from a Durham comrade now in a state facility

Hey,

…Since I’ve been here it’s like a world of difference, but regardless the condition the issue still remains the same. Although things seem different the problem remains. Some people say prison is better than jail, I’ve even had people go as far as to tell me “Oh, it’s going to be a like a college dorm!” But I keep my facial expression the same and look on. I know on the outside I look simple to some and to others they may even believe prisoners lack the ability to think. Or maybe I’m less than human; my mentor taught me hatred cuts both ways. Sometimes I wake up and see the guards and staff and wonder if they have a clue as to what is around them. Some say it’s just a job. Or, ‘I have to feed my family, too.’ Sometimes I hear a small joke from a c.o. about this lifestyle. Some laugh. But I don’t. I’m given things to keep me within the boundaries. But always my ears hear and eyes perceive: the locks, fences, the things inside and outside. Freedom always calls to me, and I hear it. I am a person, I choose to mourn others’ pains. I’m not content. How long do walls stand? For me, not always.

In heart and mind

Till freedom

T.B.