IamA Ex-convict recently released from 7 years in prison AMA!

What's the first thing you thought you'd be doing once released ?

What do you actually did ?

The first thing I thought I'd be doing once released was meeting up with my girlfriend and having some pretty great sex... Imagine no sex for 7 years... That was pretty torturous..! What I actually did though... Not the same... Had to go meet with my probation officer... piss in a cup instantly..! I mean, cmon, man...! I just had walked out the gate...! What did they think I was going to do..! Get high instantly..!?

Imagine no sex for 7 years

amateur.

well it certainly was long enough for me...

No sex with a woman* for seven years.

ohhh and here comes the gay shit.

I've been out for 3 years. Get used to it. It's everyones go to joke.

yeah i know... believe me i've heard it all... so... how many times did you drop the soap.?

never. Death grip.

and dont look down.

Do you think most convicts come out as better people, or better criminals?

you know that is a great question... and its also something I'm trying to figure out myself... I mean, I'm certainly trying to be a better person... but I know countless others who come out worse than when they went in... prison will really fuck your head up... and I think its all about how you handle the circumstances your given... I'm actually filming something along those lines right now in a new web series being produced as we speak... If you want to check it out check out the link here https://youtu.be/rcaiBKcy6xQ

What was going through your mind on your first day in prison knowing that that was where you were going to spend the next 7 years of your life?

Suicide to be honest... I mean, it wasnt even 7 years I was looking at... I was probably looking at a lot more time... So for the first day and also the first year I heavily contemplated killing myself... But I found something to pull me thru the toughest of times... And something that provided me hope and with that I vowed that if I did get another chance to live my life, that I would make the absolute most of it...

Okay I'll ask...what is the something that pulled you through?

drawing and painting and my website... and believing that one day I would be sitting where i now am corresponding with all of you and working towards so much more... "hope.." that is what pulled me through.

I was always interested about shaving in prisons. Do they give you actual razor blades or something that is harder to turn into a weapon?

Yes they do give you razors while in prison... In some prisons you can even buy them from the canteen and keep them for as long as you like... In other higher level prisons, razors are closely monitored and they have what are called safety razors that if turned into a weapon wouldnt do much damage... Actually a razor blade isnt a very good choice for a prison weapon... Its not going to do as much damage as say a melted piece of hard plastic or a wooden handle or a lock in a sock even...

A lock in a sock? You should write a prison themed Dr.Seuss book.

soap on a rope... prison is a joke... is there any hope..? what it seems like nope..!

Guys would take the blade from the razor and melt it into a tooth brush where I was at. That little piece of nastiness could really mess a guy up.

yeah but even more is just melting down some hard plastic.... razor is more of a cutting superficial wound type of tool... in prison if you need a weapon you want something that is going to cause grave damage something that punctures is more practical...

Tweezers.

tweezers haha funny.

imgur gallery title:

murals I did while in prison

Can you answer imgur user's folic42's question:

Why are the first two signed by different people?

So when it comes to the murals and the ones that were signed by different people... THose were murals I learned and apprenticed on... I only showcased those to say that I helped on those and to show just what other kind of work individuals were creating in prison... Prison is full of talented individuals... I dont even hold a candle in comparison to others who taught me to paint... so I wanted to showcase some of their work as well.

Thank you for sharing your story with us!

The holiday season is upon us and I have always wondered what it's like to be in prison during Christmas. Do prison staff decorate the facility? Do inmates trade gifts or anything like that?

Holidays are the worst while in prison... tensions run the highest and fights are a given... Prisoners are in the worst state of mind during the holidays... Especially, Christmas.... It's hard to be in prison cut off from the world only connected through what your seeing on tv... I watched 7 years worth of fireworks, thanksgiving parades, and Christmas specials pass on me by on the tv... the facility trys not to do much and I guess thats a good thing... I mean the less you have to think about or "see" the holidays the better it is... prisoners might prepare for their crew a special meal from items purchased from the canteen... But outside of that, the holidays, while in prison, have to looked at as "just another day.." otherwize you WILL go crazy thinking about just what you are missing out there in the world...

