Prison Journal: Day 7,874
March 1, 2009
This morning I woke with fantasies of it being my final March in prison. I say fantasy because I am scheduled to remain in prison until August of 2013. That August date is misleading, however. I have eligibility to serve a portion of my final term under conditions of parole, and I also will qualify for a quasi-freedom of halfway-house placement and home confinement. Access to those programs is uncertain, but as sentencing computations now stand, I could release in April of 2012; I calculate the release date differently from the BOP, however, and intend to begin litigation proceedings in 2010 that ought to advance my conisderation for release in July of 2011.
Even with that potentially favorable outcome; it would seem that I have March of 2010, and March of 2011 to serve as a prisoner. Readers may then wonder how I could delude myself with fantasies of this being my final March. The reason is that Carole and I are hoping for the introduction of a Congressional bill on prison reform that had been deliberated during previous Congressional sessions.
The bill was widely known as the 45-and-over bill. It would have provided eligibility for nonviolent offenders who were older than 45 and who had served half the lengths of their sentences to serve the remainder of their terms on home confinement. That bill never made it to the floor of the Congress for a vote under the previous Congressional session. Even if it had, I doubt whether the previous President would have signed it into law. Our leadership, however, has since changed. This Congress may introduce the bill and President Obama would support the legislation.
Prison reform legislation is scheduled to begin this spring under Senator Jim Webb’s leadership. If the 45-and-over bill became law, I would qualify for release next February. That would be when I completed my 22 1/2 years of confinement, meaning I served half of my 45-year sentence. Those hopes form the basis of fantasy for my wife and me, regardless of how delusional they may seem.
Because of the possibility of that advanced release date, my wife and I must work harder than ever to prepare. I woke this morning at 3:00, but did not being writing until 3:30. I finished writing three blogs by 6:30. I ran 10 miles, lifting my running tally to 722 miles over the past 79 consecutive days. In the afternoon, I completed a story on Justin Paperny; it was the first in a series of articles I intend to write on ethics. I make this contribution for Professor Jana Schrenkler of Saint Mary’s University.
My wife has been building a presence for me on Facebook. I’ve read a lot about those social networking sites and I feel grateful for these efforts she makes to connect me with the world. I wasn’t much older than a high school graduate when I began my prison term, so it is a treat to read about my former classmates. I invite all readers to friend me on Facebook. Although I don’t have direct access to the web, my loving wife makes every effort to include me in the world. I appreciate the support and look forward to rekindling relationships upon my release.
Sunday, 1 March 2009
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Hi Michael:
I like the consistency and flow of your work. I also enjoy Justin’s perspectives.
I would like you to know that because of your work I have made a major decision regarding my situation.
Most likely will see you relatively soon.
Rob