Prison Journal: Day 8,039

August 13, 2009

Another prisoner who serves time with me at Taft Camp asked me what it has been like to spend so many years in prison. That’s a question I can’t answer easily, and it’s the reason I keep writing books and articles on the subject. To describe 22 years in prison is going to become a career for me, as I have so many experiences to share.

He then asked whether time passed much faster while I was in the penitentiary. I told him that although it may sound implausible, the entire sentence feels as if it has passed easily, fast. I know that many of my fellow prisoners have difficulty moving from one hour into the next. In my case, as I look back, I wonder where the 22 years have gone. It’s not because I wasted the decades. Keeping busy has been an essential strategy in serving this sentence. It still is. I don’t mean keeping busy with jobs or programs the prison system offers, I mean keeping busy working toward meaningful goals that contribute to society. Some people find their peace through religion, fitness, or education. Everyone who reads my writing knows the goals that motivated me.

I am at my best when I create projects that will carry me through several months – or years. Early in my term, the pursuit of educational credentials inspired me to study for more than 12 hours every day. Then, I created projects that would open opportunities to use what I had learned. Later, developing better writing and communication skills kept me going. Throughout the entire term, fitness and exercise has been part of every day, with weight training when I was in my 20s and early 30s, long-distance running in my later 30s and 40s.

I also need time alone. I wake very early, always before 3:00 AM, and find a quiet place where I can value my alone time. Now that I’m writing a new manuscript, I like to begin working before 2:00 in the morning. Today I began at 2:00 and worked through 6:00 PM editing. My only time away from the desk was to eat or to exercise. I ran 10 miles, bringing my running tally to 2,165 miles over the past 244 consecutive days.


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Posted by Michael Santos | Filed Under Adjusting to Prison, Prison Journal 

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During his 23+ years of continuous confinement in federal prisons of every security level, Michael Santos has emerged as one of the leading voices on America's prison system and the need for prison reform.Learn more about Michael’s specific efforts, achievements, and contributions.


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