My 7,867th Day in Federal Prison
February 22, 2009
Sunday, 22 February 2009
I woke this morning at 2:30 and began by reading. After the census count cleared at 3:05, I gathered my dictionary and notebook to begin writing in the quiet room. My work assignment in the prison requires that I clean the quiet room. It’s a janitorial job, and a good fit for me. I sweep the concrete floor, mop it, and organize the tables and chairs. I have the job because all prisoners must work somewhere, and seniority in prison is a likely reason for my having this job. I spend a lot of time with my pen writing in the quiet room.
Today was another productive work session. I’ve written so many pages this weekend that I’m worried about my wife’s typing schedule. I called to warn her about how much work I’ve been generating. I suggested that she find someone to assist her with the typing and other chores associated with sending my writings into the blogosphere.
What I really need is an intern who would have time and skills to help. I may have been fortunate enough to have found someone. I’ve been building a correspondence with Josh, a young man who recently graduated from Yale. We came into contact because he had relied upon some of my work when he was writing one of his term papers at the university. He has since graduated, moved out to Hollywood, and has begun the challenge of trying to build a career as a screenwriter.
I wrote Josh a letter asking for his assistance and he responded with enthusiasm. Like me, he has an interest in prison reform. One of my writing projects today was sending Josh a letter describing the type of work I needed help in coordinating. As a prisoner, I have huge obstacles and I need help. I’d like Josh to coordinate with my wife, Carole, on steps we can take to expand our reach.
By 8:00 this morning I had completed four blog articles, one of which was a lengthy piece on the process of sentence commutations. Then I went to the track. I ran 10 miles, lifting my tally to 659 miles over the past 72 consecutive days. As a consequence of my not visiting with Carole this past Friday, I was able to run 10 miles each day this week. Although I find a sense of empowerment when I run 70 miles in a given week, I prefer the visits with my wife.
I also wrote in the afternoon. I finished an author bio for the manuscript on which I’ve been collaborating as a ghost writer. I also wrote letters to professors who have been helpful to me. One was a former warden at a prison in Michigan who now uses my work to teach criminal justice courses. Another, Dr. Sam Torres, was a former U.S. probation officer who now serves as professor of criminal justice at California State University.
Before gathering my things to go lie down, I wrote a letter to my wife. It is important that I keep these feelings of romance alive. As a prisoner, I’m not able to touch my wife every day, so it’s really important that I express my love for her with words.
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