Explore my journey through incarceration with a unique collection of daily journals and in-depth book reports. Each entry offers a raw, personal perspective, transforming moments of confinement into reflections of growth and resilience.
Last Thursday, I woke up from a well-earned afternoon nap to find a note on my locker: “Come see me.” It was from my friend “M” over in Wing-3. We’ve been hanging out a lot lately—he’s around my age, and we get along well. He’s also a night owl like me, which helps....
A new month means another one down in prison. Normally, not much happens at a camp, and I find myself stretching for content. But not this week. There’s so much to cover that I’m saving the biggest story—why I moved out of the "retirement wing" (P-4) and into P-3—for...
F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in 1896, lived through World War I, and witnessed the Great Depression. While The Great Gatsby was first published in 1925, it didn’t become popular until after his death in 1940. In fact, it wasn’t widely recognized until it was...
This book was sent to me by my good friend Killyn. We share a love for gangster movies, so Wise Guys was a perfect fit. The timing was especially interesting, since a good portion of the story actually takes place in prison — something I can definitely relate to these...
Before reporting to prison, I spent a lot of time trying to prepare myself. During pretrial, I watched countless YouTube videos about prison life, especially from people in low- and medium-security facilities. I figured I’d get a longer sentence, so I wanted to know...
I have always been skeptical of self-help books. I figured they all just told you to do basic things like eat right, exercise, make your bed, etc. I must admit, I was wrong about at least two I’ve read so far—especially this one. I don’t know why I’m surprised. The 7...
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a timeless sci-fi classic, first published in 1872. I always wanted to read it because it’s considered one of the first science fiction novels—but I was intimidated by its size. At around 500 pages, it’s no quick read. But what else do...
Project Hail Mary is an awesome story! This book was sent to me by Doug Hardmnn—thank you, Doug! You’ve really reignited my love for science fiction. I seriously couldn’t put this one down. It was written by the same guy who wrote The Martian, which I also read early...
You might assume that life at a prison camp is mild compared to higher security facilities—and you’d be right, to a degree. There are no fences here, and most of us are considered “low risk.” But what I didn’t expect was the diversity—not just in background or race,...
I found this book in the prison library and the title caught my eye. I remembered reading about the vagus nerve in another book and being fascinated—especially how it’s linked to that "sick to your stomach" feeling during heartbreak. I’ve come to call it the...