Journal Entry

Little Signs of the Finish Line

Aug 3, 2025

This week had a little bit of everything: laughs, setbacks, milestones, and one more reminder that the finish line is creeping closer.

Let’s start with one of those “only in prison” moments. My buddy Matt — yeah, the one who burned himself making me a birthday pizza — found himself in trouble again, this time over a pair of Adidas slides. Technically, shower shoes aren’t allowed in the chow hall, but people wear them all the time. Still, one CO decided to crack down and told him to swap them out and bring the slides to her. Instead of handing over the real ones, he brought her a decoy pair. It didn’t take long for another CO to check his bunk and find the originals. He ended up getting a shot — a minor one, but it still cost him 14 days of good time. Honestly, the rules weren’t the issue. They just don’t like him, and they’re looking for reasons.

On a brighter note, we had a new batch of early starters join RDAP this week. That usually signals that a new phase is about to begin — and for me, that means the start of Phase 3, the final stretch. Once that’s done, I’m out of here on December 9th. Seeing new people file into the program gave me a little jolt of motivation. It’s a reminder that this whole journey is slowly but surely wrapping up.

I’m trying to finish strong — mentally and physically. On Friday, I pushed myself to do my longest run yet: just over 10 miles. My last big run was 8 miles, so this was a major jump. I had to do it on the treadmill because of the rain, but that actually helped me focus on my cardio without pounding my legs too hard. It took 1 hour and 35 minutes, which comes out to a pace of 9 minutes and 30 seconds per mile. Not bad for a prison treadmill.

Even with sore legs, I showed up Saturday for our push-up and jog routine. It’s a beast — run half the court, do 8 push-ups, run back, do 8 more, repeat 10 times. That’s one set. We do 10 sets total, with a short break between each. Last week I hit 700 push-ups, but this week I hit 800. My endurance is building and the strength is coming back, especially in my chest. It feels good to be making real progress again.

Another sign that the end is getting close: I got my packet from the halfway house. I’ll be heading to Oriana House in Akron, Ohio — not far from home, which is a relief. The rules seem manageable, though to be honest, I’m not looking forward to it. Still, it’s better than here. They say there’s a state law in Ohio that you have to spend at least 30 days in a halfway house, but most people who have a stable home, a car, and a job lined up — like I do — can go straight to home confinement. That’s what I’m hoping for. Even if I do end up staying there, a lot of that time will fall around the holidays, which means furloughs to go see family, so it wouldn’t be too bad.

So yeah — no major crises or wild lockdowns this time. Just small signs that I’m getting closer to the end. A couple of frustrations, sure, but also some solid wins. December’s coming, and I’ll be ready when it does.

Stay safe — and stay legal — out there.

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