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

Tran sounds like he isn’t going to last long in here. One way or the other, he’s going to piss someone off. Everyone will fuck him because he’s new, then they’ll throw him on the scrap heap. That’s if Henderson doesn’t find out and bash the fuck out of him. He’ll have to learn the hard way, by the sounds of it.


I asked the governor about studying and he said it was highly unusual, but he’d look into it for me. I think he’ll do it. He said it was a good idea and he admired my initiative. He said a lot of colleges have an August intake, so I’ve asked him at the right time.


Chapter 17