‘You Just Explained Prison’
Around the globe, government-mandated orders are keeping people at home. Human beings are isolated from their family and friends, limited in their ability to venture out into the world or to make decisions about how they lead their daily lives.
For many, it’s been emotionally taxing. Reputable sources predicting the increase of substance abuse and suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic are growing louder.
It’s during this time Damian received a letter from a friend who detailed her recent trip to the grocery store.
“You just explained prison,” he jokingly told her. “We wait in line everywhere we go. When I get my food, the dude’s behind glass. And I’m hyper aware of everything that goes on around me.”
To be clear: Damian wasn’t complaining. He’s well aware his life sentence is commensurate with the heinous crime of fatally stabbing his wife and toddler with a kitchen knife.
Now at Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility — 155 miles southeast of Denver, Colorado — Damian shrugs off the prison’s new requirements for inmates to wear masks and visit common areas at specified times.
“I’ve been here 15 years, so I get it. I understand what they’re doing. They have to keep it safe,” he said. “So many people’s families are probably calling up here every 15 minutes, (asking), ‘Is my son safe?’”
Plus, he’s experienced “some pretty serious, shitty lockdowns.”
Damian recalled one in particular. It was 2007. A female staff member at Limon Correctional Facility — where he’s served most of his sentence — got attacked. The prison only permitted inmates to take a shower every three days. Guards brought prisoners meals with shotguns in hand.
So, wearing a mask whenever he leaves his pod and only entering common areas at prescribed times these days doesn’t concern him.
“Nah, I’m good,” Damian said. “My needs are met, I got a place to sleep. Like I said: They’re gonna feed me and wash my clothes — even if they don’t want to.”
Plus, he has “plenty” of things to do: exercising, coaching, mentoring and reading being among them.
“I’ve trained myself to where I can literally stare at the wall for hours with my thoughts.”
He added: “Once you get over that initial ‘holy crap,’ you’ll be fine.”
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.
