prior to the tough-on-crime policies that really took hold during the Reagan years, I [...]
I knew that I could will myself back into good health. I slept early last night and I did not wake until 3:15. When I began writing it was 3:30, and I made excellent progress with the second chapter of this memoir I want to finish. Ordinarily, I don’t continue writing the manuscript until I [...]
I have been blessed with excellent health throughout my imprisonment. That’s why I’m surprised to be suffering through intermittent dizziness here at Taft prison camp. My wife has some theories, and since she graduated first in her nursing class, I know that I should defer to her. Still, I am stubborn and I resist. I [...]
In last night’s mail I received the manuscript pages and the book proposal for Earning Freedom that Carole typed for me. This morning, at 3:15, I began my first read and edit. I am happy to have this project. The work will carry me through the remainder of this year. These purposeful steps serve multiple [...]
