For the past six weeks I’ve been taking an allergy pill. I would like to purchase my own pills from the commissary, as they do not require a prescription. Yet, to receive the allergy pills, the rules at Taft Prison Camp require that I pass through health services procedures. That means I must sign up [...]
Today I received an e-mail message from Michael Sweig, a legal studies professor from Roosevelt University in Chicago. As a legal studies professor, Michael Sweig teaches business students in a business school who are getting business degrees about law. Professor Sweig has given me the troubling news that more than 60 million people in our country have [...]
In writing Earning Freedom, this memoir of a journey through prison that has lasted 22 years so far, it is important to tell my wife, Carole, how much I love her. The reason telling her I love her is crucial is because I’m writing this story chronologically, as I lived it. That means I’m writing [...]
After a long day of writing, I’m pleased to have advanced the manuscript of Earning Freedom to page 189. That concludes my first draft of chapter four, bringing the reader through early 1992. This writing project really fulfills me, and I’m grateful for every hour I have available to write in peace. I began this [...]
I woke early this morning, at 1:30 am, and an enthusiasm ran through me to resume my work. I’m approaching the final pages of chapter four, and it’s exciting for me to bring this section to completion. By 6:00, I wrote through page 180 of the manuscript. With Friday being a visiting day, I ran [...]
I read an article in this week’s issue of Time magazine that described the important role community colleges play in helping people develop marketable skills. Here in Taft prison, the Taft Community College offers courses that can play a huge role in helping offenders emerge successfully. Unfortunately, few take advantage of the magnificent educational opportunity. In [...]
I read an article in a magazine about a famous rapper who performs under the name T.I. His real name is Clifford Harris, Jr. It seems that T.I. is a repeat felon, though his criminal history did not deter him from accumulating an assortment of unregistered machine guns and silencers. Federal authorities arrested the rapper [...]
I have an effective strategy to keep my writing flowing with the new manuscript. Each day before putting my work away, I leave off with a sentence or paragraph that enables me to pick up the thread and keep weaving the story in the morning. I’m deep into chapter four now, writing through my experiences [...]
By waking up early, I’m able to complete much more than other prisoners around me. Sustaining this energy level is essential to my peace of mind, as when I’m not performing to my highest ability, I feel slow, with time dragging. The harder I work, the more energy, optimism, and confidence I have. This morning [...]
My wife, Carole, has told me about the water rationing program in Los Angeles. With the water shortage, she says that she has been doing everything possible to conserve. Now, those of us at Taft Camp will be conserving more water as well. Administrators have posted a memorandum restricting the times that we will be [...]
