Journal of today’s activities:

In one more week I resume teaching at San Francisco State University. Preparing for the 16 lectures takes me a lot of time. I have to invest several hours in advance of each class to ensure that I make the best use of my time with the students. This semester I expect to have 60 to 65 students. Most will be seniors in the criminal justice program and they will be pursuing careers in law enforcement of some type. Many will work inside of prisons or jails. I will provide them with a different perspective of the prison system, and as I did last semester, I’ll invite several guest speakers to give the sudents a broader understanding of how our nation’s prison system operates. I made good progress today in developing the course outline that will guide my presentations this semester.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 162
• Miles run today: 16.6
• Miles run this week: 215.73
• Miles run this month: 215.73
• Miles run in 2014: 215.73
• Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
• Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 71.19
• Today’s Weight: 159.9

Journal of today’s activities:

I spent the day working with Dr. Angela Haick and her team at the Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall. Most of the students I met who were confined in that facility ranged in age of between 14 and 19. Some were facing extraordinarily long sentences. I spoke inside several classrooms. The response I received from students and teachers alike encouraged me. I’m convinced that our Straight-A Guide Cognitive Skills Development Program provides the students hope. They need that hope as they embark upon lengthy terms of confinement.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 161
• Miles run today: 0
• Miles run this week: 32.8
• Miles run this month: 199.13
• Miles run in 2014: 199.13
• Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
• Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 61.16
• Today’s Weight: 163

Journal of today’s activities:

I spent several hours working on PowerPoint presentations today. The visual images will help audiences follow along as I speak about the injustices of mass incarceration. Many opportunities will open in the weeks to come for me to use these PowerPoint presentations. Later this week, on Thursday and Friday, I’ll make presentations for leadership teams in the Washington State Department of Corrections. The slide shows will help the audience follow along. Next Monday I’ll use the slideshow in a presentation that I’ll make at the Newman Auditorium in Santa Rosa. Then, on Wednesday, I’m scheduled to present at Stanford University and I’ll use a version of the slide show there. I’m really excited to speak at the Santa Clara County Convention Center on Friday, February 7, and my PowerPoint will enrich the presentation. Exciting times ahead

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 160
• Miles run today: 16.4
• Miles run this week: 32.8
• Miles run this month: 199.13
• Miles run in 2014: 199.13
• Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
• Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 67.73
• Today’s Weight: 163

Journal of today’s activities:

I had a conversation with John Linton, from the US Department of Education. He gave me some good advice that led me to change the name of our Straight-A Guide Program. Initially, we called it the Straight-A Guide Reentry Program. Then, once we learned that our product would work well in schools, we modified the name to the Straight-A Guide Life Skills Program. We’ve reached a level of success in finding partners who would work with us. During my conversation with Mr. Linton, I learned that trade literature refers to life skills programs being ineffective at preparing offenders for success upon release. In general, programs that fall in the “life skills” category teach pedestrian subjects like how to navigate a bus schedule. Our program is much more comprehensive. We teach people how to think differently, so that they reject criminal lifestyles and make values-based decisions. Accordingly, I’ve renamed our program the Straight-A Guide Cognitive Skills Development Program. Today I spent several hours writing new marketing materials that reflect the new name.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 159
• Miles run today: 16.4
• Miles run this week: 16.4
• Miles run this month: 182.73
• Miles run in 2014: 182.73
• Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
• Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 57.9
• Today’s Weight: 164

Journal of today’s activities:

Golden State Lumber celebrated its 60^th anniversary with a spectacular party at the Marin Civic Center. More than 500 people attended the evening event. My friend Lee built Golden State Lumber into a magnificent business that has provided a livelihood for hundreds of families in Northern California. Carole and I felt so privileged to sit at one of the reserved tables up front. We mingled with many of the people who built careers with Lee. Some worked at the company for longer than 35 years. We dined on a prime rib dinner, with Caesar Salad, roasted vegetables, and tortellini. Jill, the marketing director, put together a spectacular affair. And Lee said his farewell, giving a brief history of the company and indicating that he was officially retiring. Lee expressed great pride in how his daughter, Jessica, and her team now lead Golden State Lumber.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 158
• Miles run today: 0
• Miles run this week: 81.5
• Miles run this month: 166.33
• Miles run in 2014: 166.33
• Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
• Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 48.07
• Today’s Weight: 164

Journal of today’s activities:

