The Power of A Letter

Adjusting to prison is no easy feat. I liken it to being put on an airplane, blindfolded, taken to a remote location somewhere on this vast earth, and dropped off in a foreign land with no resources. You are left with nothing but your own wits and inherent ability to...

The Agony of a Visit

No doubt, perhaps the highlight of any inmate's day, week, or month is when his/her name is called for a visit. This is the time (in most prisons, I believe) when inmates are able to finally have the much needed physical contact with the people who mean the most to...

Letters From Prison: Be On Purpose

   Our friend Shawn is serving his 21st year in a Texas prison for a crime he did not commit. Shawn is one of my personal adoptees, and writes to me often. We also speak on the phone a few times a month. His letters, like the one below, always begin with several...

My Rock Bottom

My Rock Bottom

It was a frigid Tuesday morning in January when the van I rode in pulled up to the prison in eastern Oregon. From a distance it resembled more of an insane asylum than a prison, with its dingy-colored concrete exterior and brick-colored metal rooftop. Intimidating,...

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