*We’re all familiar with the 3-act structure of most plays. The 3 Acts I’ll illustrate here are the 3 acts (or actions) that contributed most to my landing in prison. ACT I, Believing The Ability To Fight Well Was Necessary: I remember my first “official” fight. I was a kid, 7 years old, or…
100 Years of Solitary
There were two points during my prison stint when I was subjected to extreme and extended periods of confinement. They called it CM, Close Management. Six DR’s, Disciplinary Reports, in 6 months would earn you an express ticket to “The Red Roof Inn,” the CM building. It was designed for the most dangerous and belligerent…
3 Serious Issues That Affect Ex-Cons
1. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): I remember taking a class at USF called Theories of Criminal Behavior. The professor told us that one of the most under-diagnosed disorders amongst people who move away from “high-crime neighborhoods” is PTSD. I wondered if PTSD had anything to do with the behaviors that landed me in prison.…
A Farewell To The Classroom
I wonder if teaching is a once-a-blank-always-a-blank kind of occupation. I wonder if the penchant to provide instruction will occupy a permanent space in my heart. I’m two weeks removed from the decision to discontinue my position in education. I miss it, but it was time to move on. I felt it, for a few…
He Was One Of Us
He was part of the lower class. He was poor. He hung out with lowly people, sinners and disreputable sorts. He ate with them. He didn’t rub elbows with the aristocracy. He was innocent, yet the government of his time brought charges against him. He was hunted, arrested, and sentenced to death. His mother could…
