I’m in a new month now and that always brings thoughts about how many more must pass before I begin my life at home. People in society may think it foolish for me to obsess over time. I’m regularly contemplating how many months of imprisonment I have behind me and how many more I am scheduled to serve. The literature I read makes this an essential topic.
Today I expect to finish reading Professor Petersilia’s book When Prisoners Come Home. The academic book paints a disturbing picture about chances for success upon release. The potential for failure that awaits all prisoners really overwhelms me. This book provides statistics showing the percentage of employers who would never consider hiring an individual with a prison record, the number of landlords who would never rent to a former prisoner, the number of lenders who would never extend credit to a former prisoner. I’m always thinking about the challenges that await me.
According to my scheduled release date I have 51 months until my commitment to the Bureau of Prisons ends. With halfway house I will likely return to the community in about three years. Parole and prison reform legislation could advance my release date further.
In light of the challenges I expect to encounter, I must use the time I have remaining in the most productive manner possible. I began my work this morning at 3:15 with thoughts about how I want to emerge. Carole and I discuss these issues each week.
I need to work hard to secure another publishing deal so that I have a book that hits the market concurrently with my release. I expect to submit a proposal with sample chapters to the literary agent who represents my work before the summer’s end. Besides the book, I must continue to work toward building a stronger internet presence. My web presence ought to generate credibility, a stream of revenue, and a brand with thousands of pages of content that I can monetize upon release. Those components of my plan will help me launch a career as a speaker, consultant, author, teacher, publisher, and broadcaster upon release.
I also must nurture my marriage and stay in excellent physical condition. Today I ran 10 miles, boosting my tally to 1,243 miles in 141 days. I will not rest until I am home.
Saturday, 2 May 2009
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