Shark Tank Pitch

Sometimes, I get million dollar business ideas just from watching TV. (I can't turn this brain off.) The movie "No Hard Feelings" served as inspiration. The story revolves around a ne'er-do-well, 30 something Jennifer Lawrence, who is hired by an ultra wealthy couple to seduce their geeky, awkward son and take his virginity before he … Continue reading Shark Tank Pitch →

Dishonorable Thieves

I've been in a quasi-honor unit for 18 months. It's insulated from a lot of the bullshit that constitutes life in the joint, like rampant theft, deuce head episodes, gang phones. Here, guys take college classes, learn a trade, train a dog--anything to use their time constructively. Of course, there's always a subset of knuckleheads … Continue reading Dishonorable Thieves →

jPay Message #744

I passed the two year mark at the end of the January. Around then, the Career Scope worked called me out, and asked which, if any, trade I wanted to take. The idea of going home and freedom were fast becoming realities. For about a day, my heart jumped in jubilation. Then, my instinct for … Continue reading jPay Message #744 →

“Ghetto Robespierre”

I'm taking attendance for the creative writing class I'm teaching. I notice we're a person short. "Where's Preacher?" I ask Cliff. They lock in the same unit, and are always seen together. "Ehh, he had to lock up." "What happened? He didn't strike me as a dope fiend." "He wasn't. These..." I can tell he … Continue reading “Ghetto Robespierre” →

“Everything’s illegal”

From the pockets sewn into your pants to the remote in your TV to the cardboard battery pack for your trimmers, everything is against the rules. The markers, highlighters, and colored pens you bought at one joint are contraband at the next. There are so many rules, some rule-breaking has to be tolerated. You couldn't … Continue reading “Everything’s illegal” →