Prison journalism: Time never defined
23/05/2023
by Jeffrey Shockley
23-05-2023 12:20
in Prison Journalism
Jeffrey Shockley is a writer serving a life sentence in the State Correctional Institution-Fayette in Pennsylvania.
Image: Pixabay
Isn't it funny how time is never quite defined by the present, past or future? When you move past the present constraints of time, the future is just out of reach for each of the possibilities wanted, leaving life haunted by a yesterday that often hides inside the mind from all of the time wasted by poor choices and bad decisions.
--
THE 5 QUESTIONS A life spent seeking revisions on each moment spent chasing, ducking and dodging that man of God we were meant to be, but dare not to see for fear that it may be too late to see the growth in me, the maturity cast back in some mirror of time that is never quite defined that only He can see, that I want to be free.
Who am I as I try to reach that peak of perfection that is mere perception without a reflection on the God that is able to be within me? Why try to be what others perceive, that society never believes me to be when only God knows the pains I to have gone through, doing all I can do to be more than what I'm used to?
ALSO READ: Prison Journalism: The power of hope: crimes don't change, but people do
--
What.. can I do that others may see in me that color of light that is so bright not to reflect the mistake of yesterday but the Christ in me today? As I have tried not to be beside that man of yesterday in any way because he got me here. Can you see the pain not from my own life but the life lost at some senseless cost no one should ever be made to pay? Now dare it be asked to love me in spite of that memory haunting the reality, reliving the tragedy put upon by that lost soul a whole lifetime ago that even I no longer know?
When.. do you become better than what you once were if you're still afraid of making some mistake that got you here because there remains such a rage coupled with an emptiness that gnaws so deep it can't be reached? When the only release is to fantasize about some times that never were and yet wanted all the more and more as that is what you tell yourself in a wealth of mixed lies you try to hide behind when so much has been done no amount of time can make it better without Christ beside that guy you now want to be in a time that is never quite defined.
ALSO READ: Prison Journalism: Dear Momma': A letter with all the things I should have said
--
Where.. does the mind go when the future is all you have and that lasts but for a moment as you realize this future is no more than some dream? Or today it only seems like life as you try to love right within your own mind tormented by the lasting of time now only defined by the probability of death for the second time. What is life
but for a sentence of time combined with the pains sustained from a life of yesterday that always leads to a today when you awake just one more time no longer wanting to get away from it all for today it is on Christ you call. For it is only in Him can we get through it at all.
ALSO READ: Prison journalism: How to endure the winters of a life sentence
How can I call myself a man of any kind when in this time the only thing there is, is the existence in a 10 X 12 cell that at times is no worse than hell as each day is lived just over and over again in the same place with the same faces staring back. Where it is now by no surprise to realize just how precious and valuable life truly is when you miss the kids that were not quite your own but in the same home we all did live in spite of the addict this dad was. As they gave you love just because and today you cry as you try to remember what it was like to hold them in your arms as that protector when you were there in a time never quite defined.
The article was facilitated by Erin Parish from the Human Kindness Foundation (HKF).
The Human Kindness Foundation's mission is to encourage more kindness in the world beginning with people in our prisons and jails.
HKF has published several books including: We're All Doing Time, Lineage and Other Stories, Deep and Simple, and Just Another Spiritual Book and provide these books for free to people currently serving time in prisons or jails.
Do you have contact with a prison inmate who would like to write for The South African website?
If so, send an email to info@thesouthafrican.com or a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211
You can also follow @TheSAnews on Twitter and The South African on Facebook to get the latest prisoner journalism articles.
How much of a rugby fanatic are you? Answer these 5 simple rugby questions and stand the chance of winning R1 000 in cash!
LINK: | https://www.thesouthafrican.com/culture/prison-journalism/prison-journ... |
See more stories from thesouthafrican |
Most recent headlines
09/12/2024
Dalet Named an IDC Innovator in Media and Entertainment
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced that it has been named an IDC Innovator in the IDC Innovators: ...
09/11/2024
Dalet Expands Leadership Team to Fuel Next Stage of Growth
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced three new members of its executive team. Tara Bryant joins as Chi...
30/10/2024
Drone detection just got a whole lot smarter with ARDRONIS Detect from Rohde & Schwarz
Drone detection just got a whole lot smarter with ARDRONIS Detect from Rohde & S...
26/10/2024
Kelsea Ballerini and Spotify Host Intimate Listening Party To Celebrate Her New Album, PATTERNS'
I love New York City, but I can't stay at the Carlyle anymore, sings Kelsea...
26/10/2024
USA Cheer Adopts NBC Sports Next's SportsEngine Motion
MINNEAPOLIS NBC Sports Next has announced a multiyear technology agreement with USA Cheer, the governing body for sport cheering in the U.S. The organization an...
26/10/2024
Canada's MSCTV Chooses Witbe Virtual NOC for Monitoring
NEW YORK Witbe has announced that Mitchell Seaforth Cable TV (MSCTV), a Dublin, Ontario, Canada-based provider of solutions to telecommunications companies, is ...