Do they serve better food on the holidays, like turkey and dressing, etc.? Didchoo ever get pizza in prison? How about coffee and how much coffee can you drink throughout the day?

good question... better food on holidays yes..but not by much.. sometimes it was just enough to make you even more mad... like look at this shit... It's Christmas for God's sake..! coffee is available in most prisons and its available to purchace through the canteen... as far as how much coffee can be consumed... wow that reminds me of a funny story...

Well let's hear the story! Also, can you just buy coffee from the canteen anytime you want a cup o' joe?

ok well i have to tell it... but it will have to wait til next time... i gotta catch a flight... well, no not really but our time here has come to an end tonight... thanks and check us out again... very soon...

What did you do to pass the time while serving your time in prison?

I wish my answer to this question wasn't as general as this but... I created a lot of art and I focused on my plan to better myself through the positive things I created... A website that I created and ran through a girlfriend that chronicled tales of my incarceration, cartoons that I created and submitted to tons of magazines trying to get my work published in them... I also painted the walls in the prison as a mural painter, and of course the general basics... worked out as much as I could... Tryed to avoid conflict as much as I could...

Do you think murals help the overall level of the mood? I think things like that would really help people not to be pissed off all the time, those white brick walls are so depressing.

thats the general idea, im sure... you know, in local jail, they painted the walls pink because they believe pink did something to stimulate a non aggressive state of mind... Yes prisoners would for the most part appreciate the fact that we were trying to create something worth looking at other than just block walls.

I understand it's difficult for you to go out and get a job (at least if you need to list a felony) what has the prison system done to help you out with getting a job? Do they have a placement system? Are there common employers out there (maybe owned by former inmates) that consistently work with recently released inmates to try to help them get back on their feet?

great question..! and finding employment is the absolute HARDEST thing for individuals coming home after prison to do... Employers really hate criminal records... even worse they hate criminal records and no previous employment... I was gone for 7 years, almost a DECADE..! what the hell was i going to list for previous employment..? also prisons are very limited in the programs and classes they offer as far as trade classes or job training programs... to be honest with you employment, or better yet, the lack of finding employment, to me, is the number one reason why individuals return to drug abuse and crime... the prison system is not doing hardly enough to help guys and gals returning to society... but then again it's all about how hard an individual is willing to work towards making it out here for themselves... me personally... i refuse to quit or give up.

Have you ever considered tree work/climbing trees? A friend of mine got out, started climbing 4 years ago, and he is now making $350 a day. Can't be scared of heights though...

dude if you offered me 350 a day... i dont think i would be scared of ANYTHING... where are THESE jobs at... congrats to your friend. unfortunately those kinds of jobs are rare for not just ex prisoners but for anyone i think.

They are not too rare on the east coast. Anywhere from NY down to north florida in any large city. If you are clean, have a valid DL, not scared of heights, and can work hard, you will start at 175 a day, and if you are smart and study, you'll be at 300 within 18-24 months. But you gotta be smart or you'll be dead. It's a dangerous job. There is no room for mistakes.

well the drivers license kills me dead already... don't have one of those and it will take 13500 dollars for me to ever even had the drivers license conversation... but i really do appreciate the information... i will certainly keep it in mind for other individuals it could benefit...

Well... It does make it harder, but I would not rule it out.

Try to find some tree climbers groups on FB.. A lot of them are closed because of all the trolls, but you can ask for an invite. Another place it www.TreeBuzz.com. They are REALLY serious about safety.

Seriously, even if you didnt have the license, if you have someone who can get you to and from work reliably, you are still worth money.
Good luck and welcome back!

thanks for all that. I certainly will check it out...

