Email from a Guard
I received this heartwarming email from an officer who read Hard Time and now relates to prisoners in a more positive way:
I am a judicial marshal for the state of Connecticut in the US far north of where you spent you time over here. Unlike most other states we work for the court house and are in charge of safety for the court house and transport from jails and prisons for court dates. We don't work for the jails/prisons or a police force we just deal with the court house. I came across hard time last week on Amazon and I read it in two days. As soon as I was done I had to buy prison time to finish your story. I must say it's an absolute nightmare but it's crazy intriguing and I just can't put it down. Within a week I will have both done and then play catch up and read party time. I started my job when I was 19 and thankfully I got taken under the wing of a few senior marshals that had great heads on their shoulders and aren't the type to fight everyday. I don't work in a prison or jail but I deal with inmates on a daily basis on my transport truck. Reading your book it makes me sick how some of the officers you deal with treated people. I understand that yes some on the people I deal with are 100% monsters but most are people who made mistakes or people who didn't have family structure to help guild them through a life without crime. I also understand that I am one mistake away from ending up right where they are. I made mistakes as a kid with drugs and minor criminal activity and had to spend a few nights in lockup because of it. I just want you to know that I read your book and now understand the mindset of someone who is locked up a little bit better. I also hope I know understand enough to maybe offer a kind word rather then a quick smart ass remark. We aren't all bad some of us do care. I know you don't think we are all bad but I just wanted to tell you that your book will help me interact with inmates on a much deeper level. Also most of the reading was done in a lock up and I was sharing stories with co-workers in hopes they will read your books a well. My goal of to keep everyone safe and go home to my wife and son at the end of the day. I would love to tell you we are all good people but we both know that's a lie lol. I definitely work with assholes who want to fight to prove that they are tough but in the grand scheme that means nothing. Attacking an inmate when it's 5 on 1 makes you a coward not a tough guy.
Thank you for writing your journey through blogs and books.
Keep up the good work.
I am a judicial marshal for the state of Connecticut in the US far north of where you spent you time over here. Unlike most other states we work for the court house and are in charge of safety for the court house and transport from jails and prisons for court dates. We don't work for the jails/prisons or a police force we just deal with the court house. I came across hard time last week on Amazon and I read it in two days. As soon as I was done I had to buy prison time to finish your story. I must say it's an absolute nightmare but it's crazy intriguing and I just can't put it down. Within a week I will have both done and then play catch up and read party time. I started my job when I was 19 and thankfully I got taken under the wing of a few senior marshals that had great heads on their shoulders and aren't the type to fight everyday. I don't work in a prison or jail but I deal with inmates on a daily basis on my transport truck. Reading your book it makes me sick how some of the officers you deal with treated people. I understand that yes some on the people I deal with are 100% monsters but most are people who made mistakes or people who didn't have family structure to help guild them through a life without crime. I also understand that I am one mistake away from ending up right where they are. I made mistakes as a kid with drugs and minor criminal activity and had to spend a few nights in lockup because of it. I just want you to know that I read your book and now understand the mindset of someone who is locked up a little bit better. I also hope I know understand enough to maybe offer a kind word rather then a quick smart ass remark. We aren't all bad some of us do care. I know you don't think we are all bad but I just wanted to tell you that your book will help me interact with inmates on a much deeper level. Also most of the reading was done in a lock up and I was sharing stories with co-workers in hopes they will read your books a well. My goal of to keep everyone safe and go home to my wife and son at the end of the day. I would love to tell you we are all good people but we both know that's a lie lol. I definitely work with assholes who want to fight to prove that they are tough but in the grand scheme that means nothing. Attacking an inmate when it's 5 on 1 makes you a coward not a tough guy.
Thank you for writing your journey through blogs and books.
Keep up the good work.
From T-Bone (Letter 68)
T-Bone is a massively-built spiritual ex-Marine, who uses fighting skills to stop prison rape. T-Bone’s latest letter from Arizona prison:
I had to write this letter even though
these people are reading my mail to you. So check this out, as you know,
there’s a serious drug problem in places like this. How crazy people get from and
for it, especially Spice. That is some nasty stuff! They make the chemicals in
China. I swear it has sexual chemicals sprayed on it. The prisoners smoke it.
Well, they have a prison channel and they play this infomercial 24 hours a day
about “The Dangers of Spice,” but it doesn’t make a difference to people who
want to sell it and smoke it.
 |
| T-Bone |
This guy by the name of L got to smoking
it out on the recreation field. He fell head first in the hot sand and then he
got to fighting the air. He was hearing and seeing things that weren’t even
there. He was talking to demons, I believe. He’s a good-sized guy and everyone,
and I mean everyone, was scared of him.
I couldn’t just stand there and let the
man embarrass himself anymore, so I asked the Lord for help, and walked up and
hugged the man. His eyes were open, but he was possessed. I held onto him. He’s
a hard man. He stood there with his mind on something far away (something was
in him). He was sweating and his muscles were twitching from head to toe, like
the wind was blowing under his skin. I got scared for a moment, and he sensed
it and started holding on tighter, but God calmed me and out of nowhere came
medical personal who put him on a gurney and took him to Medical.
 |
| Prisoner on Spice |
I went on to my cell and prayed and out of
nowhere three buttholes who like to see things in a negative way, they stated
that I was making it hot for them. I laughed and told them to leave before
things got serious. The one who considered himself to be the leader called me a
“stupid nigger.”
I kicked him in the knee and wham-wham-boom! I hit him three times. He
was out. To my surprise, some guys came to support me. They knew what had happened
to L was wrong.
The leader came back after he had woken up.
His so-called homeboys put him up to it. He wasn’t ready, but he tried. I
grabbed him and put him in a chokehold. He tapped my arm real quick and I told
him to let it go and to grow up. His people ran off the yard.
There are always guys falling out from
that stuff who know better, but they have to have it. I feel no sorrow for any
of them because they are allowing a way of thinking that’s become a culture. Now,
they go around giving hot ones (butt-kicking) to people falling out from
smoking Spice.
The guy I had to deal with, his nickname
is “Infant.” Does that say it all or what? I hope he changes his name because his
nickname is without a doubt for a kid. Ha ha! I had to throw that one at you!
Can you believe I was making it hot, because I helped a guy who had fallen out
on the rec field? Wow! It’s hard to believe, but people do think like that.
I’ve put everything in God’s hands, so please continue to pray for me.
Each one
Teach one
Strength and Honor
Steel Embrace
T-Bone
Shaun Attwood