Upon Carole’s return home from our abbreviated visit yesterday, a search of her e-mail revealed a message from Joan Petersilia. Dr. Petersilia is a distinguished reserach professor whose work I frequently relied upon while I was studying toward my masters degree at Hofstra. At the time, she was publishing frequently on the costs associated with our criminal justice system. I had written her a few times over the years, as I was always in search of mentors. I didn’t think she knew anything about me, as my unsolicited letters never yielded a correspondence.

When Carole told me about the e-mail, I felt as if I were somehow more than a prisoner. That must sound ridiculous, but it’s true. I’ve worn prison clothing for so many years that I need these validations to confirm that I still share a humanity, a common connection no matter how tenuous with the broader society.

Although I did not know Dr. Petersilia, I recognized her name as one of America’s leading scholars. Through my exposure to her work, I recalled that at various times during my imprisonmnet she had been associated with Harvard University, The Rand Institute, and the University of California. From the e-mail Carole had received, I learned that Professor Petersilia was now at Stanford. She was now working on a new book and extended an invitation for me to contribute a chapter.

Carole and I did not have the telephone minutes available for Carole to read the message from Professor Petersilia, so I would have to wait to receive a printout in the mail. Nevertheless, I felt honored that a leader from our society was expressing interest in my work. I really want my wife and family to feel proud of me, and this opportunity to write a chapter for a book alongside one of America’s leading scholars advances that effort. I’m honored that Professor Petersilia reached out to me, and I’m glad that Carole received the message. I look forward to reading it myself.

Despite the welcome news I received about Professor Petersilia’s interest in my work. I still feel a bit sad today. I was not able to visit with Carole last week because her work schedule would not allow it. The three hours we spent together yesterday were not enough to fulfill me; a lifetime would not be enough to fulfill me. Except for my exercise and the two blogs I wrote, I did not have a very productive day.

With my body still sore from the running, I limited my run to five miles. Now I’m at 890 miles over the past 99 days of running. I finished reading There’s No Such Thing as Business Ethics by John Maxwell today, but I’ve yet to write a book report. Perhaps my spirits will rise tomorrow. I’m not as productive when I’m missing my wife.

Saturday, 21 March 2009

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