26/10/2024
IAB Tech Lab Launches Ad Format Idol' Initiative
NEW YORK The IAB Tech Lab has launched Ad Format Idol, an initiative to standardize emerging connected TV ad formats....
26/10/2024
T-Mobile Pledges Up to $1 Million for Ongoing Hurricane Recovery Efforts
BELLEVUE, Wash. T Mobile has announced a Rally for Relief effort to help those impacted by recent hurricanes. As part of the campaign, the cellphone carrier sai...
26/10/2024
Comercio TV Taps Broadpeak for OTT Video Delivery and Monetization
CESSON-SEVIGNE, France Broadpeak said Comercio TV, the Spanish-language OTT financial-news channel, has adopted its's software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform ...
26/10/2024
Africana Studies at Berklee to Induct Kid 'n Play into Berklee's Hip-Hop Hall of Fame
Africana Studies at Berklee to Induct Kid 'n Play into Berklee's Hip-Hop...
25/10/2024
What to Watch: These 7 DFP-Supported Films From 2024 Will Inspire You to Organize for Change
It's easy to become overwhelmed when thinking about the current state of the...
25/10/2024
Fall in Love With Your Monster
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 18: (L-R) Tommy Dewey, Melissa Barrera, Kayla Foster, Meghann Fahy, and Edmund Donovan attend the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Your Mo...
25/10/2024
How Matthew Belloni Preps for a Live Recording of His Hit Ringer Podcast, The Town'
Curious about what's going on behind the scenes in Hollywood? Odds are Matth...
25/10/2024
SBS celebrates the Festivals of Lights with distinctive content to entertain all Australians
SBS celebrates the Festivals of Lights with distinctive content to entertain all...
25/10/2024
L3Harris Technologies Reports Strong Third Quarter 2024 Results, Increases 2024 Guidance
Highlights* Orders of $7.2 billion; book-to-bill of 1.4x Revenue of $5.3 billi...
25/10/2024
L3Harris, Palantir CEOs Discuss Strategic Partnership on CNBC's "Closing Bell: Overtime"
On Oct. 24, Chris Kubasik and Alex Karp sat down with CNBC's Morgan Brennan ...
25/10/2024
Meta Quest to Offer 52 NBA Games in VR for 2024-2025 Season
Meta Quest, a division of Facebook owner Meta, has announced it will continue its virtual reality broadcasts of regular-season NBA games for the fourth consecut...
25/10/2024
Disney Expected to Announce Major AI Initiative'
Disney one of the world's largest owners of intellectual property is getting ready to unveil a major AI initiative that will focus primarily on post-produ...
25/10/2024
Broadcast Solutions establishes CTO Office to drive innov...
Broadcast Solutions, one of Europe's largest media systems integration groups, has extended its technical leadership with two key appointments. Pierre Mestr...
25/10/2024
Unified Streaming fortifies customer ties with two new hi...
Unified Streaming, a leading streaming software company, has hired Valentijn Siebrands, an industry veteran, as its new streaming solutions manager. The company...
25/10/2024
Imagine Communications John Mailhot Receives 2024 David S...
Imagine Communications' John Mailhot was awarded the prestigious 2024 David Sarnoff Medal during SMPTE's annual Awards Gala, held on October 24 at the R...
25/10/2024
Independent Midwest Broadcaster selects Rohde & Schwarz TE1 liquid-cooled transmitter to expand audience reach
Independent Midwest Broadcaster selects Rohde & Schwarz TE1 liquid-cooled transm...
25/10/2024
Mexico's First Virtual Production Game Show Produced with Blackmagic Design
Mexico's First Virtual Production Game Show Produced with Blackmagic Design Brie Clayton October 25, 2024 0 Comments Club Cin polis Desaf o India...
25/10/2024
Using invisible effects to hide a stage light in Adobe After Effects
Using invisible effects to hide a stage light in Adobe After Effects Graham Quince October 25, 2024 0 Comments Lasers, dinosaurs and space VFX are coo...
25/10/2024
Improve your Color Grading using these simple steps in DaVinci Resolve 19
Improve your Color Grading using these simple steps in DaVinci Resolve 19 Kasia Jarco October 25, 2024 0 Comments Do you truly understand how to color...
25/10/2024
Brighter Eyes
Jenny Priestley talks to the BFI's Douglas Weir who oversaw the restoration of a much-loved animated classic, which returns to UK and Ireland cinemas today ...
25/10/2024
Comercio TV Chooses Broadpeak to Optimize OTT Video Deliv...
Broadpeak , a leading provider of content delivery network (CDN) and video streaming solutions for content providers and pay-TV operators worldwide, announced t...
25/10/2024
Amagi Partners With Allrites to Expand the Global Distrib...
Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), has announced a strategic partnership with Allrites, a premium con...
25/10/2024
Studio Technologies Enhances ST 2110 Integration with Mer...
