I’ve been tutoring Mark, a young prisoner in his early 20’s serving a four-year sentence for credit card fraud. Mark finished high school but he didn’t further his education, and without much ambition he drifted into unskilled labor jobs in convenience stores and fast food restaurants. His meandering existence made a scheme to purchase goods with stolen credit cards feel like an escape.
When I met Mark, he was wasting his time with television and table games, getting fat with a diet of chips, Snickers bars and sodas. I offered to loan him a copy of a book I wrote that describes how other prisoners I’ve known have used their time inside for a better life upon release.
“No matter what I do in here,” he objected, “it won’t make a difference when I go home. I still won’t be able to find a good job, especially in this economy.”
That’s the kind of hopeless statement I’ve encountered from others throughout my 22 years of imprisonment. I feel a responsibility to change those negative perceptions, so I spent some time with Mark explaining the difference between skilled and unskilled labor. If he uses his time here in Taft wisely, Mark can earn an associate’s degree with an emphasis on math courses. Those skills, I explained to him, would enable him to sit through a semester or two of specialized training for the installation of solar panels. It’s a job that brings wages of $30 per hour, or more, and it’s a job that comes with abundant security.
It’s not easy for adults to return to school, especially when they’re simultaneously struggling with the mental complications of confinement. They miss their families and communities. I try to live as an example and an inspiration for my fellow prisoners. Working toward measurable goals and clearly preparing for success has powered me through 22 years of prison. It’s made all the difference in my life.
This morning I began working at 1:45 and I edited chapter three. I ran 10 miles boosting my tally to 2,523 miles over the past 284 days.
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
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