Eric Burnham

Personal growth, to me, means becoming the person I was designed to be. I’m not too sure where the balance is found between nature and nurture in the formation of my spirit as a unique human being. I do know, however, that I’m just one incarcerated man trying to overcome my past mistakes and make a positive impact on this crazy world. I kind of think that’s what life is all about: taking the bad and using it for good. Eric Burnham #12729124 Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution 2500 Westgate Pendleton OR 97801
Strength of Character

Strength of Character

Being incarcerated for any length of time can be a brutal, psychologically taxing experience. As of this writing, I am 40-years-old, and I have been incarcerated for 19 years, roughly 48% of my life. And while that may be eye-popping, it is important to remember that...

Nothing On My Table

Nothing On My Table

While certainly not as grossly unjust as it was prior to the 1980s, incarceration is still an incredibly dehumanizing experience, and given that people are incarcerated for years at a time, imprisonment in the United States often permanently scars a person to the...

What Rehabilitation Means

What Rehabilitation Means

In the movie Shawshank Redemption, one of the incarcerated characters, Red they called him, went before the parole board. He had been in prison for over 30 years at that point, and one of the members of the parole board asked him, "Do you think you have been...

C’mon, Man

C’mon, Man

It deeply saddens me that what has become institutionalized hypocrisy is rapidly leading to the erosion of civility and free speech in this country. Opposing views are rarely debated with substance and intellectual force. They are attacked with ritual humiliation and...

Good Enough

Good Enough

Human brokenness is a universal aspect of the human experience, right. I mean, we are all messed up a little. It's the common denominator that links us all and levels the playing field to a certain extent. There are countless variations, but we all feel it with great...

My Unique Dilemma

My Unique Dilemma

As of 2018, I have a little over eight years left before I go before the board of parole and potentially release back into the community. Although I'm admittedly a bit apprehensive, I do feel prepared. I've put in considerably effort improving myself not only...

Doing the Right Thing Ain’t Easy

Doing the Right Thing Ain’t Easy

These days people can be quick to tell you what's wrong with our society, and we all have canned solutions to almost every problem — just add water and simmer for 15 minutes... problem solved. I do it myself all the time. Give me a half-an-hour, and I can tell you how...