July 18, 2014
5 Signs You’re Failing in Prison
Earlier this week I spoke with a mom who was trying to help her young son prepare for his upcoming surrender to prison. I won’t get into all of the details of our call. I will, however, share some examples of how she would know if her son was failing in prison. I appreciated her openness to my suggestions. Understanding or studying failure can help us correct course. That is why anyone in prison or anyone looking to support someone in prison should be aware of these basics 5 signs.
5- You’re bored: Boredom is arguably the highest value in prison.
4- You spend more time in recreation than preparing for release: Unless you are preparing for a career as a professional softball player upon release, I would be reading, writing and thinking more.
3- You avoid educational programming: Toastmasters had a huge impact on my prison term. Some criticized my participation–they wanted me to play softball.
2- Rip Van Winkle: I’d prepare to avoid making this call, “Hey bud, remember me. I am home from prison. Yes, I have not reached out in 7 years. Can you hire me? I need a job in the halfway house. Probation Officer is on me. You help.”
1- You have anxiety about going home: As I wrote in Lessons From Prison a prisoner would be wise to pay attention to the U Shaped Curve.
Any client of mine of mine could easily recite one of my favorite lines. “Your biggest worry shouldn’t be prison, but what the rest of your life looks like because you have been to prison. With that end thought in mind we can create a plan on the inside that ensures you are preparing for success.”
Justin Paperny
