Thanks to your comment below, I learned more about the situation. Your poem sure is hard-hitting and noncommittal. It seems that your buddy was given a harsh sentence. Perhaps it was because he was a cop. I personally have been following two people who were given harsh, unreasonable sentences: one, because she was a prostitute and shot and killed the guy who raped her with no intention of killing him. That six-year murder sentence led to another harsh imprisonment because of the resulting anger going back to her early life that put her on the street in the first place. Once a convicted criminal, job prospects shrink drastically.

The second guy made Court TV. The life partner, they never married, of my Ecuadorian caregiver, now a doctor of dermatology, then a plastic surgeon, he elected to do plastic surgeries in the home. When a woman that he did liposuction for on her arms, bled to death, and he chose to defend himself, he was sentenced to 20 years mandatory. When he got out last year, he was sent back to Ecuador. While trying to help other prisoners with legal documents, he was beaten and raped. What a waste of his considerable talents.

Ron

poignant read, best wishes for your friend.

m

Thanks JMD. I wrote this poem for my Vietnam Buddy who went to prison in NY with a 50-year sentence for attempted murder, armed robbery and burglary, as a cop. Ironically, when he was convicted and went to prison (1989), that is when I retired from being a prison warden and went into private security. After our military service we both pursued criminal justice degrees and careers in law enforcement and security. There was no contact until 2 years ago when I found out where he was and we have been corresponding daily since. I just wrote what I think was a great letter to the parole board supporting his release. He will find out the outcome of this third hearing mid-May. By the way, there was a movie made about all this--"With Murder in Mind" with Harold Rollings Jr. playing my friend and Elizabeth Montgomery playing one of his victims. The real person has once again petitioned the Parole Board against my friend, but this time her voice may get drowned out by the 50+ support letters that have been submitted on his behalf, favoring his release at this time. By the way, I took part in Chuck Colson's Prison Ministries program at the prison I ran in NE. Thanks for your comments! Bill C.

Unless we experienced prison we will never know what it's like, especially with a long-term sentence. I do think certain prisons isolate prisoners more than others. I was in prison ministry for over 10 years. One prison focused on education and teaching basic life skills, computer technology, auto mechanics, studying for a CDL truck drivers certification, etc. This prison also encouraged teaching moral principals and the word of God. The other prison focused on sports like basketball and track. This place specialized in sending prisoners to solitary and taking away privileges for not behaving accordingly. It does not take a genius to figure out which prison had the best success rate. Treat people like educated adults and that's what they will become. Treat them like children and that's what they will be. Good poem thought-provoking poetry, William! John Michael