Shhhh...It's Quiet Time!

Given the incessant fast-paced lifestyle of today's American citizen, it dawned on me that prisoners have a distinct advantage over their free counterparts. While most Americans are hurrying from one activity or commitment to another, chasing the American dream, America's prisoners are sitting with excessive time on their hands. This down time has the potential to make a significant difference in a prisoner's life, if he let's it. 

Do you remember back in preschool or kindergarten when you were forced to take naps as a part of your school schedule? Maybe they weren't called naps, and maybe in today's fast-paced culture they don't even do this anymore. But I remember as a kid hating having to take naps. I wanted to go, go, go. I wanted to stay active doing something. And then, as an adult, I remember wishing to just close my eyes for a quick catnap in the middle of the day, but I didn't have the time for it.

In prison we have several count times throughout the day. I am awake for three of them, although I know there are several more throughout the night. These count times are designed to provide the corrections officers an opportunity to count everyone and make sure they are still accounted for. This prevents someone from coming up missing and it not being discovered for a long time. These count times are annoying because it means stopping what you are doing and going to your cell for 45 minutes or so until count time is over. It is a forced "quiet time."

For many prisoners, this a time to flip through useless daytime television, and for others it is an opportunity to read or take a short nap. Still others use this time to study, or to write letters. Surprisingly, in most prisons count time is usually quiet. Prisoners settle down and, for the most part, use the down time quietly. I have even used count times for meditation time in the past. 

Many prisoners have no experience with self-reflection or contemplation. We are certainly not taught how to do this in prison, but we are afforded ample opportunity to develop these practices on our own. For those who develop these important skills, prison becomes an opportunity to reflect on one's past mistakes and grow into a more responsible and mature adult. I might hate having to be on someone else's schedule right now, but when I am eventually released, I know I will miss the forced down time. It has become a valuable part of my day.