100 Words Per Mile: What did Seal say about time?

My baby brother goes to jail. We celebrate Thanksgiving.

November 23, 2021
5.00 miles
48:22

Today, I overbooked myself by accident. I met up with a writing friend for breakfast before doing a lunchtime run with Bill.

But that’s not what I want to write about. Yesterday my baby brother was sentenced to sixteen months in prison.

In short, the judge’s hands were tied. My brother pled guilty (“in his best interests” was how it was phrased) and the judge had to sentence him based on the crimes he pled guilty to. I’m happy he is being held accountable, but I’m worried as hell for him going forward.

The bit of grace the judge showed my brother was that he withheld adjudication. So even though my brother will serve time for the two felonies he committed, he won’t leave prison as a “felon.” When he applies for jobs and tries to move on with his life after, he won’t have to answer for the felonies specifically, only the time served in prison.

He’s also being sentenced as a “youthful offender” since he was only nineteen when the crimes were committed and he is only twenty now. This means he won’t be in a prison with grown violent offenders, but rather people closer to his own age. This can be both good and bad. From what I’ve already read, the youthful offender facilities can be worse, if only because the younger inmates feel more compelled to prove their toughness, whereas an older inmate might be more inclined to keep his head down and serve his time quietly.

I’m feeling a lot right now, and it’s all a little messy. I’d like to visit him, but I can’t because of the pandemic. When the judge sentenced him, we didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye, really. Just one quick glance. One mouthed I love you and then he was gone.

Later that same evening, I received my booster shot and my flu shot.