Saturday 19 APR 25
SELF-HELP
The prison is going to allow us to receive books again. We have been on an on again off again book ban for over a year. This is not normal Usually in the BOP we can receive 5 books per day. Now we are one book per week at this prison. Due to alleged contraband. But all prisons face this issue and somehow they allow full access to books. This is a difficult thing because rehabilitation in prison must be self-directed. There are not a lot of good programs so if you want to learn something you have to buy several books on the subject. Also I am enrolled in Islamic correspondence courses that keep getting interrupted due to these book bans. As of April I have received a book on Night prayers that teaches the proper way to pray during the night and I have am still waiting on courses from the two schools I’m in.
What I hope to do, God Willing, is to transfer to the Life Connections program at FCI Greenville in Illinois. The program brings religious mentors to the prison to teach and prep and connect with organizations in the inmate’s release area. It is a residential program where all inmates are seeking to rehabilitate by learning more about their faith and living a godly life. I also want to get into another Residential program called VETS in Englewood Colorado that houses veterans on productive and positive time. Although I will be able to learn at my current facility I am still in a highly criminal atmosphere and subject to exposure to deviant behavior. My biggest barrier is my release date. The program gives priority to inmates with 3 years or less. I have 5 years not counting half-way house time. I’ll stay focused and Pray to Allah to get one of these programs eventually. Thanks…LB
