This morning I wrote a letter to my nephew, Zachary. He’s 11 years old. My sister, Julie, brought Zachary to visit me within a month of his birth. She lives in Seattle and I was then confined in Fort Dix, New Jersey, so it was a long trip for the mother-infant duo. I still remember [...]
I enjoyed a wonderful visit with my wife today, my second over the weekend. During our final hours together before the visit concluded I asked her what her plans were for the rest of the day. Carole told me that she had to go grocery shopping. That was a strange concept to me and it evoked [...]
October 17th is a special day for us. It is the anniversary of our first visit, and it took place in the visiting room at FCI Fort Dix, 9 years ago. 3,287 days have since passed. While I was there we shared 5 days in a row of visiting, and each day was magical, but [...]
I’ve been speaking with Bob, a prisoner who recently has begun to serve a seven-year sentence at the Taft federal prison camp. Prior to imprisonment he worked as a hedge fund manager and a real estate developer in high-end communities like Santa Barbara and Malibu. Despite earning millions of dollars over the past decade, complications [...]
During my visit with Carole yesterday, I introduced her to my friend Roland and his wife. They married inside the visiting room of Taft Camp this past Thursday. Since my marriage to Carole originated inside of a prison visiting room nine years ago, and since our love has grown stronger through each challenge we’ve overcome [...]
This morning I spent time with a friend who is struggling with the indignities of imprisonment. I empathize with him because I’ve gone through so much during the past quarter century I’ve served in federal prisons of every security level. I can identify with the difficulties he and his family endure. Like many people across [...]
My visits with Carole always renew my love for her. Although we usually visit on Fridays, we were not expecting to visit today. She is a registered nurse scheduled for 12-hour shifts that begin at seven in the evening and don’t conclude until seven in the morning. Since her schedule required that she work this [...]
Early this morning, my friend Greg Reyes walked out of the Taft Federal Prison Camp. For the past year we’ve spent several hours together every day. Although I’m very happy that he returns to quasi freedom with his release to a halfway house, I will miss his companionship very much. Over the course of my [...]
I am pleased to begin serving my 25th August in federal prison. It reminds me of how fortunate I am. People may think it strange that a man who has been incarcerated for longer than half of his life would feel fortunate. They don’t understand that my state of gratitude comes from the blessing I [...]
I am pleased to have met my friend Greg’s father, Greg Reyes, Senior here in the Taft visiting room. During the months of our friendship, Greg has told me a lot about his father’s success. What impresses me most about Senior, and makes me proud to know him, is how much he has contributed to [...]
