The Art of Doing Time

By L.P. Henson

Prisons and Jails are not an easy place to be in. For most first-timers, they do not know what to expect or how to deal with situations as they arise. Even for those already incarcerated a lot of things are and will be new to them because prisons and jails are a world of its own which brings out its own strange events. This book will take an individual step by step, from the day a handcuff is placed on an individual, or an arrest warrant is issued for a person, to the day the person gets out of prison or jail; this book will tell an individual what to expect and what is going to happen.

One will learn how to deal with a lot of problems one will encounter in the new world, including how to use the time given wisely, things to avoid, above all how to survive in the belly of the beast. For the love ones having someone incarcerated or waiting to go to prison or jail, this book will guide them on what their loved one is facing, or will soon face behind bars. You will see the things they will go through or goes through that at times they will not even mention it to you for you not to worry. You will start to understand that new world they are in or going to enter, you will start to understand why some come out worse than they have gone in, and why the most powerful country in the world have the highest recidivism of 67% in the world. This is a blueprint on how to survive and stay out of the Penal System.

• Language: English
• Publisher: L.P. Henson
• Release date: May 26, 2018
• ISBN: 9781005013912

L.P. Henson

L.P. Henson is a native of Ghana, West Africa who was raised and educated by the streets of the United States earning him the name, The Street Philosopher for his street philosophy. As a street philosopher, he adds a touch of real-life experiences or encounters to create a great story. He has no degree or awards. He is a high school dropout who obtained his G.E.D in one of the worst prisons in the state of Maryland. ( the prison is Maryland House of Corrections, a.k.a. “The Cut” was closed in 2006 due to many factors but mainly it was old, build in the 1800’s, and for the violence associated with this prison, even correctional offers started to get killed.) As mentioned, L.P. Henson has no degree so there is no criminology or penology degree to be found in his home or office, but what makes him an expert on these two topics, criminology, and penology is because he has lived it and tested what he has learned. As a youth, he grew up on the streets and made a lot of bad choices from selling drugs to white collar crimes and he paid for some of the choices he made by spending almost 20 years dealing with state and federal judiciary and penal systems.When he was jailed or prisoned he spent most of his time studying and learning the very system that incarcerated him. He studied the law, learned the judiciary and penal system and became the most sort out jail-house-lawyer in every institution he was housed. He helped a few inmates go back to court and eventually getting their sentence either reduced or completely vacated. He also filed his own motions and ended up serving only four years on a fifteen-year sentence for drugs and handgun possession. After his release and became a law-abiding citizen and an author he still helped other inmates will their legal work. He has started a non-profit organization to help the wrongly convicted.“There is no substitute for real-life experience.”

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The Art Of Doing Time: Vol.1

A Layman’s Guide To The Judiciary And Penal System

Copyright October 2022 by L.P. Henson.

Published by L.P. Henson at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold

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work of this author.

Table of Contents

How to read this book

Introduction

Part One

Facing Your Fears

Preparing To Start Doing Your Time

Realization of Where You Are Heading

Bond Out or Don’t Bond Out

Court Proceedings & Choosing the Right Attorney

Part Two

First Day of Incarceration (Jail)

The Next Journey (Transportation to Prison)

First Day of Incarceration (Prison)

Part Three

Going To Your Cell

What To Do When You Get In The Cell

How To Conduct Self Throughout Population

Commissary

Part Four

Getting A Job In Jail

Getting A Job In Prison

Schooling

Vocational Training (Trade)

Drug Program

Working On Your Case

Rehabilitation

Working Out

Diet

Cooking Recipes (Easy To Make Meals With What You Have)

Benefits Of Finding A Religion

Going Back To Your Religion

You Don’t Need A Religion To Make It

Other Books

About Author

Contact Me

How To Read This Book:

Well, there is no right or wrong way to read this book. Glimpse at the table of contact and choose a topic about which one will like to learn and read about it. If one is going through a specific situation and will like to learn about it choose that topic and read about it first before exploring other topics.

