Prison Journal: Day 7,956
May 22, 2009
In last night’s mail I received the manuscript pages and the book proposal for Earning Freedom that Carole typed for me. This morning, at 3:15, I began my first read and edit. I am happy to have this project. The work will carry me through the remainder of this year. These purposeful steps serve multiple needs for me. By writing a new manuscript, I am able to sublimate some of the repressed emotions into a tangible product that has meaning; I am able to make clearly-defined progress; I am able to hold on to beliefs that when I finish, I will have created a book that contributes to society; and I am able to envision the ways that the work I do each day will facilitate my success upon release.
I’m also hopeful that through this work, I can motivate some of my fellow prisoners to write. I’ve met numerous men in prison who have said that they want to write a book. Certainly, I believe that every individual has a story to tell. The challenge is to write the story in a manner and style that will hold the attention of readers. For a writer like me, that effort requires many hundreds of hours.
More skillful writers have an easier time weaving words into sentences and paragraphs that flow easily. I find the creative effort therapeutic, though I do not find it easy. I am glad that I devoted my first decade of confinement to independent study programs, as the writing discipline those university courses required have prepared me well for the solitude of imprisonment.
I enjoyed a wonderful visit with my wife today. Since we did not visit during the first two weekends of May we’ll be able to visit on this coming Memorial Day holiday as well. We rarely enjoy those opportunities to share two days together in a single week, so this is a special weekend for us. I feel grateful for every second I get to spend with Carole, as when her hand is in mine, even under the bright lights of a prison visiting room, I feel freedom.
Before our visit I enjoyed a shorter exercise session. I ran six miles. The run lifted my tally to 1,428 miles over the past 161 days.
Friday, 22 May 2009
Prison Journal: Day 7,948
May 14, 2009
Twelve days ago, on May 3, I edited the first sample chapter I had written for Earning Freedom for the fourth time. I could tell from the reaction in Carole’s voice that she did not like it so much. I read it to a friend of mine here in the prison and he asked whether I would write more about my personal background in subsequent chapters. I told Justin that I did not intend on doing so, and I could see in his face that he would have liked to have read such details.
That Sunday morning, I went to my locker and pulled out some notes that Carol, one of my mentors had sent from a previous manuscript. In those notes, Carol called for the same details. I resisted her suggestions then and that led to my suspension of work on the manuscript.
On that morning of 3 May, however, I began to feel uneasy with the sample chapter. That was what prompted me to start again. This new version that I completed on Tuesday is much more personal. I tell the story in the first person, active tense. After completing the first draft, I felt grateful to my wife, to Justin, and to my mentor for inspiring me to write another version.
Since the new sample chapter is different, I also had to write an entirely new outline and book proposal. I began that work yesterday morning and after many hours of work, I’m glad to have finished it this evening. The best news is that both my wife and my friend Justin loved the new version, and I like it much better as well. Once Carole types it, I’ll edit it one time, then send the 70-page document to Carol, my mentor, for her reaction. I hope to submit the new proposal to Jim, the literary agent who represents my work, by the end of June.
With these new drafts of the sample chapter and proposal for Earning Freedom complete, I’m somewhat free until I receive typed pages back from Carole next week. She has told me over the phone that Joan Petersilia would like me to expand the chapter I wrote for her upcoming book and written instructions may come in tomorrow’s mail. George Cole, another mentor, has sent word through Carole that he would like me to write a chapter for his book, American Corrections, and I look forward to receiving more news on the conitrbutions I can make. My writing schedule will be full through the end of this year.
I began my work this morning at 2:37. At 6:00 I broke for my exercise. I ran 10 miles and followed with 300 pushups. My tally is now 1,357 miles over the past 153 consecutive days of running.
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Prison Journal: Day 7,918
April 14, 2009
After one full week of writing, this afternoon I completed the first draft of a sample chapter that I’m preparing for my new book proposal. The copy machine was working today so I was able to send the original, longhand copy to Carole, and keep a photocopy here. Carole will type the manuscript while I turn to other writing projects.
