I recently received a letter from a man who questioned my commitment to transparency. He believes that I shouldn’t write so much about the importance of transparency because my readers don’t expect prisoners to lead transparent lives. I don’t agree with his advice. Living a transparent life is a virtue, I think, and I rank [...]
Today my wife had lunch with Dr. Joan Petersilia, a distinguished professor at Stanford Law School. I’m thrilled that Carole had an opportunity to meet with Joan because I anticipate that she will play a role in helping me overcome some of the obstacles that await my release. She has been an inspiration to me [...]
People in prison should think carefully about the high hurdles they must surmount if they are committed to succeeding upon release. Unemployment rates remain stubbornly high and economic leaders expect them to remain so. If people without prison records find it difficult to build careers, then those with criminal records must plan on facing resistance [...]
I received a message from Gaby, a college student, who wrote that she is studying in a criminal justice program and that her professor has designed the course around my work. The students are reviewing my books and articles to broaden their understanding of the challenges long-term prisoners have in preparing for successful reentry to [...]
For the past three early mornings I’ve been editing two new manuscripts that Carole is preparing to publish. I’m pleased to have finished both. The manuscripts are now sealed in separate envelopes ready for delivery to Carole. She will make the final changes and then submit for the printing of review copies. I’m eager to [...]
Ron is a friend of mine at Taft Camp. He serves a sentence for a tax related offense that keeps him separated from his wife, Susie, but she visits him every Friday. They’ve been married for more than 30 years and I enjoy listening to him talk about what it means to build a loving [...]
Today’s entry is from Carole Michael and I had a scheduled visit today, and while we sat together—face to face, holding hands—I told him the words from a love letter that I wrote to him last night. I could hardly get through the first paragraph because I looked into his beautiful brown eyes and felt the overwhelming [...]
Earlier this month I took a risk with my allotment of telephone minutes that didn’t pay off. It was a calculated risk that I based on experience. In the past, whenever administrators made changes or updates to the software our Inmate Telephone System (ITS) uses, every man in prison received a fresh 300 minutes of [...]
Today I began serving my 24th consecutive year in prison. I don’t mind. Prison has become a completely normal part of my life, the only life I know. I work hard every day to prepare for my return to society, and I’ve been ready for many years, but regardless of how hard I work release [...]
According to the figures I’ve read, taxpayers have already spent more than $700,000 to confine me for the past 23 years. Yet they will spend another $100,000 to keep me in prison for the remaining years I must serve. That cost is to confine me—one prisoner who was as ready for release as he ever [...]