This book was written as a process one will go through as one travels through the judiciary and penal system. The only suggestion the writer will suggest is to read the book from the beginning to the end to fully understand the process one will go through. This does not mean that one cannot still pick a specific topic, then go back and read and continue reading the book from the beginning to the end. Not everyone will go through the process the same or in order since all states and counties have their laws. The same goes true with every jail and prison, but be assured this book will provide you with every situation or process one will go through.

"The way out is not to fight the system but to respond to those who are temporarily in control with charm and the earnest mask."

Introduction

Without jails and prisons, there will not be a lot of jobs. Professions like Judges, Law Enforcement, Commissioners, Bail Bonds, Correctional Officers, Parole and Probation Officers, Case Managers, Wardens, and much more will be out of a career, so it is safe to say that some people live in someone else’s misery. With over three million and counting men, women, and youths incarcerated, including 117 Federal prison housing 217,000 or more Federal inmates, but not including the thousands on parole and probation, inmates in halfway houses, court-ordered drug programs, and home detention, totaling over 7 million people either incarcerated or are on some type of paper such as probation, making the judiciary and penal system a fast-growing and profitable business.

The average cost of incarceration in the United States is determined by different methods. It costs anywhere between $34,000 and $47,000 per year to house inmates in federal and state correctional facilities. The cost of incarceration increases according to the level of security, the prison itself, and the state and county the prison is located. New York City pays over $160,000 to feed, house, and guard each inmate while New York State pays about $70.000. The most expensive prison in America is located in Cuba; Housing an inmate in Guantanamo Bay costs $900,000 per year. Funds assigned to corrections departments across the U.S. take up a substantial part of state budgets.

The budget office indicates that 83 percent of the expense per prisoner comes from wages, benefits for staff, and pension costs. This book will teach an individual what to do before going to jail or prison and once there or already in there this book will teach an individual how to survive in there as one rehabilitates oneself because the system has no desire to see someone rehabilitated. One will learn how to conduct oneself in jail or prison. By reading this informational book one will also learn how to prepare for release and get ready for society and will be given the tools not to re-offend as part of the 67% recidivism that continue to go back and forth to jail or prison. One will also discover what family and friends go through in society due to their loved ones being incarcerated.

"To Know The Road Ahead Ask Those Who Are Returning."

Inmate Testimonial: Lou: Serving two life sentences. Convicted of killing his wife and her lover. Everyone in here has a story and my story is one. I was in the army and came home sooner than planned. I tried to surprise my wife, but she ended up surprising me. I silently entered the house, and knowing that my wife might still be asleep, I tip-towed up the stairs and down the hallway. Couldn’t wait to see the expression on my wife’s face for coming home sooner than planned, I opened the bedroom door only to see my wife laying there with another man, I lost it and killed them. I went from the fields of Afghanistan to now serving the rest of my life in the belly of the beast.

Carlos: Serving 15 years has already served 11 years and is soon to get released. Convicted of drug and gun charges. Man, I had everything on the streets, women, cars, big houses, jewelry, and clothes that I might wear only once. I also had respect all because of the money I made selling cocaine. It took one jealous mutha fucker to set me up leading them to catch me with a brick (1 kilogram of cocaine), and a Glock .45. On my first charge ever I was given a mandatory ten-year sentence for the drugs and five years for the gun and ran my case wild meaning I must first serve the ten years, then begin my five-year sentence. Since then I have lost everything including my woman.

Mark: In a county jail facing a Theft less than $500 charge and is given a $2,500 bail. This County jail is worst than prison from what I heard and I now see why. I have not even been to court and this jail shit is killing me. I am here for theft of less than five hundred, but I am being punished like I have killed someone. I guess that’s why they call this jail shit the belly of the beast.

Richard(Rich): Serving a 20-year sentence, with 10 years in for armed robbery, just made parole. When I first got here you couldn't tell me anything. I never joined the gang or any religious services or religion and also did not do anything else. At first, I was mad at the world for the mistakes I have made. I eventually got myself together, I even took some courses the prison has to offer and all of this ended up paying off. After the years I made parole on a twenty-year sentence.

