RANDOM THOUGHTS FROM FEDERAL PRISON CAMP
RANDOM THOUGHTS FROM FEDERAL PRISON CAMP
I am in a bit of a rut. My tedious, monotonous existence in prison causes me to drift at times. I owe a bunch of people a letter and I am working on them this weekend. The problem is that today’s letters sound allot like the letters I sent two months ago. (Like the movie “Groundhog Day”?)
I am waiting to receive my halfway house date from my Case Manager. It could take months to receive it. However, once I have it, I think it will help me focus on what I need to do to insure a successful reentry into the real world.
I have enrolled in three classes this quarter. The first class I signed up for is “Stocks and Commodities”, which is taught by a former broker. It is interesting and it stimulates my brain to think about investments. We are going to be “paper trading” so we can apply what we are learning in class and see if our investment strategies pan out.
The second class I signed up for is called “Courageous”. It is a faith based class patterned after a movie of the same name. The goal of the class is to help me become a better father and husband. After all of the pain I have caused in my family, I need all of the help I can get.
The final class I signed up for is CDL (“Commercial Driver’s License”). This class is very popular in prison as the trucking industry is more tolerant of ex-offenders. The class will allow me to obtain a Florida commercial driver’s license. Who knows, maybe you will see me driving the Car rental shuttle bus at the airport? (don’t forget to tip?)
All of the guys at camp were excited about the prison reform legislation that is awaiting a vote in Congress. Unfortunately, Congress decided not to vote on the reform legislation in it’s post Labor Day sessions. The consensus is that Congress did not want to pass prison reform legislation six weeks prior to an election. (makes sense). Allegedly, Congress is going to vote on the package after the election. A lame duck Congress may be the ideal setting for the proposed legislation.
I miss my family and my friends. This is no picnic.
Ken Flaska
