![]() ![]() Like when prison officials refused to let me attend my grandmother’s funeral. ![]() Periodically, of course, my anger would return. I kept a homemade metal shank with me always, even tucking it under my pillow while I slept. Prison, after all, is a place where fights break out constantly, guards are beaten to within an inch of their lives, and prisoners are killed. I also spent a lot of time just trying to survive. I took courses in carpentry, electrical installation, typing, and welding. I earned an associate of applied science certificate and a certificate for building maintenance. So I worked to turn my prison life around. The message I wanted to send was, “You can’t break me.” I must admit, though, it ain’t easy sitting behind bars alone, especially when you know you’re innocent.Įventually, I realized that if I didn’t change my attitude, not only would I continue to do time in seg, but if my case went back to court, officials wouldn’t give me any sympathy. ![]() I fought the system for about five years. Alone in a cell, I passed the time smoking, reading, and pacing. That meant I spent a lot of time in segregation-called “seg” by prisoners. I talked back to guards and broke rules, not realizing I was only hurting myself. No one in prison gave a damn if I was innocent or not. I was going behind bars for the rest of my life. From the first day I stepped into my cell, anger took control of me. ![]()
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