The GEO Group is a company that manages private prisons. When I first arrived at the Taft Federal prison camp, the GEO Group had the management contract to manage this private prison. To me, the prison felt better for serving time than any other prison where I have been confined. The GEO Group manages many other private prisons, some, apparently, less successfully than others.
In this past Friday’s New York Times, on page A12, Solomon Moore reported on a judgment by the Thirteenth District Court of Appeals that required the GEO Group to pay $42.5 million to the family of a former inmate, Gregorio de la Rosa, who was beaten to death. According to the court finding, representatives of the GEO Group stood by and watched while other prisoners were beating de la Rosa to death. The wardens smirked and laughed.
Without question, prison brutality can threaten the life of any prisoner. Such beatings are not an issue in minimum-security prisons, but in the high-security types of prisons where I began serving my sentence, guards sometimes use lethal force when asserting their authority.
As I read the story of the murder that took place in the prison that the GEO Group managed, I thanked God that I have managed to endure all these years of confinement with only minimal complications. Now I’m in minimum-security, and I expect release to come in three years or less.
This morning I had a very successful writing session with the sample chapter. With more than 5,000 words complete, I had planned on sending the work to Carole. The copy machine was broken, though, so I’ll have to wait. I look forward to finishing the sample chapter and book proposal, as I have neglected my blog entries since I began working on this project.
I had a nice run this morning, and followed the 10 miles with 400 pushups. My running tally now stands at 1,076 miles over the past 122 consecutive days. I’m still contemplating this possible transfer to the camp in Sheridan, Oregon. The decision of whether to make the request still hinges on Carole’s education. I truly appreciate the easy time I serve here at Taft Camp, and when I read these stories of other prisons, I feel reluctant to move. I’ll have to make a decision in early June, or forget the whole idea. I will choose whatever is best for Carole.
Monday, 13 April 2009
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