Part One

FACING YOUR FEARS: Jails and prisons are designed for the worst of humanity, the rejects, the meanest, the ugliest, and the evilest. With that in mind, that should give the one who is heading to jail and prison to prepare because that person might not be any of that, but society is quick to punish. Facing your fears means that you are ready to face what is ahead of you and you are ready to accept and face the challenges ahead. You will face the reality that you don’t want to be where you are, and there is nothing you can do.

You will miss your family and loved ones. You will have to face yourself. If you know you are guilty of the crime that has brought you this journey, own it to yourself. Be honest with yourself, if you broke the law understand that you must now pay for your mistakes, and that does not make you a bad person. A state of Denial only hardens you because it will cloud your judgment of working harder to self-rehabilitate and work towards an early release.

This book is not asking you to confess to anyone just to yourself. If you are wrongly charged and or convicted, you must understand you are there for a reason good or bad and the world is not fair you may get out without even knowing why you were ever dealt with that hand, but work must be done and this book will guide you through the process.

This book will inform you of any fears that may arise, and fear is not a bad thing it keeps one focused. One must prepare for the nastiest food probably have tasted. One must prepare for the longest night of your life because one cannot sleep no matter how hard one tries. Jails and prisons can be life-changing events, either for the good or for the bad. The good news to help you combat some of these views is. Jails and prisons are not as violent as they used to be. Once someone enters jail or prison they are now officially the property of that County, State, or Federal meaning the United States government. With that said these agencies will do their best to protect their property meaning, meaning that will do their best to keep you from being harmed, but don’t depend on that, there are no heroes in the correctional facility and that is why they called it the belly of the beast.

Punishment was having to admit to my family that I was not only a convict but a liar too. It was knowing that I disappointed my community and humiliated everyone who believed in me. Punishment was realizing that I was a failure and that, as a convicted, I’d be branded the rest of my days. Punishment was being judged and controlled by people who thought they were better than me. Worse yet it was knowing that they were right.---Michael G. Santos

Lou: After I committed my crime I called the police and sat there and waited for them to arrive. Some said that I was stupid for doing so but I did not set out to kill anyone, rage took over me leaving me to make the worst mistake of my life plus where was I to go? I took the little man I had before the police came to prepare myself for what I was about to face.

Carlos: The sad thing about going in and out of jails and prisons is you become used to it, which is not a good thing. How can a normal human being not be affected by the fact that you are about to be taken away from society and your family? The day I stop fearing going to jails and prisons was the day I realized that I am what you call a criminal.

Mark: When they first placed the handcuffs on me I almost fainted. Then when they put me in the back of the police vehicle I almost shitted on myself. And when I first walked into the jail I immediately fell into a state of depression.

Rich: The fear of losing my freedom the day I got arrested was a hard pill to swallow and when I couldn’t post the bond I knew that I have to adapt real quick because I know that I am not getting out anytime soon.

Preparing To Start Doing Your Time

It will be wonderful t know when you are about to start your sentence. This will allow you the opportunity to prepare. For those who are not awarded this privilege, they should have some comfort knowing that the time spent awaiting sentence (if you couldn’t make bail and have to stay in as you go through the legal process) is not in vain since that time will be subtracted from their sentence. For those who are out on bond awaiting their sentence, there are a few things one should think of before sentencing. Money:

Money should be the first thing one should put on the side. This money does not have to be a great amount, a few hundred can be enough and of course, the more saved will make staying a little better. This money should be saved up specifically for this journey, just like saving up for a trip. Most people make the mistake of not putting such money aside with the hope that their family and friends will always send them money, which may be true, but there are some factors to consider when thinking that your family and friends got you.

What if your family does not have it like that, you know if your family got it like that or not. If they do not saving your own money before you start your sentence will lessen the burden of them coming up with any money to take care of you in jail or prison right away. This will give them time to adjust to where you are, and how to deal without you out in society to help and allow them to rearrange their finance to start helping you in the near future. Even if your family and friends have this money and you know you can depend on them throughout your entire incarceration you should still have money on the side because life goes on with you incarcerated to things will change, people you know will lose their job, divorce, illness, and so forth. So you do not know where their finances will be