I’m enthusiastic about writing this new book. Instead of describing various aspects of prison, this book describes what was going on inside my head as I worked through the various stages of my imprisonment. The chapter that I sent out today brings the reader into my thoughts as I passed through my first year inside.
Tomorrow I will turn to a new writing project. Joan Petersilia, a distinguished professor who is now with the Stanford Law School invited me to write a chapter for a new anthology. The chapter Joan asked me to write will offer a first-person account of living through prison. I’m eager to write this chapter and I am honorred that Joan would invite me to contribute.
In today’s mail I received three books that Joan sent for me to read. The books she sent describe crime and prisoner re-entry; she authored the publications. My writing schedule consumes most all of my time, but I look forward to reading her work as I know that her writings can prepare me further for the career I look forward to building. Besides the package from Joan, I received a wonderfully kind and supportive letter from the founder of Prison Talk Online. He has offered a magnificent opportunity for me to contribute content to his site. I know that thousands of readers who have some unfortunate connection with the prison system value the PrisonTalk website as a resource. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with those readers and will write new content for them before this week ends.
This morning I ran 10 miles, boosting my tally to 1,086 miles over the past 123 days. The wind picked up, so I did not follow the run with strength training.
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
Prison Journal: Day 7,915
April 11, 2009
I enjoyed a productive day of writing, as I made excellent progress with the sample chapter of the new book proposal I began writing earlier this week. In the afternoon, as I was editing, an inmate gave me some news about the camp in Sheridan. Apparently, the camp now offers inmates access to e-mail.
Carole has been urging me to transfer to the camp in Sheridan for a long time. I have resisted because my time has passed so productively here at Taft Camp. This has been the best prison for serving time during all the years that I’ve been confined. I do not feel any stress from the staff, and I’ve been able to work on my writing without any interference. I may not have access to the typewriters, but I’ve become more comfortable writing in longhand.
Besides the absence of pressure, I really like the weather here in Taft. We have two hot months, July and August, but I exercise every day of the year. The only drawback for me in Taft has been that administrative rules only allow me to visit one day each week. Carole and I have gotten used to this schedule, though we’ve always hoped for more visits.
In Sheridan Camp, administrators permit the inmates to visit Friday evenings, Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays. That’s a big advantage for families like ours. We’ve had to nurture our entire marriage in prison visiting rooms. With the more restrictive access to visiting here at Taft, Carole and I have suffered; my extended family has not been able to spend much time with me at all.
Carole and I had been prepared to remain here at Taft until my release. With this news about e-mail access at Sheridan, the appeal for a transfer feels much stronger. With e-mail I would have much more opportunity to build upon my network of support. It’s crucial that I use these final years of my term most effectively. With e-mail access and more visiting opportunities, I could work much more effectively toward release preparations.
The Warden at Taft told me previously that the e-mail program would never come to Taft. Although I prefer this camp to all other prisons where I’ve been confined, Carole and I will give serious consideration to a request for a transfer to the camp at Sheridan. I am scheduled for a team meeting in June, so we’ll have to decide whether to request a transfer by then.
I ran 10 miles this morning, boosting my tally to 1,056 miles over the past 120 consecutive days.
Saturday, 11 April 2009
Prison Journal: Day 7,914
April 10, 2009
This morning I woke at 2:15 in order to make more progress on the sample chapter. Carole was scheduled to visit me early, soon after the visiting room opened. I had a lot of work to complete, and since this book proposed is important to me, I began writing about 30 minutes earlier than usual.
Making continuous progress toward goals I set is an essential component of my prison adjustment. Today I had a much better writing session than yesterday. The sample chapter is beginning to take shape. My hopes are to have it ready to distribute to a few mentors by the end of May.
I put my writing gear away just before six so that I could begin my exercise when the housing unit opened. I ran three miles, boosting my tally to 1,046 miles over the past 119 consecutive days. The ache that had been bothering my left leg and hip has gone, and I feel better about brining my weekly mileage back up to around 60.
