Since I have been practicing T'ai Chi each day, I have overcome depression. My outlook on life has changed from a negative one to a positive one, and that is saying something because of my long exposure to the prison system. The best thing about T'ai Chi is that with as little as 10-25 minutes each morning you can meet the day with a steady head, heart and body. You will benefit physically, spiritually, emotionally and mentally. This isn't any snake oil salesman's 'come on.' IT WORKS, but you only get our of it what you put into it. T'ai Chi works for me; I I know it can work for you.

For information on learning about T'ai Chi Ch'uan you can write Budo Books & Videos, PO Box 4727, Overland Park, KS 66204. Ideal books for beginners are: T'ai Chi for Beginners, $8.00; Corpus of Taiji Breathing Exercise (Qigong) by Ed Ying Lam, $6.00; T'ai Chi Ultimate by Lun, $11.00; T'ai Chi Ch'uan for Health by Lee Ying-Arng, $17. 00.

Controlling the Control Unit

To me the over-riding thing of importance in surviving my various stints in control units was to refuse to relinquish control! By that I mean: keeping always in mind the purpose of the control unit - i.e., remembering what the state was trying to accomplish by putting me there, and then using my own powers of understanding to resist their plan. Among other things, this meant:

Making a schedule for my days, instead of allowing the cops to determine my days.

Having several different schedules, and alternating them, to avoid having the days all melt into sameness, and to keep track of what day and date it was, etc.

Using exterior signals, such as changes in light, shift changes, regular noises from outside my cell, to keep track of time. The first few weeks I'd note a sound or other objective occurrence, then yell for the cops to find out what time it was, etc.

Developing several different forms of exercise for different days and conditions. One technique of control used in every unit I've been in is withholding or postponing rec time. Since exercise was a very important way I controlled my anger so that I didn't become upset or stressed, it was crucial for me to develop ways to avoid letting this necessity for exercise become one more tool for them to use against me. I learned yoga and did isometric weight-training in my cell, and I ran on the occasions I was able to go out to the rec yards.

Developed some creative activity that allowed me to admire my own human creativity - i.e., draw, write, make things from what is available, etc. Reminding myself that my place in the universe was as a sentient, loving, creative human being, not a caged animal, was helpful. (This is why so many prisoners turn out incredible drawings in ballpoint pen!)

Learn something - undertake to study something and use the mind so I left each unit having grown rather than been diminished by the experience.

Write letters - get pen pals if needed; some active communicatlon with the outside.

For me, as a political creature, it was essential to get a subscription to a major newspaper (I then managed to share it by smuggling it to another prisoner in the unit). I was fortunate to have friends who chipped in to get me the paper. I wonder if the Campaign to Stop Control Units could somehow get money or get people to get subs to weekly news magazines - Time or Newsweek, or a daily or weekly decent newspaper - for people in control units? In women's prisons and most control units, no news media are provided.

I fought for every shred of what I was supposed to have a "right" to, based in the Code of Federal Regs, which governs the BOP. But it's hard not to get full of rage and frustration while doing this, so once in a while I would write a furious letter to the warden or someone else, saying everything I wanted and then tear it up. Therapeutic, to a point.

Warden Burkhardt of Alderson responded to my BP-9 (fed prison grievance form) protesting my isolation - he said I was being held in