May 15, 2013 Prison Issues Discussed, Part 3

May 14, 2013 – 7:00 am

Question continued from March 1, 2010: My 19 year old son was sentenced to one year in jail on a drug charge. I hear so many horrible stories. I am scared for him. Can you please give me advice on what I can do?

Answer: Please see the last few newsletters if you want to read the first two parts of the answer.

I will discuss enabling your son in prison. You are probably wondering how you can do that. The first issue is; does your son have a drug problem that wasn’t addressed. (This also goes for daughters).

A big problem with the prison system is they don’t address the real issue. What was the reason the person went to prison in the first place? If we are serious about reducing recidivism, we have to address this issue.

95% of all people incarcerated are addicts of one sort or another. There are more drugs IN prison then on the streets. Pretty hard to believe ha! Well, it’s true. What I mean is, drugs are easily obtained if an addict wants them.

If your sons has a drug problem and it isn’t addressed, he Read More »

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April 15, 2013 – Prision Issues Discussed, Part 2

April 8, 2013 – 12:10 pm

Question continued from March 15, 2013: My 19 year old son was sentenced to one year in jail on a drug charge. I hear so many horrible stories. I am scared for him. Can you please give me advice on what I can do?

Answer: Please see the last newsletter if you want to read the beginning of the answer.

As I said there are a lot of variables to this answer. If your son received a year and a day he would get “gain” time in the state system. That could be equal to a few months. The down side is he will be going to a state facility. Most likely he will never get to a permanent facility and end up in the reception center.

A one year sentence or under and the person stays in the county jail. The advantages of the county jail are he will probably be close to you. Visits are most likely through a TV screen but you can visit more often.

State facilities have more “experienced” inmates. What I mean by that is they are doing time and sometimes a lot of time and have routines down. Any disruption at all can be a problem. Understanding how to act, talk, handle yourself, are all important elements of survival in prison. There are two types of people in prison; Predators and Prey. I don’t mean predator in the sense of sex always. I mean predator in the sense of being an alpha male. Prey, meaning timid, shy, scared, etc., being too timid shows weakness and being too aggressive shows a challenge.

Sitting in the wrong area of the chow hall can become a serious issue. Looking in another inmate’s cell can lead to a problem. The balancing act of survival starts the second you are incarcerated, not when you get to the facility you will be housed at.

The best way to prevent problems in prison is not to go in the first place. Think before you act. I do what I do because I saw, and been a victim of way to much violence. I was stabbed twice in prison and stabbed two people. I did what I had to do to survive and now I don’t want to see people go through what I went through. It’s just not worth it.

The guards aren’t always there to protect you. In my case, I was abused by guards. I also had guards who saved my life. Survival in prison is all about you. Depending on someone else is a recipe for disaster.

In the next few newsletters I will discuss enabling your son, getting help for your son, tattoos, and a typical day in prison. I will also explain what you see and “don’t” see with regards to prison TV shows, and reentry when your son gets out of prison/jail.
Stay strong and never give up on your son.

Good luck and best to all,

Larry Lawton
President

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Going To Prison For One Year – What A Family Needs To Know – Part 1

March 15, 2013 – 9:00 am

Question: My 19 year old son was sentenced to one year in jail on a drug charge. I hear so many horrible stories. I am scared for him. Can you please give me advice on what I can do?

Answer: Your question has many answers for you and your son. I will answer this question over the next five newsletters. You can email my office at info@lawton911.com for an immediate answer.

Let’s start at the beginning. Stand by your son. The littlest things will mean a lot. Write letters at least once a week, even if he doesn’t reply. You might think he has all the time in the world to write, but his main concern will be survival. Visit if you can, but don’t feel guilty if you can’t.

You said he had a one year sentence. Was it one year exactly, or one year and a day? That is important because it will determine where he is sent. With a sentence of a year and a day, he goes to a state facility. One year and under he goes to a county jail. There are a number of pluses and minuses with both locations. I will get into that in the next few newsletters.

I will address prison issues in the next five newsletters, but please keep all kinds of questions coming.

Please keep in mind I do expert witnessing and consulting on prison and criminal cases CLICK HERE to learn more. Prevention is the key. Never give up.

Sincerely,

Larry Lawton

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Larry Lawton answers – How can I get help for my teenage son? I am so frustrated.

February 18, 2013 – 11:53 am

Larry Lawton Answers:

I get hundreds of emails every day asking for help. Please don’t take the Reality Check Program DVD lightly. It is a tool that works. It helps the whole family. It is truly the first step.

Having a dialogue with your loved one is so important and the DVD will open a dialogue. The DVD helps the whole family, even you. When people say it Read More »

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Larry Lawton answering: How can I communicate better with my 14 year old son?

January 14, 2013 – 5:32 pm

Larry Lawton from the Reality Check Program and author of Gangster Redemption answers: How can I communicate better with my 14 year old son?

Communication with a 14 year old son or any teenager for that matter can be difficult. That is when parenting really comes in. I tell parents all the time it is easy to parent the straight A, follows directions, stays home and doesn’t get into trouble kid. It is parenting the kid who is pushing your buttons, testing the waters, experimenting and thinking he or she knows it all. That is the challenge.

A parent’s job is to teach and instill good character and morals in their child. (We can debate what that is, but not in this newsletter) All other things come after that. As a parent, you don’t want Read More »

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