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

It’s official. Okay, I said that last time. Now, it’s even more official. The department has given me the go-ahead with all the stipulations McKenny has already told me. I kept telling him he had nothing to worry about. I’m not stupid enough to ruin a great opportunity like this, and I’m certainly not stupid enough to land myself more time in this shithole.


So I was allowed to call my brother and he said he’d take the money out of my account and send it to the college. Then the college will send me the receipt and more information about the course, as well as my text books, which will be good because I can start getting into them before the course begins in August.


I get my cast off next week. I thought it would mean another trip to the hospital and I was really looking forward to it. Then I get told the prison doctor can take care of it, so I’m going to miss out on going out. Not to worry. Plenty of that in a couple of months.


Chapter 18