English 93

Time in prison is the hardest time to serve 20% of prisoners succumb to their own demise due to the hardship of doing time. In the reading Time by Nathan McCall a dilemma of having to serve a long prison sentence becomes harder as time passes mentally and even physically. Long prison sentences break the prisoner down mentally. Inmates have to pass time in jail by getting jobs or playing cards and other games for the mind and having interaction with other inmates talking about the good ol’days or past crimes they committed. Prisoners have to learn how to survive prison while other inmates fight or pick a fight with them over an issue in jail or even an incident that went on outside of jail. Inmates stay strong by working out and going in to the yard and seeing other inmates, it gives them that sense of being out on the street and making their rounds around the neighborhood. A person of weaker character would break down knowing that they have 20 plus years to serve in prison but that’s not a macho thing for a guy not to handle their time. It’s the hope of being released and going home that prisoners really hold on to so they can remain focused and they can do their time and not let the time do them. Sometimes though no matter how hard inmates try to keep busy time is all there is and their mind starts to wander and prison paranoia starts to set in and thoughts of escaping start to take flight in your mind. The stress of getting caught usually brings them back to reality but every so often someone tries to make a run for it and in your heart your hoping they do not get caught. If a prisoner is caught more time is add on to their already prison sentence. Nathan has to deal with a lot of things while serving his time in prison often telling himself “hold on, Nate hold on” the hardest thing was for him to understand and know that his woman was on the outside and he never would be sure when that day would come and she would say I am seeing someone else and sure enough on one visiting day Liz came and told him it was over. No matter how much time you have you hang on to that thought of having your loved one do the time with you but it is hard emotionally. That was hard for Nate and he went to his cell and broke down and his tears poured out he turn to his gospel music for strength to help him get through this heartbreaking time. Nathan also had to deal with getting in to fights with other inmates and protecting himself with a shank and if you got caught that would be more time added on to your prison sentence but you couldn’t show fear or show any signs of weakness. I have a friend who is serving 20 years in an upstate prison for a murder he says it was self-defense and he had to do it or it would have been him that would have died. I know he regrets the choice he made, knowing he has no child to carry his name no wife to love him and he knows by the time he comes home life as he once knew will only be his thoughts. He has only done 8 of his 20 years and he receives letters by me every month and we have spoken about how hard it is to deal with the time he has to serve. He has been in therapy and has even had suicidal thoughts. My friend’s family do the best they can to keep him focused on coming home and how he will still have a chance at life but I know the time can get to even the strongest of minds. I understand you do the crime you have to do the time. Even if the prisoner has family and the inmate gets letters or visits yeah it makes you feel good for the moment and then when that hour is up your back to your cell with your time. It’s up to the person to overcome their dilemma of time or to have it break you down. I know just like Nate and my friend their outside world was their life and going to jail was stripping them away of their assurance of their loved ones and the hope of ever returning to that life.