Profiles from Prison: Adjusting to Life Behind Bars (Criminal Justice, Delinquency, and Corrections)

298 Pages·2003·1.09 MB·English

by  Michael Santos

PROFILES
FROM PRISON:
Adjusting to Life
Behind Bars
Michael Santos
PRAEGER
Profiles from Prison
RecentTitlesin
CriminalJustice,Delinquency,andCorrections
TheFragmentationofPolicinginAmericanCities:TowardanEcological
TheoryofPolice-CitizenRelations
Hung-EnSung
PROFILES FROM PRISON
Adjusting to Life Behind Bars
Michael Santos
CriminalJustice,Delinquency,andCorrections
MarilynD.McShaneandFrankWilliams,SeriesEditors
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Santos,Michael,1964–
Profilesfromprison:adjustingtolifebehindbars/MichaelSantos.
p.cm.—(Criminaljustice,delinquency,andcorrections,ISSN1535–0371)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN0–275–97889–3(alk.paper)
1.Prisoners—UnitedStates—Biography.2.Prisoners—UnitedStates—
Psychology.3.Imprisonment—UnitedStates.4.Prisonadministration—United
States.5.Prisoners’writings,American.I.Title.II.Series.
HV9468.S2462003
365(cid:1).6(cid:1)092—dc21 2002193045
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationDataisavailable.
Copyright(cid:2)2003byMichaelSantos
Allrightsreserved.Noportionofthisbookmaybe
reproduced,byanyprocessortechnique,withoutthe
expresswrittenconsentofthepublisher.
LibraryofCongressCatalogCardNumber:2002193045
ISBN:0–275–97889–3(alk.paper)
ISSN:1535–0371
Firstpublishedin2003
PraegerPublishers,88PostRoadWest,Westport,CT06881
AnimprintofGreenwoodPublishingGroup,Inc.
www.praeger.com
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
Thepaperusedinthisbookcomplieswiththe
PermanentPaperStandardissuedbytheNational
InformationStandardsOrganization(Z39.48–1984).
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CopyrightAcknowledgment
AllphotoscourtesyofMichaelSantos.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments vii
Series Editors’ Preface ix
Introduction xi
LILLIPUTIAN-TIMEPRISONERS 1
The School of Crime: Benjamin “Pup” Collier 7
Even the Affluent . . . : Al Pezlo 21
From Bad to Worse: Ellis Rogers 33
Choosing Prison over Supervised Release: Billy Williams 43
BANTAM-TIMEPRISONERS 55
An Escape from Prison Frustrations: Harvey Ziskis 59
An Inmate-Staff Hybrid: Domingo Morales 73
Living with the Unknown: Iqbal Karimi 87
Learning to Appreciate Classical Music in Prison: Fermin Martin 101
Making a New Start: Don Pappa 113
vi CONTENTS
ELEPHANT-TIMEPRISONERS 125
Goin’ Hard in Federal Prison: Joe “Black” Reddick 129
Catchin’ Time While Doin’ Time: Dorian Jones 141
Becoming an Adult in the Penitentiary: Hector Colon 155
An Educational Transfer to Acquire Computer Skills: Andrew
Frison 169
Finding Jesus in Prison: Byron Perymoore Nelson 181
TOWERING-TIMEPRISONERS 193
A Hoodlum for Life: Jerry Cohen 197
Seeking Freedom through Recognition and Acceptance by Others:
Seth Ferranti 209
Facing a More Punitive System: Melvin Spears 221
The Professor: Roderick Campbell 235
Twenty-seven Years of Introspection: John Vincent Baumgarten 249
Conclusion 265
References 271
Index 273
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Over the sixteen years that I have been confined, I have had the good
fortunetoreceiveencouragingsupportfromseveralofAmerica’sleading
criminaljusticescholars.Bygivingmetheirtime,theyhavehelpedbring
meaningtomylife.Throughtheirsupport,Ihavebecomeconvincedthat
Icandomorethanprepareforrelease,asIdidduringthefirsthalfofmy
imprisonment. Indeed, their friendship has convinced me that I can lead
a productive life as I move through this second half of my imprisonment
bymakingactualcontributionstosocietydespitethefencesandobstacles
surrounding me.
IamgratefultoDr.MarilynMcShane.Marilynhasbeenlikeasponsor
to me since the early 1990s. She has helped me with my education, and
givenmeopportunitiestocontributetohereditedprojects.Withthiswork,
Marilyn guided me from the beginning. She not only helped with every
aspect of this book’s development, including its editing, but also opened
a new relationship for me with Greenwood/Praeger Publishing.Asafed-
eral prisoner, I do not have access to a word processor or the tools of
modern technology. Marilyn, therefore, generously performed the labo-
rious task of converting my typewritten work into a digital format as we
prepared for publication. Without her, this book would not exist. I am
grateful to Marilyn for her continuing support.
The first reader for each of the chapters presented here was my long-
time friend and mentor Dr. P. Bruce McPherson. Although I met Bruce
while I was in the incipient stages of my term, he has treated me more
viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
likeasonthanastudent.Bruceisaninvaluablefriend,andIamindebted
to him. His guidance in all areas of my life has made me a betterperson.
I am grateful to Carol Zachary, her husband Jon Axelrod, and their
children, Zachary and Tristan. They are my liaisons to society and con-
stantly work to help me feel like I am more than a prisoner. I extend this
same gratitude to Bill Ayers, Mary Bosworth,SkeydritBahr,ToddClear,
George Cole, Francis T. Cullen, John J. DiIulio Jr., Sabra Horne, Tara
Gray,CaroleGoodwin,JoelLomberg,andNorvalMorris.Specialthanks
also go to Suzanne Staszak-Silva, my editor at Greenwood for her faith
in this manuscript.
None of my work would be possible without the generous and consis-
tentsupportofmybelovedsisterJulieSantosandherhusband,TimUfkes.
They have remained by my side, full of encouragement, from that dayin
1987 when an arrest changed my life. Because of them, I have been able
to lift myself from melancholia and do more than time while I serve this
lengthyprisonterm.Myyoungersister,Christina,andmymother,Frances
Sierra, have been equally supportive throughout my term. In time, I pray
thatmyworkwillhelpassuagethehumiliationIcausedmyfamilymem-
bers through my indiscriminate actions during the recklessness of my
youth.
SERIES EDITORS’ PREFACE
One of the great ironies of criminal justice policy is that we regularly
hypothesizeaboutthecausesofcrime,legislatepunishment,proposetreat-
ment and prevention programs, and design elaborate laws, programs, or
penitentiaries all without ever asking offenders why theycommitcrimes.
Although there is a rich literature of prison writing and research, littleof
it seems to directly translate into new policies or procedures. This is un-
fortunate, as meaningful insights can be gleaned from both the explicit
and the subtle messages of those who inhabit the world behind bars.The
reader should come to realize that, as different as this world may seem
from ours, it is a real world. What you read is not just the inmates’ view
of life, it is, ultimately, a reflection of our condemnation of that view.
Over the years famous writers such as Solzhenitsyn, Timerman, and
Dostoyevsky have been able to bring readers deep into their prison ex-
periences. However, some of the most exciting works have come from
those who have educated themselves behind bars and become master
storytellersintheirownright:RideauandWikberg,Washington,Hassine,
McCall, Martin, and now Santos.
The men profiled in this collection are intriguing and contradictory
spirits, confused and savvy, contrite and defensive, funny and sad, and,
oh, so very human. Within these pages are unique lessons on thepoverty
ofthehumancondition—notonecreatedbydustbowls,floods,orfamines,
but one we have engineered in America. It is not the creation of some