Today I began a new project that I’m hopeful will contribute to my successful transition in society upon release. Without question, my time in prison will come to an end within two years. Although I don’t yet have certainty with regard to when I will walk out of prison, I am relatively sure that I [...]
I attended a meeting today that included speakers from the Bureau of Prisons, a halfway house, and the federal probation department. I really enjoyed listening to people who work in the departments that will oversee my life when I return to society. It’s somewhat surreal for me to have reached this stage of my journey. [...]
Read Michael’s April 12, 2011 daily journal entry on his Huffington Post column: The Real Cost of Punitive Legislation http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-santos/the-real-cost-of-punitive_b_848444.html Ran 10 miles: 7,650 miles / 851 consecutive days 1,000 pushups / 40,700 pushups in 2011 Print PDF
Today’s blog entry is from Carole ~ I don’t initiate direct contact with prison administrators very often. One reason is because after more than 2 decades in prison Michael is an expert at understanding and navigating the prison machine. Another is that prison rules and policies govern my ability to have contact with my husband. Earlier [...]
I’ve never left prison custody since my initial arrest in 1987. During that time my grandfather and my father passed away, and I’ve lost some mentors of mine to death as well. The length of my sentence precluded the possibility of my being allowed to attend the funerals, and the length of my imprisonment has [...]
Kimbel, a long-term prisoner, walked out of Taft Camp this morning after 20 years of incarceration. I was writing at the table where I work every morning when I saw him carrying his box of personal belongings. He is now in his late 50s, as physically fit as a man in his early 30s, and [...]
Today I met Jay, a man who voluntarily returned to serve five months in Taft Prison Camp rather than serve several years on supervised release. Jay served 17 calendar years in various prisons on the east coast before he completed his term of imprisonment. He left prison to begin enjoying freedom in Las Vegas, and [...]
The month of August always brings some significance for me–it’s the month (in 1987) that my imprisonment commenced. In just 10 days I’ll begin serving my 24th consecutive year of confinement. Carole and I have four months to make a decision about where we intend to begin our life upon release. The planning for this decision [...]
It’s easy for a man to say he’s going to change his life in positive ways upon imprisonment. Really changing, though, is something else. Positive change does not happen by accident. It is a personal choice that requires the right attitude, commitment, and discipline. Anicasio Muñoz (who goes by Nick), didn’t begin his term with the intention of changing [...]
Today I interviewed a young prisoner at Taft Camp who has some misguided perceptions. He’s in his early 20s, and he’s been influenced by reality television shows that depict all of the ugliness of prison. Shows like Lockdown and Maximum Security dramatize all of the violence and gang activity inside. What they fail to show [...]