Following my run I shopped in the commisary. By the time I put all of my belongings away, showered, and dressed, the visiting room officer paged me. Carole was among the first visitors here. The efforts she makes to please me really ease my time in prison.
We had a magnificent visit. As usual, I ate much more than I should have. The vending machine food is one of the rituals I’ve come to enjoy when I visit with Carole. The time we spend together is my break from prison.
Friday, 10 April 2009
Prison Journal: Day 7,913
April 9, 2009
Writing blog articles on the concept and need for prison reform feels much easier to me than initiating the steps for a 100,000 word manuscript. I’ve been working on the book proposal for three days now. The sample chapter has been a lot of work and it continues to challenge me. I spent several hours writing the chapter today, and I feel the weight of the work ahead of me.
This book will differ from the previous books I’ve written. The other books described various aspects of prison, focusing especially on the adjustment patterns of others. This new manuscript, I hope, will appeal to a broader audience. Rather than discussing prison exclusively, I intend to use the context of my experiences to describe strategies I’ve found useful for self-empowerment through adversity.
Although our criminal justice system processes more than 13 million people each year, all human beings experience adversity on some level. I feel strongly that the strategies that have guided me through decades of imprisonment can help others triumph over the adversities they encounter in their own lives.
I intend to spend several hours each day working on the proposal. The effort requires labor, as I cannot access a word processor. Such time my thoughts move in a separate direction, I have to cross sentences, paragraphs, and sometimes entire pages out. That means writing and more rewriting, as there is no way that Carole could piece together a coherent whole from all the draft pages I’ve written. By next week I ought to have an initial portion ready for her to type.
I’m grateful that I have several mentors I can rely upon for guidance. Before I submit the proposal to the literary agent who has represented my previous writing, I will have benefitted from the guidance of educators who have much stronger writing skills than mine.
Other than putting down words on a page, my only other activity today was running. I added 10 more miles to my tally, boosting it to 1,043 miles over the past 118 consecutive days. It is this type of deliberate will that I want others to embrace when they encounter struggle. In setting incremental goals that lead to something greater, experience convinces me that we can empower ourselves.
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Prison Journal: Day 7,911
April 7, 2009
This morning I finished the last four responses for students at California State University in Long Beach. The students expect to pursue careers in law enforcement. Many will work for probation departments, some will pursue careers in police work, and others will work for prisons or jails. they study from books I’ve written, and from articles available through the Web that my wife publishes on my behalf. I feel privileged that their professor, Dr. Sam Torres, thinks enough of my work that he assigns it as a learning resource.
By responding to the 90 students who were enrolled in Dr. Torres’ class, I played a small role in contributing to their understanding of the prison system. It’s good, I think, that they have opportunities to learn from the perspective of a long-term prisoner. Certainly, they may discount my views as they deem appropriate. At least Professor Torres exposes them to a view from inside prison, and I hope the students found some value through the course.
I’ve worked with Dr. Torres’s students for several semesters now. During the course of our relationship, I feel honored to have interacted with more than 500 university students. I look forward to expanding these efforts in months and years to come. Perhaps this work I do of reaching out will result in my contributing to the education of the probation officer who will supervise my release.
Following those four responses I made to students, I wrote two additional blog articles. Then I spent two hours contemplating the book proposal I’ve begun to outline. This can be a long process, though I find the more time I invest in refining the proposal, the easier it becomes to structure each chapter of the manuscript.
I ran 10 miles and followed the run with 300 pushups. My running tally now stands at 1,023 miles over the past 116 consecutive days.
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
Prison Journal: Day 7,910
April 6, 2009
While running those laps, I thought of another goal that could drive, or empower me. The time has come, I think to begin the process of writing a new book. After finishing this morning’s two blog articles, I took the first steps toward writing a book proposal for the next book I want to write. For me, the book proposal begins with an outline, and an outline begins with my staring at a blank wall. Truthfully, the outline began yesterday as I was running around the track. I had reached the goal of running a 1,000 miles without a day of rest.
