reg's jail journals ... Sleepy Hollow Correctional Centre
Day 27 (November 22)
Today I’m preparing for my appearance in court. I’ve written some draft copies of a speech to the judge. Tomorrow I will sort through them and combine the best passages. Words are powerful things. They can be combined in so many different ways to elicit whatever feeling you desire in audience: anger, pity, understanding, humor, etc. I will arrange my words so as to make the judge see things my way hopefully.
I just had a conversation with one of the guys on how to get fake identification. Interestingly, this information would have been useful to me earlier in my life when I was a criminal. Now I’m just a good guy, mildly criminal. No outlaw me.
Everybody here seems to think I will be set loose on Wednesday and I hope their feelings are correct. Me would likee that. It would be such a waste of my life to spend a year in here. I do have something to offer society. I am rehabilitated ok.
I called home tonight and spoke to my father. He didn’t have a whole lot of negative things to say which was new for a change. But he was talking to Pat, who told him that Dr. Jones, apparently, is not going to get involved. That’s disappointing. I guess I’m on my own. These are my circumstances and I must accept them, even if it means I have to spend a year in this dump. But I really hope that doesn’t happen.
So anyway now I go to bed and tomorrow I wake up to what should be my last day here. Assuming all goes well. Hmmm.
Draft letter and passages to the court:
Attention is focused on mistakes I made rather than progress I’ve made. Yes, I did use drugs on 2 occasions in the past 10 months but there are also 300 other days when I didn’t use drugs. It’s those 300 days that I will draw inspiration from to continue a sober lifestyle. This is the longest period of sobriety I’ve had in the past 20 years and I am determined to continue on this path.
I don’t expect to be excused for my action but I hope I can be judged for what I’ve done right as well as, of course, for what I’ve done wrong. I am aware that my behavior has had consequences not only for myself but also for those around me, especially my family.
… I’ve been using drugs for 20 years and I never expected to be cured in …
… I now realize that what I did was wrong and I see that it could (easily) have been prevented.
Learn a new way of living
I’ve made (I have) many friends through treatment and I have a good relationship with addiction services. This is what will help me to remain sober.
I have had some difficulties in treatment. I feel that this is due to the fact that I’ve been ordered to seek treatment and so my motivation is always in question, unfortunately. But I firmly believe that my intentions are good.
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