Hell for that kind of money it might even be worth it just to use uber every day and chock it up to a business expense until you can pay off the 13,500.

hey I actually do use uber quite a bit.. I love uber actually...!

it will take 13500 dollars for me to ever even had the drivers license conversation

Where's the figure from?

its the actually total i owe in court fines and to dmv

I honestly think hustle has a lot to do with it, as well as skills most people take for granted like interview etiquette and manners. I found a job in 2 weeks in 2009, the height of the recession, after 101 months for a violent crime.

At the same time, the retail job I worked at needed a janitor that worked through a contractor. The contractor wouldn't hire me to clean a store I already worked at because of the record. However, the agent for the contractor hired a sub contractor, and the sub hired me.

The thing I don't get is all these jobs say background check, and this guy told me literally, "KBS doesn't hire violent felonies" but, discrimination bases on criminal record is illegal in my state.

yep its all about dedication to finding employment and finding a way... like the saying goes where theres a will theres a way... you have to never give up and just keep after it... a good job can be obtained its just a matter of never giving up until you find one...

Are there as many drugs inside as depicted on television? If so, what were the most common ways people would get them in?

ok you are about to lovvvvve this one... so check this out..! right before I was to be released some new shit was discovered... It was a spray that you could literally spray on a letter and then bake in the oven to cure... the sprayed letter was then sent to the prison untraceable and completely undetectable... the letter was then received and cut into tiny strips where it was sold and smoked with affects simuliar to a weed high...guess what it was called...? "paper.." pretty original right..? other ways that drugs came in were of course through individuals swallowing them in visitation... Which you wouldnt believe what they did with guys they caught doing that..! and another way was over the fence... I've seen and heard of countless attempts to get shit over the fence... nerf footballs... even drones..!

what did they do with guys they caught doing that?

got caught doing what..? throwing drugs over the fence..? well, that would result in charges being filed against that individual and they could then easily end up on our side of the fence... with individuals caught using drugs and failing drug test... well that would result in a month of solitary time...

I saw that on an episode of drugs inc.

wow, really...? I'd atually love to see that episode... I'm kind of a little curious about what the hell that shit REALLY was...

What were you convicted of?

Is there a hierarchy of crimes that has any affect in you status or privilege. For instance, we always here that molesters are reviled. What crimes are admired?

Do most maintain their innocence when you figure otherwise? Or more that they were shafted by the system?

ok a lot to this question... first i was convicted of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute... and possession of a firearm by a non violent offender... my crimes were like the 48.3 % of Americans incarcerated for drug charges according to the federal bureau of prisons; As for child molesters and sex offenders they definitely do not have it easy in prison... I witnessed countless assaults of these such offenders... It's not a pretty site... Did they deserve this sort of treatment...?? Beatings, extortion, even rape..? Everyone has their own opinion... And yes there are individuals who maintain there innocence while incarcerated... Hell, I'm sure many of those WERE innocent too... The system is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination... There are innocent individuals sitting in prison right now as we speak..! Crimes admired... High profile anything usually does well in prison as long as it's not heinous or sex based... Murder gets you rank too... source

I witnessed countless assaults of these such offenders... It's not a pretty site...

In your opinion, did the prison staff treat those situations with professionalism, or not so much?

well, usually many of the guards would just be yelling stop, break it up... getting tangled up between two prisoners trying to kill each other would be like trying to break up two pitbulls in the midst of battle...

They had a "goon squad" in Minnesota who responded to "A-levels." Usually big dumb muscleheads who wanted an excuse to fight prisoners. The regular staff in general were supposed to wait for the squad. One prison had a k9 cell extraction unit.

oh yeah... I saw my fair share of the muscle head goonies... they usually all were asshole too... this one time a fight broke out in the chow hall and the goonies didn't have a key to get to the kitchen where the fight was happening... so one tried to help the other through the tray slot and he got stuck in there... It was pretty damn funny... I even made a cartoon about that incident...

How much cocaine if you don't mind me asking? My nephew just got arrested and charged with possession with intent on 17.1 grams. He is just barely 21 and I'm terrified for what he is about to be facing.

does he have a record because if he does he could be in a world of shit...

