FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2009
With nearly nine months of prison behind me and with fewer than four months remaining, I'm at a comfortable stage of my confinement. My strategy is working in part because of the choices I made immediately after reporting to Taft Camp. From the beginning I had a clear idea of what I hoped to achieve. I also did a pretty good job of embracing my surroundings.
I had two choices as my sentence began. Like many of the men around me, I could have lived in denial and blamed others or spent my days spewing conspiracy theories while insisting that my sentence was unjust. Or, I could accept my fate and reality. I could take practice steps to ensure success upon my release.
I've succeeded in part because I don't blame the system. I have no one to blame but myself. I understood quickly that the system would rip away autonomy that I once took for granted. I knew that once incarcerated, rules and policies would dictate when, how much and what I would eat. I frequently remind some men that we are in prison and there is supposed to be discomfort. Unfortunately, the rigid structures of confinement often stifles prisoners and those who adjust poorly suffer from depression, anxiety and feelings of being marginalized.
I encourage anyone who anticipates a stay in prison to follow my lead. Start preparing for release the day you hit the compound. Avoid, at all cost, the negative influences that will swallow you whole, if you allow it.
