Upon arrival at Barton Prison, Julian is processed and taken to a cell occupied by a prisoner named Gordon, who soon becomes his lover. However, six months later, a jealous guard sends Gordon to another wing of the prison, separating the lovers. Not to be deterred, Julian sends a message to Gordon via Lanky, another prisoner, which starts a long correspondence between them.<br><br>Through their letters, readers learn more about the two men -- their backgrounds, their secrets, their hopes and dreams. The letters reveal the story of two lovers trapped inside a prison, separated from the world outside and from each other.<br><br>But prison life is hard. There are bashings and murders. There are corrupt prison officers and violent inmates. How can Julian, who comes from an upper middle-class family and is incarcerated for an accident, hope to survive against such odds, especially when he becomes the target of a particularly corrupt and vicious screw?

Letters from the Inside

You didn’t tell me what happened about Gregson. Did they find the guy? How long were you in lockdown? Obviously I got your last letter. (I didn’t check Lanky’s crotch for a hard-on, but I will from now on.)


Good plan for the movie night. Good movie, too. We’ll keep an eye out for each other and work it out somehow.


I had a visitor yesterday. My mother got herself a visiting order and came in. Dad’s in hospital with emphysema. He’s not expected to live. She came to ask me if I’d ask the governor for a day pass to visit him in the hospital. Babe, I don’t know what to do. I was counting on using my visit to the governor to ask to get moved back to A Block. I know he’s my dad and all, but he’s never visited me in here and I want so much to get back to you.


Chapter 5