I woke this morning at 3:30, which is later than I’ve been waking. I’m frustrated, as I don’t feel as if I’m being as productive as I need to be. These months are very important to me, though when I’m not progressing as well as I should, I feel as if time is wasting. I [...]
This morning I woke at 2:30, and I lay on my rack thinking for 30-plus minutes before I hopped down. I had slept for more than eight hours and I was wide awake, but I was consumed with thoughts about Carole. Today is our anniversary. We married six years ago when I was at the [...]
For the past couple of weeks I’ve been reading a few pages from a memoir before I fall asleep each night. The book title is An American in the Gulag, by Alexander Dolgun. I’ll write a book report when I finish, but I’m about at the halfway point and I want to recommend it to [...]
Yesterday afternoon I interviewed a man who returned to prison at Taft Camp because he violated conditions of his supervised release. He cited a list of excuses for the decisions he made that returned him to prison, though as I probed him with further questions, it became clear to us both that the man is [...]
Today is Father’s Day, and I know that many prisoners feel sad because they’re separated from family. David, the prisoner with whom I share a cubicle at Taft Prison Camp, told me that these holidays make him long for his wife and children. He is only 29, and visits with his family once or twice [...]
I’ve frequently written about a theory of prison adjustment known as the u-shaped curve. This theory suggests that a prisoner struggles with higher levels of anxieties during the first and last portions of his imprisonment, while the middle or intermediate portion passes rather easily. Now that I’m in my final years of imprisonment, I can [...]
I woke early this morning to continue writing an article about visiting for change.org. When I returned to my cubicle for the 5:00 AM census count, I heard an NPR news report that financier R. Allen Stanford had been taken into federal custody. He was indicted for several fraud charges alleging that he orchestrated a [...]
Last night members from our youth outreach program, Those Outspoken Against Drugs (TOAD) spoke to a group of adolescents who live in group homes. Our presentation lasted for two hours, with members describing the bad choices we made that led us to prison and performing skits that dramatize how easy it is for peer pressure [...]
This morning I woke at 2:37, refreshed from more than eight hours of sleep. Ever since last November I’ve been on this schedule of going to sleep in the late afternoon and waking when most all the other prisoners sleep. Now I’m used to these hours. I really look forward to this time I can [...]
Today my wife submitted my sample chapter and proposal for Earning Freedom to Jim, the literary agent who represents my work. I’m hopeful that he will secure a publishing agreement, but I understand this process can take some time. Despite my publishing history, as an incarcerated felon I understand that some may have a reluctance [...]
