Thursday, September 11, 2014

 

I was locked inside of a prison cell when I heard about the terrorist strikes in New York and Washington. Today was different. Instead of being locked in a prison cell watching the horrors of that day, I traveled to the airport as I had to board a flight. Government leaders invited me to participate on an advisory council that would study America’s probation and parole system. We have more than 750,000 people being released from confinement each year, and high recidivism rates cost society enormous sums of money. By working to improve outcomes of our nation’s criminal justice system, we can improve community safety save taxpayer dollars. I was proud to accept the invitation to contribute. Other than a lengthy delay at the airport that kept me stuck on a plane for several hours longer than necessary, I did not mind the commute. I looked forward to making a contribution to the all-day discussion that would take place tomorrow. After arriving in Minneapolis, I met my new “colleagues” at a restaurant. I was surprised to hear that one member of the panel happened to be a Vice Chairman of the United States Parole Commission. As one of five members of the U.S. Parole Commission, he would have an influential role on determining whether continued supervision was warranted in my case. I found that to be a serendipitous meeting and I looked forward to making a favorable impression on him.

 

Days since my release from prison: 395

Miles that I ran today: 0

Miles that I ran so far this week: 23.36

Miles that I’ve run during the month of September: 59.07

Miles that I ran so far in 2014: 1,770.06

Miles that I need to run in order to reach my annual goal of 2,400 miles: 629.94

Miles I’m ahead of schedule to reach my 2,400-mile goal by the end of 2014: 94.71

My weight for today: 168