New York State “USE” to be strictly about punishment, when your’s truly, Governor Pataki, was in office, but all of that has changed. New York is all about “REHABILITATION” now. In New York’s prison system, if one wants to change their life, for the better, they have a plethora of opportunities, options, and avenues to explore. An individual could have a Double Life sentence, or 2yrs., and if that person wanted to further his/her education, after obtaining their GED, or if they already came into the system with one, or a High School Diploma, they would be MORE than welcomed with open arms; no, I’m sorry, they would be APPLAUDED; and as a matter of fact, they would be CHALLENGED by their fellow prisoners to ascend the educational ladder, especially in one of New York’s most infamously famous prison’s…Sing Sing.
Listen, I thought that I would’ve been the last person to be sitting up here advocating about seeking higher learning in prison because I was deeply entrenched in the prison’s underworld, and engrossed in all types of nefarious behavior (except for homosexual activities and sneak thieving), but it changed my life IMMENSELY. So, if you’re in New York’s prison sysytem and you’re tired of the gang banging, or you just want to break up the monotony of everyday prison life of going to chow, going to recreation in the yard, or gym, locking back in, and going back to chow, going back to recreation, in the yard, or gym, going to lock back in, then going to your last chow call, so you can go to your last recreational period, in the yard, or gym, then locking back in for the rest of the night, then please try to get to Sing Sing and register in the Hudson Link/Mercy College Program.
I’ve, personally, witnessed individuals who were in ABE classes (adult basic education), which is comparable to a third grade reading level, well… third graders are pretty smart nowadays and they can read VERY well, so I’ll say they’re on the level when they’re still trying to read and spell rat, cat, dog, etc…, move on step by step starting from the bottom: ABE to PRE-GED; PRE-GED to GED; GED to PRE-COLLEGE; PRE-COLLEGE to MERCY COLLEGE; MERCY COLLEGE to an ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE in LIBERAL ARTS; an ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE in LIBERAL ARTS to a BACHLOR’S DEGREE in BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE; and a BACHELOR’S DEGREE in BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE all the way up to a MOTHAFUCK’N MASTER’S DEGREE, all within a 7yr. time frame, and quite a few of the ALUMNI excelled and moved on to receive their DOCTORATES once they hit the streets. How about that!!! If that individual would’ve been incarcerated in Ohio, his/her life would still be on a path of destruction. Idle time makes for an idle mind, and an idle mind is the devils playground!
I am now that individual locked up in Ohio. My last semester in Mercy College, at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, was December 22, 2017, at the Christmas vacation break. I was then extradited to the State of Ohio, on December 26, 2017, to start my current sentence that should’ve been ran concurrent with the 25yrs. I had just wrapped up. I went to the Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) Jail, for 17 days, then I was transferred to Lorain Correctional Institution. I stayed at Lorain until I was transferred to my parent institution, Richland, on May 26, 2018.
I’m the type of student that needs to be constantly busy trying to learn something. I can’t do a whole summer’s vacation; I only need 10 to 12 days, maximum, out of school. Anything else would be uncivilized, for me. So, with that being known about myself, I immediately tried to enroll myself into Richland’s college program, Ashland University. I told you I was in for a rude awakening; they told me that I didn’t have enough time to get into their college program. They informed me that I had to have 5yrs., or less in order to participate in Ashland’s program. Of course you know I was incensed. I talked to numerous people, even the guy from Ashland University, and they all said it was mandated by the State/Columbus and they couldn’t do anything about it.
I ranted and raved on about what difference did my time make; I’m already enrolled in college, I’m just transferring over; here are my credits and my transcripts. NOTHING! I was really starting to lose my mind. Everything bothered me here, and it still does. I have a thirst for educational knowledge now, and I won’t stop until my thirst is satiated. I learned a lot about myself while going to college in prison. I realized that I could’ve been an “A” student from the onset of my educational career. I realized that college isn’t hard at all; in fact, college is the easiest thing I’ve ever been involved in. I beat myself up, mentally, about not staying on the correct path that my Granny set out for me. I’ve always been a good kid and that’s what set me apart from all the other drug dealers that use to hustle on the same block as me. I treated the addicts like humans, not like the dregs of society that “MOST” of society tried to portray them to be. Regardless of what they were on, they were still someone’s mother, sister, daughter, niece, nephew, son, brother, or father. I was just as embarrassed to sell them the drugs as they were to buy them from me. I was a charismatic, compassionate “STREET PHARMACIST” and I could’ve used my skills and talents in the “REAL” world, which just happens to be more cut throat than selling narcotics in the streets of “ANY” city. They don’t call a person a “RUTHLESS BUSINESSMAN” for nothing! You can bet on that!
Well, my fellow follower’s, until my next installment, I can be reached via JPay; go to your app store, on your mobil device, and type in Jeffrey Tobias A704109, Richland Correctional Institution, and holla at your Boy 🙂 .
Sincerely yours,
Jeffrey Tobias
DOC #A704109