In writing a book proposal, I begin to plan the kind of book I want to write. At this stage, I’m thinking about a book I want to have ready for distribution at the same time as my release. It should launch the career I want to build as a speaker, consultant, and teacher. I do not want the publisher to release the book until I will be free to participate in media efforts that will bring the book publicity.
The process between writing the proposal, and seeing the completed manuscript as a published book, takes about three years. That’s because completing a proposal requires a solid two to three months, at least for me. I have begun sketching the outline. That means identifying the overall topic of the book and the word count. I expect to write a manuscript of 100,000 words. The next step is to identify the chapters I want to write about, and the topics I want to cover in each chapter.
Once I complete the outline, I write the first 10,000 words. After I feel comfortable with the sample chapters, I write all of the reasons why a publisher should have an interest in my work, why I am qualified to write the book, what type of an audience would have an interest in this type of book, how long I need to complete the manuscript, and the steps I can take to promote the finished book. Essentially, the book proposal becomes a kind of business plan and through it I must convince the publisher to invest.
After completing the proposal, I distribute it to my mentors for suggestions. Then I submit it to the literary agent who represents my work. The agent then shops the proposal to prospective publishers. If he secures a publishing agreement, I complete the manuscript. Once finished, the publisher schedules the book for release. The entire process takes about three years; at least that has been my experience with the previous books I’ve written. In three years, April of 2012, I ought to be free. So if I want to have a book ready, the time to begin the proposal has come.
I ran 10 miles this morning, lifting my tally to 1,013 miles over the past 115 consecutive days. In the afternoon I taught the final Entrepreneurial Compass class for this session.
Monday, 6 April 2009
Prison Journal: Day 7,896
March 23, 2009
After a disappointingly unproductive weekend, I woke at 2:30 this morning rejuvenated. I read for a while, then began writing at 3:10. By 7:30 a.m. I had completed eight blog articles and sent them off with a letter to my wife. I felt good about writing more this morning than I had written over the entire weekend.
The fruitful writing session caught me up with responses to all the student questions I had received from Cal State Long Beach criminal justice program. As of today I have written lengthy responses to 86 students. According to my records, I await questions for only 13 more students and that will complete the semester requirements.
I appreciate this opportunity to interact with university programs. The students from Cal State expect to pursue work in law enforcement upon graduation. Many will become correctional officers or probation officers. It is conceivable that the probation officer who supervises my release may be a student to whose education my work is contributing. I look forward to contributing to this program, not only at Cal State, but at other universities as well.
I’m contemplating another book. Although I don’t want to publish another book during my imprisonment, I’m nearing the time when I ought to clarify ideas for the next manuscript. I should have a goal in place of finishing a book proposal, outline, and sample chapter before the end of this year. Several months may pass after the book proposal is complete before a publisher issues and agreement. If I succeed in getting another publishing opportunity, more than one year would pass before the book came to market.
I’d like to have at least one, and possibly two books ready for release at the same time that I complete my sentence. That kind of planning will help launch my career. Whereas the prison system hindered me by blocking access to media and effective promotions with my previous publications, once I finish my term I will not have to endure those limitations. I must prepare for that opportunity.
Writing, speaking, teaching, and consulting represent the one career I can pursue that my prison experience will not hinder. In any other career, I expect that others will reject me because of the bad decisions I made in my early 20s. As a speaker and writer on the subjects associating with thriving through adversity, on the other hand, I expect my prison experiences will prove helpful in validating me as an authroity. That has been my plan and I must continue to prepare.
Today I ran 10 miles, though I’m feeling new pains in my left knee and lower hip area. I have recorded 903 miles without a day of rest of the past 101 days. I’ve crossed the 100-day goal and I’d like to continue until I break through the 1,000-mile goal. Slow and steady.
Monday, 23 March 2009
Follow Michael on Facebook and Twitter
Michael G. Santos
Promote Your Page Too
Books by
Michael G. Santos
Inside: Life Behind Bars in America
About Prison
Profiles From Prison
Subscribe