New Prisoners Must Prepare for Release

I’ve written many articles with hopes of helping new prisoners understand effective adjustment strategies. One simple article I recommend is Master Discipline, Expect Nothing. As a prisoner begins to adjust, he must simultaneously be thinking about how he wants to emerge from confinement. Preparations for release must begin the day an individual walks inside prison [...]

How Prisoners Focus on Goals in the Midst of Negativity

Prisons are volatile environments. The infrastructure is one that extinguishes hope. Many of the men who serve time choose to abandon thoughts of the outside world because they cannot project themselves decades into the future when release dates loom. Some respond with violence, or with bullying others. Despite my having served more than 21 years [...]

Does Writing Influence My Status in Prison?

I’ve never fit the profile of a long-term prisoner. Rather than adjusting in ways that would bring me power through violence, I focused on educating myself. Instead of thinking about living in prison, my total commitment was in preparing for the life I wanted to lead upon release. That strategy required me to suspend my [...]