Friday, September 12, 2014

 

Today I contributed to an all-day session discussing probation and parole in the United States. As a member of an advisory council sponsored by the Robina Institute at the University of Minnesota Law School, I’ll work alongside several leaders who seek to improve outcomes of our nation’s criminal justice system. Other members of the council have impressive credentials. The man sitting to my right in today’s meeting is Vice-Chairman of the United States Parole Commission. Other members of the panel include Directors or Chairman of the probation and parole system in Utah, Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. There were consultants and academics on the panel as well. This council will meet twice each year for the next three years. Our task: to build a profile that will outline the probation and parole systems that operate in the 53 different jurisdictions across the United States, and to conduct a survey that will gather data on how these systems operate across the nation. Although the other members of the panel have distinguished backgrounds, I bring value to the discussion by providing the voice of someone who has experienced the criminal justice system first hand. I will draw upon all that I learned to help these government leaders understand the influences this system has on prospects for success upon release from confinement.

 

Days since my release from prison: 396

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: 88.14

My weight for today: 168