Jail Journal

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.

One Week Home: Small Freedoms, Big Perspective

I’ve been home for about a week now, and it still feels strange to even type that sentence. I didn’t have to go to a halfway house, which was a huge relief. I do have to check in once a week and wear an ankle monitor, but honestly, life is very good right now. After...

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New Mindset. New Me.

This past week has been slow and rough. A lot of people got irritated with me for participating too much in RDAP, and it really made me think about the mindset of many people in here compared to my own. When I first came into prison, I worried about fitting in—not...

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Thanksgiving Behind Bars

Thanksgiving week. One of the biggest holidays of the year—and I spent it locked up. It sucked, but I’ll use it as an opportunity to share what celebrating one of America’s favorite holidays looks like from behind bars. When we got to the chow hall at 11 a.m.,...

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Counting Down

Another beautiful day here in Cumberland, Maryland. The sun is shining, the temperature is around 57 degrees, and for a moment it almost makes me forget I’m in prison. As I get closer to “the door” (as we say in here), I’ve noticed my counting habits getting more...

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Shakedown City

Another exciting week here at Cumberland Prison Camp. First, some context — I’ve mentioned before that our mattresses are terrible. We sleep on a steel slab with about two inches of foam they call a “mattress.” It’s rough. So, being resourceful inmates, we find ways...

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