For public intox. The worst is he was at a hotel party. Friend overdoses, everyone left but him and he calls 911. Cops find the drugs in the room. Charge him and the guy who overdosed. I think he needs about a year to straighten him up, honestly. But he seems to be looking at 8-12

yeah im sorry to hear that but the system is not right at all.

what was the first thing you brought after you got out of prison?

i think it was a starbucks coffee at 7 11... lol but after that it was a smartphone.. hey do know that i never even used a smartphone before until just 2 months ago..? they had just came out with the iphone around the time i got arrested... so can you imagine trying to learn smart technology after never before using it..!

Did you play video games at all 7 years ago? I would love to know what you think of them now

great question... i haven't played video games at all in the last 7 years... someone asked me what video game system i planned to get upon release and i said none... i said that if i had time to play video games then i wasn't working hard enough... but i don't knock them at all... in fact i'd really like to play some... but I'm sort of trying to create a reality show right now...

if i had time to play video games then i wasn't working hard enough

lol you just dissed the entirety of Reddit xD

sorry about that.. no disrespect intended..

Funniest story that happened in prison? These are always the best.

well heres one that I wrote while actually in prison about prison rape and candy bars... check it out here

Hey guys, thank you for an awesome AMA! You all had some hilarious responses!! you can keep asking questions and ill come back tommorwow and possibly answer them. if you would like to continue to follow me on my adventure you can watch me on YoutTube or by Blog

Were you ever scared that another inmate would hurt/kill you? Did you ever get into any fights?

oh yeah I was scared plenty of times in there... I mean, you have to always be a little scared... Scared keeps you on your toes and guard... but you cant show that fear at all... the moment that you do, you become prey.... and that is one thing you never want to be inside of prison... you never wnat to be considered weak... did i worry about someone wanting to kill or hurt me... sometimes... If i had a beef with a guy for example... i would worry then. and the only thing i could do about it was either fight the guy or try to make peace somehow.... sometimes though the only way was to fight and try to beat the shit out of the guy... and sometimes that ended up with me getting the shit beating out of me...

How did being isolated for all those years affect your business?

your going to have explain what you mean by "bussiness".

You mentioned entrepreneur. Maybe you could elaborate on that if it was something you had started before being inprisoned.

no this wasn't something that I started before becoming imprisoned... The entrepreneur aspect comes from my efforts to find and create success for myself... Whether that be through the selling of my art... cartoons, paintings... possibly hosting paint parties... that sort of thing... or through the efforts put into a reality show I'm currently producing called afterprisonshow... I am an entreprenuer now because I have to be... jobs are not easily available to individuals with criminal records... sometimes all you have is the success you create for yourself.

Did you see anyone murdered while in there? If so, what for?

I personally did not see anyone murdered at the prisons I was housed at. But I heard about plenty of killings at other higher level prisons... news spreads through the prison grapevine like gossip girls conversation... its crazy... why individuals were killed though... Many different reasons... debts... or even just running off at the mouth to the wrong guy on the wrong day... a popular saying in prison is that you never really know what a guy has on his mind while in prison... He could have murder on it. You never know, thats why respect is number one on the inside.

What happens in your pod when people wouldn't follow rules? I'm sure different prisons have different rules, did you have to be quiet after lights out? What would happen to individuals who got the whole pod in trouble?

oh god..! I saw this this so much..!! the whole pod or block would get punished... worst they could would be lock us down... no rec. no phones. no tv. but that didnt stop prisoners from acting out...

What did stop them from acting out?

honestly... other prisoners... bigger badder guys... and bigger badder guys who liked to use the phone... you dont want to be the why the phones arent getting turned on and "Big Kurt" can't call his kids...

This is why I hated going from max to medium. In the max prison it was lifers and guys doing decades who really kept the peace. In medium you had all these short time obnoxious kids doing a year or two. I felt safer in maximum than medium.

so true... I spent my last 2 and a half years at a level two... this place housed tons of youth offender gang member kids who were offered a program in place of like 60 to 80 year sentences... all they had to do was complete the little 2 and a half year program and be done with it... but a lot of them were still heavily invovled in gang activity and would get caught up in gang assaults... then be sent back in front of the judge where those 60 to 80 year sentences were reimposed... life over at a young age... it was crazy there...