My wife organized a surprise birthday party for me. She is a nurse and was working on the day that I turned 50, January 15. For me, the milestone didn’t mean much. I’m still focusing on preparations that I must make to build stability. I spent my birthday working from home, just as I was working this afternoon. Carole insisted that I take her out for a walk downtown. We live very close to the center of the city, but our busy schedules mean that we rarely go out together. I agreed to go out in the late afternoon. As we walked around town, visiting the little shops, I invited Carole to stop into three different pizza restaurants. She insisted on us going to Risi Bisi, a restaurant with several delicious dishes. When we walked to the front of the restaurant, I thought I recognized my friend Lee Nobmann’s white hair. When we entered, I saw a table filled with our closest friends. Then my sister Julie showed up with Gracie, her niece.  I looked at Carole and kissed her, thanking her for going to such trouble to celebrate a memorable birthday for me.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 157
• Miles run today: 10.4
• Miles run this week: 81.5
• Miles run this month: 166.33
• Miles run in 2014: 166.33
• Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
• Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 54.64
• Today’s Weight: 163

Journal of today’s activities:

In an effort to reverse America’s commitment to mass incarceration I adhere to a three-part plan. One part requires that I contemplate, create, and teach strategies that will help people in custody prepare for law-abiding lives upon release. A second part of the plan requires that I work to help the formerly incarcerated enter the job market. A third part of the plan requires that I help more taxpaying citizens understand why mass incarceration represents the greatest social injustice of our time. On January 27, I am scheduled to speak at the Newman Auditorium of the Santa Rosa Junior College. I expect an audience of more than 100 people, mostly residents of the Sonoma County. The college posted a link to announce the event on the website: Arts and Lecture Series. I prepared a slide show of graphic images that will help the audience follow along with my presentation. As part of my preparation for the event, Carole and I drove to the college to visit the auditorium. I’m looking forward to sharing my story with the people who attend that event. I’m also happy because my mother is flying up from Los Angeles that morning and she’ll be in the audience as I make my presentation.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 156
• Miles run today: 13.3
• Miles run this week: 71.1
• Miles run this month: 155.93
• Miles run in 2014: 155.93
• Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
• Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 50.81
• Today’s Weight: 163

Journal of today’s activities:

I celebrated my 50th birthday today. The last time I celebrated a birthday without any obligation to the Bureau of Prisons was in 1987. Many close friends called to express their good wishes, but my wife worked today so I spent the day home alone. I ran in the morning as I must stay in tip-top shape. Later this month I will speak in several different forums, including an audience at Stanford University and a different audience at Santa Rosa Junior College. More importantly, a television film crew from the PBS NewsHour is scheduled to film me teaching at a San Francisco City Jail in early February, and the following day I’ll speak at the Santa Clara Convention Center for the 2014 State of the Valley Conference. In all of those presentations, I’ll do my best to help more people understand prisons, the people they hold, and strategies for growing through confinement. Today I worked to create a slide deck that would help the audience follow along with my speeches.

Also, I received a teaching evaluation from San Francisco State University today. Those who would like to read how students responded to me may read the full report by clicking the following link to a PDF document.

Teaching Evaluation

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 155
• Miles run today: 14.5
• Miles run this week: 57.8
• Miles run this month: 142.63
• Miles run in 2014: 142.63
• Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
• Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 44.08
• Today’s Weight: 161

Journal of today’s activities:

In less than one month, the PBS television network will film me teaching the Straight-A Guide Life Skills Program inside of a San Francisco Jail. It’s a part of a series that PBS NewsHour is producing on innovative violence-prevention programs. I’m really enthusiastic about the prospect of building a larger platform. A television episode on a reputable program like the PBS NewsHour will show people who have an interest in transforming lives the value our Straight-A Guide Life Skills Program. People identify with the message because of its authenticity. I’m grateful to representatives from the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department who worked together in order to obtain authorization for the film crew to enter the jail. Steve Good and Sunny Schwartz, leaders of the Five Keys Charter School, played a huge role in making this television production possible.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 154
• Miles run today: 13.2
• Miles run this week: 43.3
• Miles run this month: 128.13
• Miles run in 2014: 128.13
• Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
• Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 36.15
• Today’s Weight: 163

Journal of today’s activities:

I met with Jana and Linda from the Office of the Inspector General today. They work with the California Rehabiliation Oversight Board, a government organization that evaluates rehabilitation programs within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. We met over lunch at a Red Robin Restaurant near Sacramento. While waiting for a fabulous Bonzai Burger, I told them about my journey through 26 years of prison and how my partner Justin and I brought our Straight-A Guide Life Skills Program to market. Jana and Linda invited me to make a presentation to the entire board in March. I’m very excited to introduce our program to other decision makes in the State of California, as I’m confident we can add value to any agency that works to transform the lives of people in custody.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 153
• Miles run today: 15.1
• Miles run this week: 30.1
• Miles run this month: 114.93
• Miles run in 2014: 114.93
• Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
• Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 29.52
• Today’s Weight: 162