2012
Link to DOC rules for visitation http://www.dc.state.fl.us/oth/inmates/visit.html
Main menu September 2012
A Message
from a Classmate September
2012
Last month I
received my copy of the yearbook for the 50th reunion. It had a profound impact upon me. I am particularly gratified that the reunion
logo adorns the cover of the book.
Permit me to thank Buddy, the Reunion Committee and all the classmates
for making it available to me.
The yearbook
has allowed me to feel that I was part of the reunion, in spirit, if not in
body. I certainly would have been an
active participant were it not for a truly regrettable incident that occurred
July 19, 2007. But I make no excuses for
what happened; it is trite to say that life can be unfair, but we all make
decisions at various times and have to live with the consequences.
Two months
ago I passed five years as a prisoner, including time at
the Broward County jail. At reflective
moments, I find it incredible that I am spending this stage of my life in
prison. Am I better adapted to this life
now than I was during my early days?
Much as life in general, maybe in some respects but not others. At various times, I have sought the counsel
of a resident psychologist; he told me that in his experience, it can take from
five to seven years for one to become acclimated to prison life. A younger inmate, who was a cellmate during
my first months of incarceration at the Broward County jail, came through here
a few months ago. He paid me a
compliment: He said that he did not
believe I would become institutionalized because he felt I was too strong for
it to happen. On this note, only time
will tell. I made an observation a short
while ago that prison life – a world unique unto itself – is not difficult to
understand for what it is. The problem
that I experience is accepting it and adapting to it.
During one
of my early monthly articles for the class website, I remarked that I felt I
would not be required to serve my full sentence, that some form of early
release program would become available.
I don’t believe anything has happened that would alter that opinion. One of the situations existing in this
country at the present time, particularly in the State of Florida, is an aging
prisoner population. There is
recognition that this country cannot continue to incarcerate a sizable number
of senior inmates. Whether there are
significant developments in this state remains to be seen. I would never be so naïve as to believe this
will definitely happen; I can be optimistic but I must also be realistic.
So, how do I
spend my time as a prisoner? Still,
largely one day at a time. Keeping to
myself has never been a problem and may actually serve me well in this
environment (I’ve noted that during the forty-five years from when I graduated
college [1962] to my incarceration [2007], I have lived alone for all but seven
of those years). For much of my free
time, I read, and I may have done more reading during my five years of
imprisonment that I did during the previous sixty-five years, excluding reading
I was required to do for college or the actuarial examinations. And I have a portable radio for which to
engage my true passion; three hours on Sunday evening when a local station
plays doo-wop music. This is the time
when I can emotionally remove myself from prison life and relive, albeit
briefly, a simplistic and hopeful time.
I still have, and continue to cherish, all that I have accomplished in
the past and the people I met along the way.
The Florida Department of Corrections, try as it may, can never take
these memories away from me.
I don’t know
if I can become sufficiently motivated to continue the monthly website articles,
but I would, nonetheless, be interested in hearing from you.
Harold
Sherry