Prison Journal: Day 8,030

August 4, 2009

An acquaintance of mine, here at Taft Camp, asked me the significance of keeping this prison journal. He thought prison was something a prisoner should try to forget about, not memorialize by writing about the drudgery each day. For me, keeping a journal represents a willful act, I told him.  It is part of this deliberate effort I make to control the progress I make on several fronts.

Keeping a journal requires discipline. It forces me to think about the way I’m living my life in here, and it also helps me remain true to the goals I set. Through my journal, I’ve announced to the world that I intend to exercise every day until I’m released from prison, and I’ve publicly stated that I’m writing a new manuscript. Because I announced those goals, I feel compelled to reach them. I work every day toward those efforts, and I invite others to hold me accountable. The journal also helps me hold myself accountable.

This morning, for example, I hopped down from my rack at 1:18 am, and by 1:29, I was sitting in this quiet room where I like to write. I spent the early morning editing the first draft of chapter five. It’s a long chapter, and I read through it twice, making initial changes. I’ll edit it several more times as the months pass. This is how I work. I write, then I set the work aside, and return to take a fresh look at my work several times, cutting, adding, and refining each time-or trying to refine.

I ran 10 miles. That run brought my tally to 2,082 miles over the past 235 days.

Then I spent the remainder of the day working over chapter six of Earning Freedom. I wrote through page 276, finishing the first draft of this chapter. Tomorrow morning, early, I will outline and begin writing chapter seven.

It’s nearly 5:00 in the afternoon now and I’m ready to lie down. I have a short story by Thomas Mann I’m going to read, then I’ll read a bit from The Book of Luke in the Bible, and fall into a deep sleep. I know I’ll wake well rested before 2:00 a.m., eager to resume my work.

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Posted by Michael Santos | Filed Under Prison Journal 

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During his 23+ years of continuous confinement in federal prisons of every security level, Michael Santos has emerged as one of the leading voices on America's prison system and the need for prison reform.Learn more about Michael’s specific efforts, achievements, and contributions.


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