News FeedCommunity Leaders in Taft Camp
Carole and I are grateful for opportunities to contribute to the lives of others. Recently, David and Tuvia, two men who recently joined our community at Taft Camp, kindly introduced us to their wives, July and Gila. Our limited time with family in the visiting room is precious, so we can’t afford to socialize for [...]
My Book Review of An American in the Gulag
Book Author: Alexander Dolgun
Book Title: Alexander Dolgun’s Story: An American in the Gulag
Date Read: June 27, 2009
Book Publisher: Valentine Books (1974)
Nonfiction/ 503 pages
American Gulag was the 10th book I read in 2009:
Reason I read An American in the Gulag:
I have been a fan of Russian literature for several decades, ever since I read my first [...]
Prison Journal: Day 8,002
An event of monumental importance is going on in my life right now, and I regret that I am not at liberty to write about the ongoing developments. By the end of this year, I may have an okay from the team working to help me, but for now I must keep my word of [...]
Prison Journal: Day 8,000
Anniversaries are a big deal for prisoners as we’re always counting toward some marker that indicates we’re advancing along our path to liberty. Today marks an anniversary of questionable value for me, as I’m serving my 8,000 day. I like to complete blocks of thousands, and this is a big one because I do not [...]
Violating Conditions of Supervised Release
Rick, a white collar offender from Las Vegas, was serving a one year term in Taft Prison Camp for violating conditions of supervised release. I listened as Rick told me his story while we sat on a bench near the camp’s tennis courts. The adjustment choices Rick made following his initial release from prison perplexed [...]
Our Sixth Anniversary in Prison
On June 24, 2009, Carole and I celebrated the sixth anniversary since we married under bright lights of the Fort Dix prison visiting room. The devotion and love she has given so consistently over all these years has been the greatest blessing of my life, and I thank God every day for the treasure of [...]
Article: Paul is Being Released From Prison Today
Read Michael’s latest article on Change.org here:
Ready for Release?
Posted by Michael Santos
Jun 30 @ 10:10AM PT
Other recent Change.org articles by Michael:
My First Days: Adjusting to Life in Prison
Posted by Michael Santos
Jun 15 @ 10:10AM PT
The Importance of Recreation
Posted by Michael Santos
Jun 07 @ 04:46AM PT
Strategies for Successful Release
Posted [...]
Writing With Style
Book Title: Writing With Style: Conversations on the Art of Writing
Book Author: John R. Trimble
Book Publisher: Prentice-Hall (1975)
Date Read: June 19, 2009
Nonfiction / 143 pages
Writing With Style was the 9th book I read in 2009.
Why I read Writing With Style:
This was the second of two books on writing style that Peggy, a professor of English [...]
Reality TV Can Advance Prison Reform
The schedule that I keep as a prisoner does not leave room for television, but that doesn’t mean I don’t read about television programming. Recently I’ve read several articles that describe America’s fascination with reality TV. One show receiving a lot of coverage is Jon and Kate Plus Eight, with reports showing that as many [...]
Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace
Date Read: June 11, 2009
Book Title: Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace
Author: Joseph M. Williams
Publisher: Pearson/Longman (2006)
Nonfiction: 148 pages
Style was the eighth book I read in 2009.
Reason I read Style:
I am very fortunate to have found mentors who help me. Recently, I made a friend here at Taft Camp. My new friend’s name is [...]
Prison Journal: Day 7,990
I woke this morning at 3:30, which is later than I’ve been waking. I’m frustrated, as I don’t feel as if I’m being as productive as I need to be. These months are very important to me, though when I’m not progressing as well as I should, I feel as if time is wasting. I [...]
Prison Journal: Day 7,989
This morning I woke at 2:30, and I lay on my rack thinking for 30-plus minutes before I hopped down. I had slept for more than eight hours and I was wide awake, but I was consumed with thoughts about Carole. Today is our anniversary. We married six years ago when I was at the [...]
Prison Journal: Day 7,988
For the past couple of weeks I’ve been reading a few pages from a memoir before I fall asleep each night. The book title is An American in the Gulag, by Alexander Dolgun. I’ll write a book report when I finish, but I’m about at the halfway point and I want to recommend it to [...]
Prison Journal: Day 7,987
Yesterday afternoon I interviewed a man who returned to prison at Taft Camp because he violated conditions of his supervised release. He cited a list of excuses for the decisions he made that returned him to prison, though as I probed him with further questions, it became clear to us both that the man is [...]
Prison Journal: Day 7,986
Today is Father’s Day, and I know that many prisoners feel sad because they’re separated from family. David, the prisoner with whom I share a cubicle at Taft Prison Camp, told me that these holidays make him long for his wife and children. He is only 29, and visits with his family once or twice [...]
In his daily narratives, Justin Paperny, a former stockbroker from the disgraced houses of Bear Stearns and UBS, describes how serving a federal prison sentence for a white-collar crime led him to recalibrate his life.
Jana Schrenkler is an Assistant Professor of Business at Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minnesota. Her research combines the areas of business ethics, white collar crime, and codes of ethics as they relate to the field of Human Resource Development. She is earning her PhD from the University of Minnesota. She officially escaped her hometown of Bakersfield, CA in 1999 and absolutely loves living in the Midwest. She is married with two beautiful daughters.