I was pleased to have received an invitation to submit an article for American Corrections, the leading textbook for professors who teach courses in corrections. Professor George Cole, who has been a mentor and friend of mine for many years, was one of the original authors of this text. Since George is retiring, he is passing along his responsibilities of updating the book to a professor in Arizona. I wrote the Arizona professor yesterday to accept the writing invitation.
This was the second opportunity I had in March to expand my reach into academia. I’m also looking forward to contributing a chapter in the book that Dr. Petersilia of Stanford is compiling. Such opportunities may not be remunerative, but they ought to enhance my resume and they may expand my network of support. Besides what the efforts will do to enhance my prospects for release, they contribute to the educational experiences of others. This reward brings meaning to my life, as I feel as if I’m adding value.
When I read articles in the newspapers, like the one by Solomon Moore from 2 March in the New York Times, I know that American citizens lack an understanding about all the costs of criminal corrections. That article describes the billions taxpayers spend each year to confine so many people. Americans don’t have a clear idea of waht goes on inside these prison boundaries. I welcome all opportunities to share what I have learned from others and what I have experienced through so many years in prison.
Today I wrote five blog articles. I ran six miles in the early morning, then interrupted my run to attend the meeting scheduled for our outreach group, TOAD. We had a rehearsal today, as eight of our members will travel to a school in Bakersfield to speak with at-risk adolescents about the experiences we’ve endured as a consequence of our criminal behavior that began during our youth.
Following the TOAD meeting, I returned to the track to conclude my running. After four additional miles, my tally stood at 923 miles over the past 103 days. Tomorrow I won’t be able to run the full 10 miles as we’re scheduled to leave the prison early for our trip to Bakersfield.
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
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