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.

Bittersweet Moves and Ketchup Mistakes

This week was kind of a bittersweet one. It started with one of my good friends — and my cube mate — getting transferred to the other building. He’s the same guy who burned himself making me a pizza for my birthday (I mentioned him in a previous post). He’s a real...

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Halfway Home, Not Halfway Done

When I first got here, time felt like it was crawling. Every day dragged, every hour felt like it would never end. But now that I’m at my halfway point — officially more time behind me than ahead — it’s surprising how much faster it all feels. Once you can see the...

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Freedom Run, Prison Lockdown

This week was a pretty big one for me — and another dramatic one for the compound. But honestly, most weeks are at least interesting when you live in a prison camp. First, some good news: July 1st marked my official halfway point! Half my time is now behind me — more...

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Heat Flags and Half-Baked Push-Ups

The theme of this week? Heat — lots of it. We’ve been hit with a nasty heat wave rolling through the state. I think it’s been scorching the whole country, but we don’t exactly get the Weather Channel in here. It all kicked off Monday when I made the genius decision to...

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War—What Is It Good For?

I usually try to keep these journal entries lighthearted or at least optimistic, but I’ve been thinking lately that maybe I’m painting too rosy a picture of prison life. Some readers might get the impression that I’m doing just fine here, like this place is some sort...

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Cycles, Ceilings, and Cellblock Shenanigans

This week has been packed with antics at camp, but before I get into the chaos, I want to talk about my running. One thing I’ve learned about distance training: your body adapts in cycles. When you first start, it’s your legs that give out. Mine were in agony during...

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