Wisdom doesn't necessarily come with age. Sometimes age just shows up all by itself. ~Tom Wilson

On the first day of my 62nd year I liked to think I was a little wiser but sometimes I think I am just simply “older”. I may actually have been wiser in those long ago innocent years of my youth, when I was just that - “innocent”. Perhaps the years simply muddy the water, today on my 62nd birthday I really just don’t know. So I wont wax philosophical or search out inspirational quotes regarding birthdays, the one above suited my mood this morning as I sat down to post something.

My birthday was yesterday actually. And as birthdays go it was lovely in that I got to spend the day with my son in prison, and followed that up with an evening in “Condortown.” (which I’ll blog about another day).

Our visit today wasn’t as light and “fun” as last weeks had been. But then the mood at our visits can change simply depending on the weather, how much sleep either of us got the night before, or any number of daily/weekly happenings. MOST of them are relaxed, eagerly anticipated visits, a time to just be together and interact, pass time in each others company. On a scale (re “fun-ness”) of 1 - 10 this visit would rate a 5, half of it was serious and sometimes difficult, and at least half of it we happened upon many opportunities to laugh and revisit the “lighter side” of our daily happenings. Even those visits, especially some early on in these prison years, where “fun” never showed his face, those visits were and always will be cherished, a part of the journey we continue to experience - me, Rod and Corey, in our own personal ways.

But I digress…today Corey was in a somewhat somber mood, and it soon became apparent he had been thinking a great deal about his future. The year of his ultimate release, though still 3 years away, seemed to be flying at him at great speed, and as with many prisoners who have been excluded from society for many years, it brings uncertainty and some fears. He is torn between excitement at possibilities, at just being free to make/choose his own path once again, and worry over his options, which will be shadowed by his now having a Felony Record. He is a young man and has a long life ahead of him, this felony, though for a first time, non-violent marijuana offense, will shadow all that will follow him upon release. It seems to me that our system of justice is one that is unforgiving and bent on continued punishment. If one considers the statistics that 75% of those released from prisons will end up back behind the fences, it seems clear our system of (so called) “rehabilitation” is a failure in its current state. Though the Second Chance Act of 2007 was approved by the Senate back in March of 2008 (set up to provide critical resources designed to reduce recidivism and increase public safety) I have read or seen little evidence that anything at all has changed in the system, in particular regarding preparation for and beyond release of inmates. Visit www.reentrypolicy.org/announcements/Senate_passes_SCA if interested in what is all in this Bill.

Many people don’t realize that following a prison sentence, at least in the Federal system, years of “supervised release” await one. In my sons case, following the 12 ½ year sentence, he must serve another 5 years of “supervised release”. This part of the overall Sentence is just basically that, a secondary (or Part B) “sentence. Once sentenced in Federal Court you serve one portion of your punishment within the fences, once released you spend the second sentence under the supervision of a court appointed Parole Officer, the very personality or character of whom can play a very large part in your success at moving forward. Ultimately of course the inmate has and must undertake full responsibility for all his/her own actions, but being constantly under the thumb of another (quirky personality traits and all) with sometimes many and varied restrictions upon where you may or may not go, see, do, is clearly stressful at best. Many men my son has known over his years “inside” have chosen to not go to Half Way Houses or have even broken their “probation” deliberately so as to be returned to prison to serve out those years of supervised release in a setting they had become accustomed and comfortable with, rather than live the daily stress and pressures, the “waiting” for the other shoe to fall” sort of thing, of being on probation.

But despite it all I am so proud of the effort my son has put into acquiring more education (2 Associate Degrees so far), his passion for reading and learning, that will play a large role in his future chances of success. I have no doubts whatsoever Corey will take the life lessons he has learned, with no help from the Prison System, and make his life a success, by all and every measure, when he is, at long last “allowed” to move forward.