Journal of today’s activities:

Russell Hancock, CEO of Joint Venture Silicon Valley invited me to speak about the injustices of mass incarceration on his radio program this morning. Mr. Hancock’s program is called “Inside Silicon Valley, and my segment will air on January 3 and January 5. The radio station broadcasts the show on Friday evenings at 7:00 pm and again on Sundays at noon on 1590 AM, KLIV.

In order to make it to the station on time, Carole and I left our home at 4:30 am. We arrived in San Jose by 6:30, and worked from a breakfast table at a hotel restaurant until it was time for the recording of the radio show to begin. I enjoyed participating on the program and I hope that listeners will find some value in the message.

Next month, on February 7, I will deliver a “TED” type speech at the 2014 State of the Valley Conference. The conference will be held at the Santa Clara Convention Center at 5001 Great America Parkway, in Santa Clara. I’m looking forward to this presentation, as I’ll speak in front of an audience of more than 1,000 people.

These efforts advance my three-pronged commitment of working to:

• Provide resources that help at-risk people and incarcerated individuals prepare for law-abiding, contributing lives;
• Assist the formerly incarcerated as they strive to transition into the labor market.
• Educate audiences of all types about the injustices of our nation’s commitment to mass incarceration.

I’m grateful to Russ Hancock for opening these opportunities to contribute.

The early morning departure meant that I’m falling behind on my fitness program. I fought traffic coming home. So far I’ve only run 2.2 miles in 2014. In order to reach my goal of 2,400 miles, I will need to catch up by the weekend.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 142
• Miles run today: 2.2
• Miles run this week: 32
• Miles run this month: 2.2
• Miles run in 2014:
• 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:
• Today’s Weight: 168

Journal of today’s activities:

I’m very excited to begin a new year with my wife. We’ve never before enjoyed the privilege of waking together on a New Year’s holiday. I was still in the halfway house last year, and for the 25 previous years I was inside various different federal prisons. Each year has brought improvements to our life. Today Carole and I rejoiced in the wonderful blessings that we’ve received.

Carole and I discussed the values and goals I set that would guide me through 2014. In 2013 I lived at an intense work pace, so I pledged to begin the process of decompressing this year, scheduling in some downtime with Carole. We must continue working hard through this year, but we’ll also begin to slow the pace. By keeping our focus, our lives will continue to improve in incremental stages, year after year.

Carole and I enjoyed dinner with close friends. We returned home in time to get to bed early, as we’ll be leaving our home at 4:30 am. I’m scheduled to participate in a radio interview in San Jose and then meet with Dr. Angela Haick of Santa Clara Count Juvenile Hall.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 142
• Miles run today: 0
• Miles run this week: 29.8
• Miles run this month: 209.5
• Miles run in 2014:
• 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:
• Today’s Weight: 167

Journal of today’s activities:

I spent several hours writing out the values and goals that would guide me through the year 2014. During the 26 years I lived as a prisoner, I completed that exercise inside various federal prisons. Now, for the first time, I had the opportunity to chart this course from the comfort of my own home. I’m really enthusiastic about making progress in 2014. I’ve enjoyed a remarkable return to society and I’m looking forward to proving worthy of support that I received from so many people. I wish everyone a magnificent 2014, a year filled with joy, good health, and meaning.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 141
• Miles run today: 8.3
• Miles run this week: 29.8
• Miles run this month: 209.5
• Miles run in 2014:
• 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:
• Today’s Weight: 165

Journal of today’s activities:

I spent the entire day working to build an excel spreadsheet that would show all of my business transactions for the year 2013. The project brought me up to date. I’m now ready to work with my accountant to file all of my necessary tax forms. It’s very exciting for me to work through the numbers and see the progress that I’ve made since my release from prison. The exercise gives me a great deal of encouragement for 2014. I’ll be working on values and goals to guide me through the new year in the days to come. I’ll work hard to prove worthy of the trust and support I’ve received from so many people, including my friend Lee Nobmann, who has set a goal of becoming one of our nation’s largest cattle owners.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 139
• Miles run today: 13.5
• Miles run this week: 13.5
• Miles run this month: 192.7
• Miles run in 2014:
• 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:
• Today’s Weight: 165

Journal of today’s activities:

Carole and I toured a piece of commercial real estate today. The property is currently being used as a dance school, but the owner of the property wants to retire. Since Carole will graduate with her master’s degree in nursing in about 16 more months, we’re thinking about venturing into a new business. I wanted to visit the property to see about what type of renovations we would have to make to convert the building into an assisted living facility. It’s large enough to accommodate 10 patients, and we could furnish the upstairs for a live-in nurse who would serve as a caretaker that Carole could oversee.

