Reply ID: hiw2
November 30, 216

Dear Lilienna,

Thanks for taking time out, not just to read my blog, but to also to offer your warm words of encouragement. Trust me when I tell you it's appreciated far more than words can ever express! Being in prison is a lonely, miserable experience, and words of encouragement are usually few and far between, and even then, they're usually offered by an inmate who has some sort of hidden motive. So thanks again.

Believe it or not, my biggest problem wasn't with my complete lack of civil litigation experience, but with the limitations imposed upon me by the prison system and their need to protect the "safety and security of the facility." You'd be amazed at how they can twist and manipulate this simple court approved phrase into ways that deprive you of even the most basic of human rights. Yet just when you think you've seen it all, they come up with yet another way of playing the system.

Either way, I ended up prevailing, even if I only settled for a fraction of what my case was worth. But given my previously mentioned limitations, I settled out of court because I felt as if I didn't really have much of a choice. Still, I did better than I thought I'd do, given those limitations. So I'm relatively pleased with myself and my determination.

You made an interesting comment in your response, one which I've said something similar to time and time again. This country has its flaws, but it's the country I love, the country I call "home." Sadly, our prison system is one of those flaws. While representing only 5% of the world's population, our prison system represents a staggering 25& of the world's prison population. There's something massively wrong with that! And worse yet, Germany of all places is decades ahead of our prison system. Just check out the special they did on 60 Minutes, and you'll see what I mean for yourself. Now tell me: how in the world did that happen!? Germany, a country which only a few short decades ago was not only trying to conquer the world but convinced that genocide was the only way to deal with the Jewish population.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to bag on Germany, just trying to point out how a country that was despised for having spawned so much hatred could end up creating a far superior prison system than anything America has envisioned.

Thanks again for the warm words of encouragement. Should you want to respond again, please feel free to do so, either by leaving a comment here or sending me a letter to the address listed below. I could always use a new friend.

Shawn L. Perrot CDCR# V-42461
MCSP Cell# C-13-229L
P.O. Box 409060
Ione, CA 95640