Or the people on their 3rd 4th or 5th bit. Life on the installment plan.

true as well... I've said this before... you haven't lived until you you've seen a 60 year old still sagging his pants and thinking he's some young thug still...

Do you think the possession of narcotics should be legalized?

Was it your first offense/were you granted bail?

it depends on what narcotics we're talking about... I think weed should be legalized in all states... I mean, it already almost is... I don't smoke though... Just how i feel... Harder drugs i feel don't deserve to be legalized though... was it my first offense, unfortunately, no... I had a prior possession of marijuana charge... And yes I did have a bond... but it was so high I could never make it.

Thank you for taking the time to do this AMA. I realise that this question is rather personal but I was wondering how hard was it to maintain relationships with people outside of prison? Without being too specific: how did your incarceration impact them and how did they eventually get to terms with it?

maintaining relationships while in prison is one of the hardest things to do... life does not stop when you go to prison so you have to understand when someone isnt willing to put their life on pause and ride it out with you for the years that you could potentially be gone for... when i first got arrested, i lost my girlfriend in 2 months... my family turned away from me too... I couldnt blame them though... I was a fuck up for most of my life... I spent 4 solid years with no outside support... not even a letter , phone call, or visit... then an amazing thing happened... I learned about pen pals...

Hey Asdfloli,

Your AMA really caught my attention as I recently did 2 months in a detention center because of similar drug charges. I know 2 months is nothing compared to seven years but while I was locked up I couldn't help but to notice communicating with the outside world while your locked up is very limited. The only options you have is to either write a letter or use the phone to call a landline.

You mentioned you have an entrepreneurial spirit, do you see an opportunity to present a solution to inmates to communicated with their loved ones in a more efficient manner than a phone or letter?

If you do, what are your ideas to make prisons more open and connected with the outside?

you know thats a great question and actually before i was released they just introduced email through use of a kiosk machine in the pods where prisoners could correspond more directly with their loved ones... because I'll be honest with you... the world is moving at a hundred miles an hour... its tough for people out here to find time to pick up a pen and write a letter these days...

What kind of work did you do while you were in?

i did all kinds actually... I worked in the kitchen... I cleaned bathrooms... then i got the sweetest job i ever had on the inside... painting murals...! guess how much that paid..? a whopping .45 cents..!

I recently had a friend just get out after a year with many years left on probation. How can I make his life easier/be sensitive to his expierience? Should I just say it's good to see you again and pretend it never happened? If he picked up any strange habits from being there (I know he was only a year but still) should I just not acknowledge it, or crack a joke about it? He's one of the nicest kids I know and worry about other friends and family treating him differently because of it, and I don't want to be a part of that problem, but at the same time I want him to know that im sympathetic and he can talk about shit with me if he needs to.

i think the best thing to do is just treat him like you've always treated him... people hate to be treated differently after prison or any kind of incarceration... but if you notice he is struggling then let him know your there for hime to help if he needs it... people also like to know there are individuals there for them who care...

Awesome thank you for the response.

hey no problem... I hope it helps... and thanks for checking out this AMA

Funniest thing on happen in jail?

ok hello I am back answering questions about prison life... funniest thing that happened... hmmmm.... well I'm not sure how funny you'll find this but there once was this chick who used to come see me who, well... I used to refer to as the "crazy chick" and what I went through dealing with her, has become notorious... she once came to see me and when I walked into the visitation room and saw her, my first reaction was "HOLY SHIT..!!"

I really like your dry humour of the depressing reality of prison life. I bet having that sort of detached third person type perspective kept you sane. Have you always been that way or did the time spent in self reflection really change your thinking?

i think prison turned me kind of crazy... but only kind of... and it was being able to laugh at the stupidity of it all through the cartoons I created about all that went on around me daily that actually kept me sane... like you said... that detatched third person perspective kind of thing...