This would be a big project for Carole and I to oversee. We’ll do some market research over the next couple of weeks, and I’ll tour the property again with some friends of mine who have experience in building renovations. Then, if the numbers work out and we can coordinate financing, we’ll move forward. I suspect that several months would pass before we could purchase the property, and we would need another six to nine months to renovate the building before we could take patients. It’s exciting for me to work on these types of projects with my wife. I enjoy the exercise of working through the numbers and exploring new business opportunities.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 138
• Miles run today: 14.2
• Miles run this week: 72
• Miles run this month: 179.2
• Miles run in 2014:
• 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:
• Today’s Weight: 163

Journal of today’s activities:

Carole didn’t have to work today so we planned on seeing The Wolf of Wall Street, a popular film depicting the life of Jordan Belfort. I was incarcerated with many people who worked with Jordan. He founded a New York brokerage firm and Jordan became quite infamous for his unscrupulous tactics as a businessman. The people I met in prison were very critical of Jordan Belfort because of the way that he responded to the criminal charges brought against him. Belfort masterminded the entire scam. Rather than taking the fall, however, he set up many others. Some of the people Jordan trained went to prison for longer than a decade. Jordan, on the other hand, escaped a lengthy sentence because of his cooperation with authorities. He served less than three years, then went on to build a lucrative career as a public speaker and sales trainer.

Jordan wrote a book about his exploits, which I read while I was in prison. His book did an excellent job of illustrating the excesses of his life. I remember laughing many times while reading the book and I looked forward to watching the film. Carole became disgusted by the graphic, vulgar portrayal of Belfort’s depravity, so we left the theater after 30 minutes. I still want to see how the film portrays Belfort’s arrest, so I’ll go back and see the movie with my friend Lee. I think he’ll appreciate it.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 137
• Miles run today: 0
• Miles run this week: 57.8
• Miles run this month: 165
• Miles run in 2014:
• 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:
• Today’s Weight: 166

Journal of today’s activities:

I finished writing the chapter outline for a new book that I would call The Architecture of Incarceration. The outline proposes 18 chapters and essentially follows the same format that I use to teach a course by the same name at San Francisco State University. The students who completed my first semester of teaching recently sent comments that I posted on my website. If the University of California Press agrees to publish the new book, students will have a uniform text from which they can follow along with the work. Further, readers will have a better understanding of the decisions that led to our nation’s system of mass incarceration. Writing a book requires a huge time commitment. I estimate that I’ll need to invest about 1,000 hours to complete the project. I’ve got to keep myself on a strict time-management schedule going forward if I’m going to succeed. I haven’t yet decided whether I want to submit the proposal to the editor from UC Press that contacted me for this writing project.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 136
• Miles run today: 13.2
• Miles run this week: 57.8
• Miles run this month: 165
• Miles run in 2014:
• 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:
• Today’s Weight: 165

Journal of today’s activities:

For the first time in more than 10 years of marriage, I woke in the same house with my wife on Christmas morning. During previous years, I had to wait for prison authorities to let me know when I’d be able to spend time with my wife.

Carole and I weren’t able to share much time together, as Carole is a nurse and she was scheduled to work today. We exchanged gifts in the early morning, then I went outside to exercise. I am very grateful for all of the blessings in our life, but I wouldn’t say that I’m loaded with Christmas spirit. I’m still very much in “preparation mode.” I’m going to need another year of acclimating in society before I’ll be ready to fully join the festivities associated with the birth of Christ. While my mother and sisters celebrated Christmas in their cities, I spent the day alone working on a book proposal that I’m still deliberating. I have a lot to complete before this year ends.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 135
• Miles run today: 8.3
• Miles run this week: 44.6
• Miles run this month: 151.8
• Miles run in 2014:
• 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:
• Today’s Weight: 166

Journal of today’s activities:

Today I went ran a shorter distance. This book project for The University of California Press continues to weigh heavily on my mind. I’ve given myself until tomorrow to make a decision. Writing a book requires a substantial investment of time. Although a new book could open enormous opportunities that would spread awareness about the ancillary consequences of our nation’s massive prison system, it would also dilute my attention from ongoing projects that I’ve already begun.  I don’t know whether I can:

• Train facilitators in jails, prisons, and schools how to teach the Straight-A Guide;
• Develop a job-training program for the formerly incarcerated;
• Lead a team of interns and community-based organizers who will teach soft skills to the formerly incarcerated;
• Open opportunities that will allow me to speak in front of business leaders;
• Work with the Michael G. Santos Foundation to grow our organization;
• Teach The Architecture of Incarceration at San Francisco State University;
• Run 14 marathons during 2014,
• Build my relationship with Carole, and
• Write a new book for The University of California Press.

I’m still working on the proposal and sample chapter. Yet when I think about the challenges and time commitment of writing a 75,000 word manuscript, I question whether I can fully commit. These thoughts cloud my mind on this first Christmas Eve that I spend in society.

I did take the time to pick up a small ornament that would surprise my wife when she wakes on our first Christmas morning together.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 134
• Miles run today: 10.1
• Miles run this week: 36.3
• Miles run this month: 143.5
• Miles run in 2014:
• 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:
• Today’s Weight: 168