“You can judge a society by how well it treats its prisoners.”
– Fyodor Dostoevsky
Dear Dad,
How are you, pops? I’m writing because I talked to Vanessa and she said you called and asked about me. You and I have talked since then but I wanted to update you on my situation.
February 11 I will sign on to whatever the judge and DA will offer; I’m told 10 years. I can’t believe what I’ve done, but I’m ready to accept whatever sentence I’m given. 30 to 45 days later I’ll be taken to a transfer unit, then to Huntsville and from there no telling where. I’ve discovered that Texas has countless prisons and I am one of its countless prisoners…
So began one of several letters from my son during his time in prison and this particular text was a welcome change in his approach to his situation.
He did not so easily accept his fate in the beginning. Initially, he made historical references to the infamously harsh sentences of Judge Roy Bean, feeling a sense of injustice at the prospect of a decade in prison. The adjustment to life in prison, something I have a hard time imagining, must surely take a toll on a person’s soul—but he did himself no favor by initially refusing to take responsibility for his actions. He did not consider the path that led him there. Continue reading
