Self-Surrender Checklist: Writing and Reading Issues

People who are about to self-surrender to federal prison may find solace through writing and reading. I have.

In my book Prison: My 8,344th Day, I describe how I write every day. The act of putting pen to paper has always transported me from the dismal world of federal prison. It didn’t matter what stage of confinement I was in or where I was held. As long as I could communicate my thoughts to the world, I felt as if I were transcending prison and living amongst the free.

I urge new prisoners to devote significant amounts of time to writing and reading. Those actions can ease the pain of confinement. New prisoners may want to embrace reading and writing as strategic components of a deliberate adjustment strategy.

In the beginning, when I was charting my course through prison, I would spend time identifying books that I wanted to read over a given period of time. While studying toward academic credentials, I relied upon literature to educate me further. All of the books that I read bore a relationship to the career that I wanted to pursue upon release. To document the effort and record what I learned, I wrote a book report for each book I read.

I don’t recall the year that I read the most books. I do remember, however, setting a goal to read 100 books during a given year; I don’t think I ever reached that goal. The most books I read in a single year, I think, was about 70 books. But each was substantial. Now I read far fewer because I spend so much time writing. In 2010 I wrote more manuscripts than books I read.

I now use a template for the book reports. After recording identifying characteristics like title, author name, publisher, etc., I write the reason why I read the book. Then I write what I learned from the book. I conclude the book report with a few paragraphs that describe how I expect the book will contribute to my success upon release.

Over the past few years, as I make my final preparations for the career I want to build upon release, writing has become much more central to each of my day’s adjustment. I urge new prisoners to document their journey through prison through writing. A time will come when the prison term ends, and a written record will help them as they try to describe the experience to loved ones. I find writing extremely therapeutic, and all of the prisoners I introduce to the solitary craft of writing find value in the act.
Federal prisons have recently begun offering prisoners access to a quasi-email system. They may use that system as a writing tool. As I do with my daily blogs, I write to reach out and inform friends, families, and my growing support network of the steps I’m taking to prepare for the obstacles I expect to encounter upon release.

I strive to document every day, and I write to build a library that will help me triumph over every challenge. I don’t know whether the strategy will work, but I believe that total transparency will help me in the future. Through regular writing, I intend to test the theory.

I recommend the act of reading and writing to all who anticipate a stint in federal prison because both activities have been immensely helpful to me.