Studio Technologies, Inc., a pioneer in high-performance audio, video, and fibre-optic solutions, has long been at the forefront of the professional broadcast a...
25/10/2024
QuickLink Improves Remote Production for Saturday Night T...
QuickLink, empowering creatives to exceed modern-day standards of production, has been instrumental in easing the remote production challenges of ITV Studios...
25/10/2024
stYpe AI Glue and StypeCentral Advance the Art of TV Tale...
stYpe, a globally active innovator of virtual studio production resources, reports strong interest in the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast-qualit...
25/10/2024
Top Argentine Music Facility Casa Frida Estudio Chooses P...
Casa Frida Estudio, one of the most prestigious music facilities in Argentina, has upgraded its main control room to Dolby Atmos specifications and installed a ...
25/10/2024
Frequency expands Managed Channel Services to Europe at M...
Frequency, the engine behind many of the world's best-known streaming television channels, announces the European expansion of its Managed Channel Services ...
25/10/2024
InnovateUK and EU Approve Funding for Immersive Technolog...
Disguise, an HPA-Award-winning immersive experience company, has received £1.2 Million in funding from Innovate UK and the EU as part of a larger investment int...
25/10/2024
MASORANGE AND AGILE CONTENT RENEW THEIR COLLABORATION AGR...
Through this agreement, MASORANGE will incorporate new AGILE CONTENT technologies into its television service, enhancing customer experience with optimum servic...
25/10/2024
Swiss Indoors Basel 2024 delivered with Appear X Platform
Appear, a global leader in live production technology, is proud to announce its role as an official provider of cutting-edge broadcast transmission solutions fo...
25/10/2024
MSCTV Chooses Witbes Virtual NOC for Proactive Live TV Mo...
Witbe (Euronext Growth FR0013143872 ALWIT), a global leader in test automation and monitoring technology for video service providers, today announced that M...
25/10/2024
Unified Streaming fortifies customer ties with two hires
Unified Streaming, a leading streaming software company, has hired Valentijn Siebrands, an industry veteran, as its new streaming solutions manager. The company...
25/10/2024
Independent Midwest Broadcaster selects Rohde and Schwarz...
Competitive search leads Toledo's WLMB-TV 40 to TE1 based on energy efficiency and durability As part of its effort to reach a wider audience, the Toledo-b...
25/10/2024
IBC Accelerator Programme 2025 - Call For Industry Challe...
IBC announces the Call for Challenges for the 2025 Accelerator Media Innovation Programme, inviting proposals for transformative, fast-track innovation projects...
25/10/2024
TVN Deploys Lawo AoIP Technology in New OB Truck
HANNOVER, Germany TVN Live Production is using a variety of solutions and technologies from Lawo in its new TVN- 8UHD OB truck, which it unveiled at this year...
25/10/2024
LG Ad Solutions Joins Innovid's Harmony Initiative
NEW YORK Innovid, a software platform for the creation, delivery, measurement and optimization of connected TV (CTV), linear and digital advertising, said LG Ad...
25/10/2024
Hightouch Launches New CTV Advertising Offering
SAN FRANCISCO Consumer data platform provider Hightouch has announced a new solution it said will streamline and accelerate connected TV (CTV) advertising....
25/10/2024
Max Adds DAZN's Sports Offering in Spain
MADRID Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming service Max has reached a new agreement with DAZN that will give Max customers in Spain access to the premium spor...
25/10/2024
Beloved Genre-Benders Karate Make a Fitting Comeback
Beloved Genre-Benders Karate Make a Fitting Comeback Its one of the decades feel-good music stories: How the legendary alumni acts rediscovery led to rereleas...
25/10/2024
Berklee Presents Holiday Extravaganza: Duke Ellingtons Nutcracker Suite and Christmas Vibes Featuring Warren Wolf
Berklee Presents Holiday Extravaganza: Duke Ellingtons Nutcracker Suite and Chri...
25/10/2024
Canadian engineer Elias Ghannoum wins 2024 Lord Kelvin Award
The IEC has awarded its annual Lord Kelvin Award to the Canadian engineer, Elias Ghannoum. The award recognizes exceptional and long-term contributions to globa...
25/10/2024
Dolby and Jin from BTS Celebrate His New Single I'll Be There in Dolby Atmos
25 October 2024, 16:00 (PDT) Dolby and Jin from BTS Celebrate His New Single I'll Be There in Dolby Atmos Love Jin More In Dolby | #LoveMoreInDolby F...
25/10/2024
JazzCash and Dgpays Join Forces to Enhance Marketplace Payments in Pakistan
25 Oct 2024 JazzCash and Dgpays Join Forces to Enhance Marketplace Payments in Pakistan Amsterdam and Dubai, 25 October 2024: VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON, Euronext...
25/10/2024
Monthly Rewind: Groundbreaking Colour Innovation, Unreal Engine, The Academy Museum, and more.
October has been a wicked month across Technicolor Group! So much so, we introdu...