I’ve been eating plenty of swine lately. I’ve always loved the pig, but pork tastes even better when it symbolizes a certain amount of freedom. The irony is that the
Clean up your room!Clean up your room!
Among the more absurd rituals of prison life it the way that staff and administrators react toward inspectors coming to the prison. It serves as an occasion to berate inmates
Reform, With BackspinReform, With Backspin
Because it seems that my theme this week is a kind of resentful reply to government entities who claim to be doing good, I should probably add a limerick to
I Ain’t Got No Misinformation, Part DuhI Ain’t Got No Misinformation, Part Duh
As I have tried to explain in the first part of this multi-segmented post, listening to the Bureau of Prisons and their communications is like winding up in a Marx
I Ain’t Got No MisinformationI Ain’t Got No Misinformation
One of the most bizarre and disturbing parts of leaving prison has been emerging into a world in which claims and facts seem to have the same weight. Such confusion
New Trays and Nasty Food or, en francais, Nouveaux plateaux et nourriture désagréableNew Trays and Nasty Food or, en francais, Nouveaux plateaux et nourriture désagréable
So do you get excited about getting new plates? OK, I admit that I have gotten a little overstimulated by that in the past. I also confess that I don’t
The Tex Mex Hex, or Oliver Twist for the 21st CenturyThe Tex Mex Hex, or Oliver Twist for the 21st Century
I used to be OK with eating Tex Mex food on a regular basis. Not any more. This proves that prison has consequences. After eating pretty much nothing but apples
Salisbury Steak: The Other MeatloafSalisbury Steak: The Other Meatloaf
I had been anticipating working through the BOP national prison menu as a systematic endeavor. A kind of Julie and Julia experience that happened night after night in a clockwork
Ban the Box: Real Life ExampleBan the Box: Real Life Example
If you are reading the blog, you almost certainly know about the “Ban the Box” movement, the idea that employers should be barred from asking job applicants about their criminal
Endemic DreadEndemic Dread
I find myself with five toes in the panic pool. No matter what the day or hour, it always feels as if law enforcement is going to swoop down and