Prison Journal: Day 8,054

August 28, 2009

I just heard the strangest news from another prisoner at Taft Camp. He told me that he received an incident report because officials suspected that he had mailed a letter to his wife with instructions that his wife should forward the letter to someone else. I understand that policies prohibit inmates from corresponding with other people who are in prison. I haven’t heard of a rule that prohibits prisoners from using family members or others as a clearinghouse to pass along other correspondence. I’m going to look into the mail policy more closely, and when I learn more, I’ll write about it. Until then, I will not send letters home for my wife to pass along to others.

It will not be much longer, I keep telling myself, that I’ll leave prison for the real world. Running every day helps. I don’t expect to be in prison 1,000 days from now, and since I have more than 8,000 prison days behind me, I can handle it.

This morning I began writing chapter ten of Earning Freedom. I began outlining the chapter before 2:00 AM, and by 6:00 I wrote the first four pages, advancing the manuscript to page 424. Then I went outside to exercise. I ran 3 miles, the shorter distance I always run when I’m expecting a visit from my wife. My running tally is now 2,294 miles over the past 259 days.

Carole and I enjoyed a wonderful six hours together. The time is never long enough for me. I miss her terribly each Friday night, but I’m finding strength in the manuscript I’m writing. It’s therapeutic for me to write about the prison journey, and now I’m in a section where Carole and I go through our first transfer together. I look forward to writing more tomorrow.

Friday, 28 August 2009

Prison Journal: Day 8,043

August 17, 2009

Last Friday, after visiting with Carol, I returned to my housing unit and saw that I had received a book in the mail. The book was written by two professors, both of whom have experience with the prison system, from different perspectives: one of the professors served time in the 1980s for a pot conviction, and the other worked as a prison guard. They wrote a book about what offenders should expect after prison, and they titled it Beyond Bars.

I suppose the professors sent me the book because they wanted me to review it. Maybe, they thought I could use the advice they had to offer. Although I appreciate their thoughtful gesture, I’m not a fan of the message they present.

Beyond Bars portrays a grim picture for those in prison, and uses so many cliches,stereotypes, and unrealistic examples that the good information that it does offer gets lost with all the worn out stories. Besides that, the book provides some information that is inaccurate and misleading. For example, when a federal prisoner is released to serve his portion of supervised release, he falls under the authority of US probation officers, who report to the court, not the prison system. The authors also state that long-term prisoners rarely take advantage of the meager opportunities they’re given, and frequently return to society homeless, eating out of dumpsters. That’s absurd.

I didn’t find a single original thought in Beyond Bars, and most of the advice was dumbed down to the point of uselessness. For example, it advises people not to forget to shower and brush their teeth before an interview. The work does not reflect what I would expect from two professors, and I think it does a disservice to journalism.

This morning I began work at 2:14, and I wrote through page 345 of my manuscript before putting my writing gear away. I ran 10 miles, lifting my running tally to 2,198 miles over the past 248 days.

Prison Journal: Day 8,032

August 6, 2009

I’ve heard that some staff members at Taft Camp object to these efforts I make to build a broad network of support in society. I don’t know why. This system goes by the name “corrections,” so logic suggests that all people who devote careers to corrections would encourage individuals who work hard to build and sustain strong community sponsorship. Sadly, it’s not the case.

Either way, I abide by prison rules and use my access to mail as a tool. Some prisoners ignore the powerful tool of the US mail, and that’s a shame, because mail represents one of the few rights we have, even protected by the Constitution. With mail, we can connect with society. I rely upon the mail as a vehicle to deliver at least 1,000 new words every day. Most flow to my manuscript, but once I complete that work, and writing it is work, I will resume more substantial blogging.

This morning I resumed my work at 1:40 am. Today I did not write so much new content, as I had to edit the very long chapter three. That editing job required eight hours, and I am grateful to my mentors Carol and Peggy, who provided the wonderful suggestions to strengthen my presentation. I’m proud of chapters one, two, and three in their current form. I will review the three chapters one more time, and instruct Carole to submit them to my literary agent on Friday, August 14^th.

I ran 10 miles this morning. That run boosts my tally to 2,102 miles over the past 237 days.

It’s now 4:15 in the afternoon. Readers may think me nuts, but this is the time I lie on my rack. I’m reading a book by Thomas Mann, and I’ll also read a few passages from The Book of Luke, and sleep before 5:30. That will give me many hours to rest for a productive morning of writing on chapter seven, a short run of three miles, and a magnificent visit I anticipate with my wife, the lovely Carole.

Prison Journal: Day 8,024

July 29, 2009

I’m grateful to the people who take time to write me after they read my work. I have a stack of envelopes from people who’ve read my book, Inside: Life Behind Bars, some of my other books, or articles that my wife publishes for me on our Web site. I’ve not been able to keep up with the correspondence, and I hope readers will give me a pass.

Receiving mail helps prisoners endure the separation from family and community. I know many prisoners at Taft Camp who stand around the officer as he passes out mail, and when they receive a letter from home, their faces light up. I know the joy, as I depend on the regular letters that Carole sends me to make it from one visiting day to the next.

Now, I’m in the midst of writing this new manuscript for Earning Freedom, and the project receives all of my attention. I’ve been in prison for so long that I know the necessity of discipline. I need to write every day, for  many hours each day, because I deem this manuscript a worthwhile endeavor that will add value to society, and to my family.

As a prisoner, even in a minimum-security camp as pleasant as Taft, I know that anything can happen. To ensure that surprises don’t interrupt my progress, I prioritize, meaning I devote my working energy to writing the manuscript and keeping current with my daily blogging journal.

This morning I began writing at 2:24 am, and by the time I put my work away, I advanced chapter six to page 249. I’m still waiting to receive some of my earlier chapters in the mail for editing. Until they come, I’ll continue this work on chapter six.

I ran 10 miles this morning, boosting my running tally to 2,029 miles over the past 229 consecutive days.

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