Prison Journal: Day 8,117
October 30, 2009
One of the ways I strive to find meaning in my prison experience is by writing about it. I don’t write for other prisoners around me, as rules prohibit me from distributing my work inside the prisons where I’m held. My intention in writing about the prison experience is to educate citizens about the challenges of preparing for a law-abiding and contributing life from prison while serving a lengthy prison term.
Since I don’t have direct access to the Internet, and I’ve never been able to participate in gathering with readers who might have an interest in my work, I’m somewhat disconnected. That’s why it’s always a treat for me when a reader reaches out to me. This morning, while I was writing an early-morning letter to my wife, a prison guard from Taft Camp whom I’ve never met before made a point of stopping to tell me that he enjoyed reading Inside, my previous book. We had a little chat and I told him about Earning Freedom, my newest manuscript, and he said he looked forward to reading it.
In the mail I received today, I also read through several email messages that my wife printed and sent. Several students who read Inside wrote to thank me for writing about the prison experience. It’s a real privilege for me to contribute to the education of others, one that makes me feel as if I’m leading a meaningful life. I will continue this work upon release, whenever it comes.
One of the letters was from a graduate student at the Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas. She completed her undergraduate work at Washington University and an internship with the public defenders office persuaded her to pursue a career in criminal justice and prison reform. The student offered to collaborate with me for an article she would like to write for Frank magazine. I’m honored that she found my work inspiring enough to reach out to me and I wholeheartedly agreed to offer her my insight on the prison experience. I feel a duty to share my experience and to work toward prison reform, and I look forward to sharing this message with as many people as possible.
To work with others is a privilege for any prisoner, as that work can bring the feeling of participating in society. I hope to effect positive change and contribute to the improvement of our criminal justice system, and one way of doing that would be to change the way we measure justice. In the decades to come, I will speak and write about this concept frequently, and I’ll do as much as I can while serving the remainder of my prison term.
This morning I ran seven miles and followed with 200 pushups before coming in to prepare for my visit with Carole. My running tally now extends to 2,861 miles over the past 321 days.
Friday, 30 October 2009
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