Moving to a New Prison
Most of us would see an ordinary travel mug.
It has a lid that snaps shut, and Damian has carried it from his cell to his job inside Limon Correctional Facility every morning for years. Filled with prison coffee.
It’s been a way of making life seem normal.
“I call it ‘my to-go cup,’” he explained.
His dream is that one day he’ll be able to visit a Starbucks coffee shop, buy himself coffee and maybe stay to hang out.
“That would be something you take for granted that I’m trying to proactively pursue,” Damian said.
And it’s within the realm of possibility he might have that chance.
A new program in Colorado called Go-Map is aimed at moving prisoners serving life sentences into society. The catch is, they’ll likely keep their sentences by becoming a resident of a halfway house or wearing an ankle monitor for the rest of their lives, or both. The trick is ensuring they can become productive members of society.
Damian is hopeful.
He was a foundational member of the group of Limon prisoners who started a CrossFit program so successful in building community that the Colorado Department of Corrections wants to duplicate it at other prisons.
And that’s why Damian is scheduled to leave.
He’s expected to move more than 100 miles northeast to Sterling Correctional Facility to help start a CrossFit program there. He’d be in low custody after having been in medium for most of his 15 years at Limon.
“The cells are twice as big. It’s just different,” Damian said. “Over there, you can take a shower as long as you want. Like, it’s a real shower. You can pick whatever temperature you want.”
About the Author
Andréa Maria Cecil is a career editor and writer whose experience includes six years as Assistant Managing Editor and Head Writer at CrossFit Inc. headquarters. She spent the first 12 years of her professional life as a journalist — starting with The Associated Press in Detroit and Baltimore — before transitioning to content marketing with an emphasis on authentic storytelling. She is the editor of “Speal: A David and Goliath Story” by Chris Spealler that sold 10,000 copies worldwide.
