Lawrence Phillips Dead

[Prime Time]

I'm glad you made out ok.

I second that emotion.

The most time I ever did was in Santa Cruz County jail. You could look out the windows and see the women heading for the beach. Everyone would scream profanities at them. There were bunk beds and 3 guards sat behind a window staring at us in 3 shifts, 24/7.

The only area they couldn't see was where the showers and toilets were. That's were you had to have eyes in back of your head. As I recall there were around a dozen guys housed there at one time on the average and that number changed daily. Most of the guys sat around playing cards while a radio blared in the background.

I cut my hair and shaved my beard before appearing before the judge and gave him a b.s. story. This was for assaulting a police officer who I felt had gone above and beyond the call of duty. I was let off and all the charges were dropped when the cop didn't show up. The day they let me out I had a friend pick me up and we spent the day surfing. What a day! Freedom! I'll never forget it.

I vowed I'd never end up in jail or in prison and never did. Except ironically I ended up spending the last 16 years as a volunteer at the Federal prison here in Cumberland, MD. My pastor still insists that's where I belong.

Some men don't belong in prison and are unfortunately hardened there. They become institutionalized. Others do belong there because they are a threat to society and show no sign or willingness to be rehabilitated.

I've met serial killers, cops, judges, doctors, lawyers, politicians, and every race and profession there is. Some are serving a ten year sentence for possession of pot or because they had a handgun in their vehicle. That could have happened to me. Our laws really need to be looked at again by congress.

 

[-X-]

I'm probably in the minority on this, but I think there was a good person in there somewhere. I read all of his prison letters, and you could just sense that if his coping mechanisms weren't all fucked up, he could have been a productive member of society and probably would have been a kind and decent person. I can't fault that guy for being an asshole as a young dude. I was the same way due to being an abused kid. As I turned into a teenager (and well into my 20's), I did some real messed up shit just because I was trying to let the anger out. Never ran my car into anyone, but I did beat a guy unconscious and then continued to beat him and dropped a knee on his spleen (which subsequently had to be removed). Bashed a guy's ribs in with a bat and then turned it on his car. Been to jail, paid thousands upon thousands in restitution to people I hurt. Been in and out of rehab, and in and out of therapy. Only by the grace of GOD did I not end up in the same shoes as Phillips. It took me hitting the bottom (hard) and hooking up with the right therapist to start to turn it around, and it wasn't a quick process. It took years.

Some of you have a pretty good handle of who I am now.
If I accidentally killed a guy I was trying to beat up when I was younger, would I be a piece of shit deserving of death?
Probably, yeah?

Well, like I said, thank GOD it didn't turn out that way. I never would have had the joy of bringing up two phenomenal kids.
How do any of us know that Phillips wouldn't have been able to do the same with the right help?

You don't.

 

[CGI_Ram]

I'm probably in the minority on this, but I think there was a good person in there somewhere.

I think there are some truly evil people out there, born wired wrong. But, I tend to agree with this assessment of LP.

I never met the guy, so not qualified to make judgment, but there is enough in those letters to suggest you could be right.

 

[12intheBox]

I'm probably in the minority on this, but I think there was a good person in there somewhere. I read all of his prison letters, and you could just sense that if his coping mechanisms weren't all freaked up, he could have been a productive member of society and probably would have been a kind and decent person. I can't fault that guy for being an icehole as a young dude. I was the same way due to being an abused kid. As I turned into a teenager (and well into my 20's), I did some real messed up crap just because I was trying to let the anger out. Never ran my car into anyone, but I did beat a guy unconscious and then continued to beat him and dropped a knee on his spleen (which subsequently had to be removed). Bashed a guy's ribs in with a bat and then turned it on his car. Been to jail, paid thousands upon thousands in restitution to people I hurt. Been in and out of rehab, and in and out of therapy. Only by the grace of GOD did I not end up in the same shoes as Phillips. It took me hitting the bottom (hard) and hooking up with the right therapist to start to turn it around, and it wasn't a quick process. It took years.

Some of you have a pretty good handle of who I am now.
If I accidentally killed a guy I was trying to beat up when I was younger, would I be a piece of crap deserving of death?
Probably, yeah?

Well, like I said, thank GOD it didn't turn out that way. I never would have had the joy of bringing up two phenomenal kids.
How do any of us know that Phillips wouldn't have been able to do the same with the right help?

You don't.

Wow. Thanks for that post, X.

 

[LACHAMP46]

I had the unfortunate experience of being in LA County Jail for the better part of 83 days, Back in the 80's for DUI. Not like state prison but not Disneyland either.

Many would say, me included, that it's considerably worse....well, I'd say it compares to the level 4 yard. Murders & the like, but not convicted yet......

 

[Ram65]

Many would say, me included, that it's considerably worse....well, I'd say it compares to the level 4 yard. Murders & the like, but not convicted yet......

Funny one of the first dudes or maybe the first I talked to and asked what he was in for said "murder". I didn't ask anyone again till got to know them.

I hung out with "Bo Pomona Pimp" as he called himself. He was the the only guy who seemly was allowed to have his jump suite top tied around his waist. He had like 3-4 gun shot wounds on his arms and upper torso. Most all the COs would talk to him and look at the scars. I didn't like the food much so I gave him what I didn't eat. I think I lost 15 lbs and was down to 160 lbs. Not a fun place to be in and you learn quickly not to draw attention to yourself.

I'm glad it's all behind everyone that commented here about being locked up.