What was the best and worse part about being in prison? And what were some changes that happened to you when you got out? Also is there anything that you would've done different or are you contempt with your life up to this point?

the best part about being in prison was that it probably legitimately saved my life... I was heading down a road to worse if I didn't get arrested when i did... I think that maybe i could have died, or what if maybe i killed someone... i believe everything happens for a reason... the worst part about being in prison was missing out on 7 years of my life... from the age of 26 till 33 years old, lost... I can never get that back... as far as doing things different... no i wouldnt change anything... all that i have survived has made me who i am now.. a man striving for a lot of great things after prison...

t being in prison was that it probably legitimately saved my life...

That's a cool answer.

thank you for saying that.the truth is gritty and raw a lot of the time.

That's really enlightening. Congratulations on your new life!

thank you so much... i look forward to this fresh chance at life again... and I hope to really make something great of myself.

Is it true that the whole getting butt fucked in prison is just a stereotype?

actually there are quite a few people in prison partaking in the whole butt fucking experience.... openly gay men are quite the normal in an environment such as prison... as for me though... not my thing...

Then how do you avoid it?

well, i guess the best way to do so is to not be gay, and kick some ass if someone trys to take advantage of you

Is there as much gang related incidents and turf wars going on as seen on TV in prison? If so, were you approached or ever considered joining for your own safety's sake?

so yes gang activity is at an all time high in prisons... and at certain prisons you'd better be affiliated with an organization of some sort... at the prison I was just released from, the gang activity was high and extortions did take place as did gang assaults... but I was a "liked" individual... so that meant I had a lot of respect... others though, if you weren't liked, you were targeted... also at the first prison that I started at... that was a level 4 facility... the gang violence and extortion was crazy there... what kept me safe there was art actually... I tattooed... everyone wants tatoos so no ones really going after the tat guy...

Is it really as bad as portrayed in TV shows, movies?

to be honest, its a little worse at times and sometimes its not... i mean prison is a violent place. people are always fighting... theres always tenison... gang shit.. its a crazy world.. i used to refer to prison as the underbelly of society... its where the bad people go,... its certainly not the honor society by any stretch.. you cant trust people... there are always up to no good... its a hard place to NOT be a bad guy... i mean, as humans we adapt to what we are surrounded by... its hard to not adapt and become a piece of shit like 99% of the individuals in prison... its a hard place to try and turn your life around... so to answer your question.. i guess the best answer i could give you is yes... it is as bad as its made out to be on tv... sometimes too, its worse.

What did you find that you missed most about the outside world?

food and female companionship. two things very hard for a man to go without...

How would you go about fixing the prison system?

great question... I don't think there is a solve all to the issue of prison reform... i think the main thing it boils down to is whether individuals incarcerated reach the point where enough is enough and they're ready to seriously make the necessary changes and sacrifice needed to rebuild and fix their own lives... no one is going to change unless they really want too. and one way to encourage individuals to want to really change is to give them hope for themselves... i believe the first thing that could be done to provide that hope is to abort all forms of re entry in practice now, and focus solely on job skills and training... because jobs are imperative to reform.

What was the worst thing you witnessed in jail?

to be honest i saw a lot of fucked up stuff... gang assaults, guys who got cut bad and blood everywhere... i saw a guy damn near killed he was beaten so bad...

Where were those murals painted? I could have sworn I've seen one of those murals when I went to visit an incarcerated family member.

kudos to you for visiting someone while they were incarcerated... that really means a lot to a guy when he's on the inside... the murals i painted are in a prison in Virginia...

He was in a prison in virginia! Which one was it?

Indian Creek

Blondes or brunnettes?

hey after 7 years... there aren't many preferences...

Sorry to hear that man

dude I'm getting laid out here like, well... like something that gets layed a lot..?lol

I see the martinsville speedway in one of your murals. Are you a NASCAR fan?

i am a nascar fan actually... nascar is pretty fun to gamble on...

