I’m scheduled for a meeting with my unit team today. Unit team meetings are scheduled every six months for prisoners who have longer than one year to serve, and every three months for prisoners with release dates within one year.

According to the Bureau of Prisons policy, several staff members attend the unit team meetings–the unit manager, the case manager, the counselor, a psychologist, and a staff member from the education department. In practice, only the case manager and counselor preside over the unit team meetings for camp inmates.

The unit team meetings present an opportunity for a formal review of the prisoner’s progress over a six month period. The case manager discusses the prisoner’s scheduled release date, his participation in educational programs, his disciplinary record, job reports, and financial obligations. The counselor reviews the prisoner’s visiting and telephone lists, and the prisoner may ask questions.

Ms. Oliver and Ms. Mickleberry, the case manager and counselor who preside over my progress here at Taft Camp have been supportive of the efforts I make to prepare for release. To the extent that they’re able, they express sympathy for the length of time I’ve served, but they don’t have any authority to advance my release date. Still, I appreciate their kindness. I don’t expect any news to come during my team meetings, as release will not come for me until more calendar pages turn, so I simply keep preparing.

Before I meet with the unit team in the afternoon I will run 10 miles, then I’ll meet with my friend Steve to discuss steps I can take to improve my web presence in 2010. When I meet with my unit team, even though it isn’t necessary, I will describe the goals I’m setting to carry me through the next year. I’ll be scheduled for another team meeting in June of 2010, and by then I expect to complete several goals that will contribute to my success upon release—whenever it comes.

[consecutive running log: 3,100 miles in 347 days]

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