I have just finished reading your book, “A Question of Freedom: A Memoir of Learning, Survival, and Coming of Age In Prison.” I was struck by your honesty and objectivity in your description of your experiences in the Virginia Juvenile Justice System and Adult Correctional Systems. My first job out of college in 1970 was at the VA State Penitentiary on Spring Street in Richmond, VA as a probation and parole officer trainee. One of my first experiences in the field of corrections was as an institutional parole officer working with newly assigned inmates at the Southhampton Correctional Center. At that time, it was known as Southhampton Farm, but it was for youthful offenders who were under the age of 24 at the time of their admission. I also worked as a probation officer in Portsmouth, VA for a year and I worked as a probation and parole officer in Scott County which is about one hour from Red Onion State Prison for eight years. In 1983 I started teaching criminal justice at Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap, VA and I was at Mountain Empire when (mid 90’s) the DOC began building Wallens Ridge and Red Onion primarily as a form of economic development and several of my students were and still are employed as correctional officers at both prisons. I could easily visualize your experiences at all of your correctional assignments.

Presently, I am teaching criminal justice at Ferrum College in Ferrum, VA and I teach a course each summer where we tour prisons across the state of Virginia and I am very familiar with the Virginia Department of Corrections and I have followed its history and policy changes for the past forty years.

I provide all of the above to put my comments into context. I have seen the system go from a rehabilitative and reintegration philosophy in the early 70’s to a get tough, lock ‘em up, and throw away the key philosophy in the 90’s to somewhat of a move back toward the middle of the road approach that started to emerge in the early 2000’s.

I was very surprised to see that you were tried as an adult especially since you were only 16 at the time of the offense. The fact that you did not use actual force in terms of physical violence also makes me question why you were not tried as a juvenile, as well as the fact that you had no prior record. I cannot see why the judge did not look at the offender instead of just looking at the offense. The answer to questions like this usually is the simplistic response that it is politics, but in reality, that is what it amounted to. In essence someone (usually the commonwealth’s attorney) needed to make an example of your behavior.

What puzzled me throughout the book, is how you managed to keep your sanity and keep a positive outlook in spite of all the shortcomings of the prison system. I think your book answered that question toward the end by your explaining that you really cared about your mom and that surviving and coming out as a decent human being was the only way you could make up for your careless and reckless behavior. I can’t help but wonder how you would have turned out, had you been adjudicated in the juvenile system. Somehow, I don’t think the outcome would have been as good as it was, but that is a question that will never be answered. I think the bottom line is that only the person incarcerated can control how he or she will emerge from the system regardless of where, how, and for how long they are imprisoned.

What you have done with your book is give anyone who is not familiar with the realities of prison a chance to view prisoners as individuals who are not all that different from the general public, and in doing that, you are helping ordinary citizens change their stereotypical views of people who have been convicted of crimes and sentenced to prison. Congratulations on not being part of the “revolving door” syndrome that is the typical outcome of inmates’ prison experiences. What you have accomplished is an inspiration to anyone who reads your story.

I am also involved in the “Thousand Kites” project which is based out of Whitesburg, KY and my students have performed the play on campus, the community, and in two prisons where it has been very well received. If you are not familiar with the project you can locate it at http://www.thousandkites.org. The play is based on the stories of correctional officers, inmates, and family members of inmates at Red Onion State Prison and Wallens Ridge State Prison and there are several similarities to your experiences.

I would like to talk with you about visiting our campus in Ferrum, VA and discussing your views on how we can improve the American Criminal Justice System if that is something you can work into your schedule sometime after Christmas.

Again, congratulations on an excellent book…..I am sure that your mother is proud.