What were you put in prison for?

drugs and a gun... 7 years...

Thanks for doing this. How was racial tension in prison? How was it to sleep in a regular bed your first night out of prison? Did you have any sleeping issues once released?

great questions...! so the racial tenison was always high... a lot of whites hate blacks... a lot of blacks hate whites... the spanish hated us all... hell even the guards were racist as shit... matter of fact, i wrote a story on my site called a very racist friday which is a tale of racism while in prison... check it out here... http://afterprisonshow.com/2014/06/10/a-very-racist-friday/ ... as for sleeping in a regular bed for the first time... i couldn't... i literally slept on the floor for the first night... was just used to hard uncomfortable sleeping arrangements for years... and now because of that ive got tons of back issues...

Without naming names, who was considered the "top dog" of prisoners in your pen? What exactly made him so respected and/or feared?

so top dog huh...? well you had some pretty high ranking gang leaders at the prison... high level bloods, crips, and white supremacists... so if there were any top dogs... those guys were definitely it... oh and respected and feared... well, if you were green lighted by one of these guys... that was it for you... it was a gang attack surely coming your way...

Hello, and thanks for taking the time to do this AMA. I've always had an interest in this subject of prison and rehabilitation, and how it effects people. My question is, what were you most surprised about with how society or American culture has changed after getting out? Fashion, music, technology, etc.

• God Bless

what an awesome question..! what was most surprizing was all the smart technology... that took me... well it's still taking me actually a long time to adjust too... I've been free for 2 months now... I was just released on oct 13th to be more specific and it was like coming out to back to the future... locations I was familiar with were completely changed... that was surprizing too.

How does it feel, to be imprisoned? Do people treat you differently, now that you are an ex-convict?

being imprisoned feels like you just landed on the moon.... you are completely cut off from the world... and now that I'm out, people look at me crazy for sure... my criminal record keeps me from ever really being viewed as a normal person...

Were you any kind of professional artist before going to prison? Did you learn the style of comics you drew while you were in prison? I ask because I am a cartoonist and I assumed by the style that you were in your 50's and were surprised that you were only 33.

before prison i was not a professional artist... but while incarcerated art was probably the biggest thing to me and certainly the most important... wow... i draw like im 50... thank you for that..lol

What were you in for and are there any particular crimes which even prisoners look down upon?

i was inarcercated for non violent drug offenses... and charges that are looked down upon are most certainly sexually based charges...

What was incarceration like for you? Did you have a TV in your cell?

incarceration sucked... i hated it... i lost almost a decade of my life... but i did have a tv... it was actually my only life line to the real world... hey do you want to know how i kept up with all the technology i missed out on...?

How?

you ready for this...? Q.V.C..... they have these electronic segments and i would literally watch those and take notes..!

That's one way to do it. I bet the food they served was nasty, right?

yeah the food definitely sucked... plus the portions were shit... if you didn't have money somehow to go to the canteen well it was damn near starvation...

I saw your stuff on /r/comics the other day and peeked through your profile at some of your other stuff. Found your portraits of Earnhardt Sr. and Kenseth. So I'm gonna ask you something different!

Are you a NASCAR fan or did you do those as a request for someone else? If you are, who is your favorite driver?

How much do you typically sell your art for (or do you, I guess?)?

those aren't my murals... I only helped and learned on those... thats why they were included... I do like nascar because nascar is very entertaining to gamble on... driver..? you'll probably hate me... I'm a Johnson fan...

You planning on reoffending?

If not planned is it likely?

i definitely am NOT planning on reoffending but the problem is it's just so easy to do so... I mean it's actually a very scarey thing to think that at any moment this precious thing known as freedom could be taken right back away from me... but then again maybe I'm just a little paranoid after 7 years of prison life... as far as is it likely that I'll reoffend... well according to the numbers... I've got about a 65% chance of reoffending within the first 3 years..!

Thanks for the reply friend. Best of luck staying out.

no problem thank you as well. best wishes this holiday season