Weldon Long pointed a gun at two strangers as they exited a restaurant while his accomplice demanded money and jewelry from the victims. The two committed that armed robbery in 1987, when Long was 23. Long’s judge later sentenced him to 10 years for the crime, but then reduced the prison term to eight years because the robbery at gun point was Long’s first prison term.
The relatively short sentence entitled Long to transfer to a halfway house after he had served about three years in prison. While in the halfway house, administrators overlooked Long’s drinking and gave him chance after chance. For employment, Long took a job with a telemarketing company that conned people out of money. Then he got a gun, and he used it to rob cashiers in small businesses. Authorities returned Long to prison, but each time he returned to society he continued to rob people at gunpoint or scheme through telemarketing scams until FBI agents arrested him on new criminal charges in the mid-1990s.
While incarcerated for the third or fourth time, Long began reading self-help books that convinced him to change his life. He began chanting a mantra about being a good person and a man of integrity, trying to visualize all that he was not. The exercise gave him hope. He enrolled in a correspondence school with a reputation as a diploma mill, but through the work he disciplined himself while working toward academic credentials.
The new criminal charges for telemarketing fraud and armed robbery resulted in Mr. Long serving a few more years in prison. He attributes his education to changing his life, and the criminal justice system seemed to have cut Mr. Long another break, releasing him in 2002. He began a relationship with a woman who became his third wife, he built a career selling heating equipment, launched a business, and authored a book called The Upside of Fear that I recently finished reading.
When I read Mr. Long’s book, his stories about violent crime and the numerous, brief sentences he served frustrated me. Both Mr. Long and I became prisoners when we were 23, in 1987. His crimes included pointing guns in the faces of his victims and demanding their money, and scheming over the telephone to con gullible people out of tens of thousands of dollars. I’ll never understand how the criminal justice system considers such crimes less severe than my crime. Despite numerous chances to leave prison and begin a responsible life, Mr. Long kept reverting to crime, yet he finally reformed. Now he has a family, a business, and a new outlook on life. I applaud his change, but reading about his liberty while I serve my 23rd consecutive Christmas season in prison challenges me to accept that I must embrace my predicament, find meaning through it, and not resent those who follow a different journey.
I’ve since let my frustrations go. I wish Mr. Long success and peace, recognizing that although I may remain in prison, many blessings have come my way. I have good health, my education, a growing support network, resources I can count on upon my release, and a wonderful wife who devotes her life to me. I may serve a few more years in prison, but I’ll find ways to bring meaning to my life, to contribute to the lives of others, and to prove worthy of the support I’ve received.
This morning I ran 10 miles.
[consecutive running log: 3,236 miles in 362 days]
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3 Responses to Prison Journal: Day 8,158
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Michael,
I recently purchased your book. While I never plan or expect to have your life experience, your writings have educated me on the pitfalls with America’s correction system. Your book is an invaluable read for any person currently on the wrong side of the law. It should be required reading especially for juveniles currently set on the wrong path. Thank you for your continued work and best of luck to you as 2013 approaches.
You are in my prayers.
Hi Michael,
I am so inspired by your book!! You are so amazing!! I don’t know how you stay so positive in the face of such injustice. The system is a nightmare. I don’t understand how someone can get 5 years for murder, but 45 years for drug dealing.
I am a middle school teacher of students with learning disabilities. Unfortunately, my students have few career options, and many end up running into trouble while still in their teen years. I am distraught, because I recently learned that one of my favorite, sweetest students from a decade ago is serving a ten year sentence for assault with a deadly weapon. He has put in 6 years and is now in a medium security facility. We are in touch via letters, and I am his only outside contact. We were about to meet for a visit, when he received a transfer to OK. The care package we sent sits in limbo… My heart aches that he is alone, somewhere new, and without any contact with friends or family for Christmas. I still think of him as that sweet boy with a crooked smile who patiently helped others in need, but he is a man of 23 now. I worry about him daily. In his letters, he talks about freedom and schemes to get rich quick on the outside. I just read your book cover to cover and feel a little better on his current placement in medium security. My only knowledge of prison life before reading your book was from horrible scenes in movies. Now that I know that the environment is better in a medium security facility, I at least have hope that he is not getting beat up daily. Any advice for me? How can I help? What can I do to ease the transition upon his release? He is eligible for parole in 2.5 years. I am urging him to get his GED, but he has other ideas. I feel that for him to be successful on the outside, he at least needs a GED. He says he won’t work for minimum wage. That scares me. He also said “no” to the suggestion of a halfway house. I cannot have him live with me. I don’t live in the county of his commitment, and anyway, I am not sure I want to take that on with my own little children underfoot.
On another note, Obama wants teachers to be held accountable for our student’s success. Success is measured by test scores. He wants teacher pay and school funds to be linked to how well the students demonstrate success. I wonder why no one holds prisons accountable for the success of inmates? Why not link federal funds and the warden’s and guard’s pay on the recidivism rate? Can you imagine how suddenly all of the things you mentioned– treating inmates like fellow humans, providing real programs, mentoring opportunities, incentive-based models– would be implemented? If the goal of prisons was to change people for a chance to make it on the outside, to be productive citizens– it would change the whole game. In your next book, please give us a “call to action”. What can we do? Is there a lobbying group, can we write letters? What can ordinary people do to bring about reform?
Thanks for your time, and sorry to ramble on…
~kari
Hi Michael,
I am in the middle of reading your book. I must say, it has held me captive for 2 days now and I am half way done. I can relate to your story because I have a brother serving time in a State institution for selling cocaine. Like you, we come from an upper middle class suburb of spoiled rich kids and surban boredom.
At 30 years old, he received his sentence of 15 to 40 years for buying 7 ounces with intent to distribute. It was an election year and the DA was determined to get re-elected. The detective on the case was trying to get a promotion and the lawyers (his) just saw dollar signs. After refusing to cooperate, they cut a deal with the alledged “supplier” for 2 years work release! Imagine that, they gave the buyer 15 years and let the real distributor walk! They also let 11 other people go on probation in exchange for thier testimony against my brother. Because he executed his constitutional right to a trial, they doubled the original 7 year sentence that was offered and gave him the maximum they could. As in your case, there was no violence, no gun etc.
He has been away now for 10 years and our state does not allow good time credits (like federal) so there is no chance for parole before he serves his minimum 15 year sentence. Should he be released, he will be on parole for another 25 years after that. If he gets so much as a speeding ticket, back he will go.
Fortunately, he has taken responsibility for his actions and has worked to turn himself around and has shown to be a model prisoner. No infractions, problems etc. Thank God he is the body builder type, as we have never worried about his personal safety. He too has earned 2 degrees while incarcerated, completed every program available to him and is looking forward to life after prison.
I sympathize with you and your journey but I do not feel sad for either of you. I am a firm believer that God never gives us more than we can handle and I believe that you and my brother will come out of this stronger individuals and that you have so much to offer society upon your release. My brother often says that prison saved his life as he was on a definite path to self destruction.
I cannot wait to finish your book and I hope to read another after your release. Good luck to you and God bless.