Most of the news that comes out about prisons is bad- they're costly, they're dangerous, and in New Hampshire about half the people who leave them end up coming back. But in the shadow of those reports are stories of success. This week NHPR News presents a series about the power of friendship and two inmates who fed each other's hopes behind bars.
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NHPR's Dan Gorenstein begins the series with James's story. As a teenager James scared his parents so much they locked their bedroom door at night; as an adult he was arrested for selling cocaine to an undercover police officer. But James was given one chance to avoid serving his full sentence.
James's story continues as he's sent to the state's drug and rehabilitation facility in Laconia. He faces despair and in the boot camp-style First Step, confronts angry cellmates in "Gladiator School," and begins to see the world differently while begins taking classes while in prison.
James was struggling at Concord Prison- taking classes, but still getting into fights. Then, two years into his sentence, he met Mike- a prisoner who would become his best friend.
James takes Mike's counsel after being confronted by another inmate and eventually spends time in solitary confinement for fighting. But he continues taking classes and working on his post-prison plans. And, on Mike's urging, James begins to rebuild his relationship with his parents.
During three years in jail James went from being a 19 year old criminal with few prospects to a 22 year old who was on track to have a regular life. James credited his cellmate Mike Gugliamo with helping him reach that point. But James is getting out now, and Mike still has at least five years left to serve.
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