Two years ago, when I first volunteered to help out at U-Prep, there were only a couple of dozen inmate students in the program; now there are over 200 who are eager to learn.Many of the prisoners benefitting from this program are capable men who never had or took advantage of an opportunity to ...
I have been asked several times by other prisoners why I’m still in Gunnison. What they are really asking is why I haven’t applied to go elsewhere and utilize my gate-pass.When prisoners get closer to their release dates, they become eligible for a few additional jobs working outside the ...
The way you are treated in prison takes some getting used to.There is little to no trust extended to prisoners. All of our movement is controlled and under surveillance. Our decisions on many things are made for us.After a few years, I’ve gotten used to this being my reality, so when I’m ...
During my time within the penal system, I have observed a two-party system amongst the faculty and administration.On one side, you have those who believe the goal of the Department of Corrections is to rehabilitate and better the inmate population through education and programs. On the other ...
Parole is a rather scary proposition. I’m told that three out of four parolees don’t complete it successfully.When someone is on parole, they’re still considered to be serving their sentence. At any time, they can be taken back to prison.Because of this, prisoners are constantly asking ...
My parents visited me last week, and it was a bit of an eye-opening experience. This was the third time I have seen them in the three-plus years I’ve been locked up, with all three visits coming in the last six months.I’m just starting to understand the tough road I have in front of me. ...
Three years ago, I met a man who changed the way I look at the world. It was then that I started visiting Brian Wood in the Davis County Detention Center.Although I knew Brian’s dad, I had only met Brian briefly one time. What drew me to make that first visit was a mix of benevolent ...
The new building in Gunnison was finally opened at the end of January. Since then there has been quite the shuffling of prisoners from one housing unit to another. I was moved to a section called “Shady Acres.” It is sort of like a retirement community.The majority of the inmates here are ...
On average, there are about one or two fights per week here in Gunnison. I’ve seen two in as many weeks, and what I’ve noticed is that when there is a fight in prison, rarely does anyone stop it before it has run its course, even if an officer is close enough to watch it happen.Officers may ...
I can’t ever remember looking forward to the change of season as much as I do right now. Spring can’t get here soon enough.As far as prison life goes, winter is the least enjoyable time of year. There are a number of reasons for this.At the top of my list is the yard. Going to the yard is ...
