Ok this newsletter was written ENTIRELY by my fellow inmate Phil Goetz (very reluctantly I might add...Ha...He did not want to do this...I made him promise).
I wanted to give everyone an update about me, from my friends here. How they think I am doing, what they see. He has read all my newsletters, and this is what he came up with.
"Farewell to the great MP3player."
One of the most prized possessions for an inmate at the LPC is his MP3 player. This is no different for Mr. Carper. His MP3 player has been his longtime workout partner, sleep aid, and companion when he is feeling lonely. Sadly, earlier this week Mr. Carper's MP3 player suddenly stopped working. This is a big loss to anyone during their time in prison. But in true Scotty Carper fashion he did not let this bring him down and continued to stay positive. Hope is on the horizon, however, Tuesday brings the next commissary day and if all goes well. a new MP3 should be in hand by midday. Best of all the legendary play list of RED THUNDER (Scott's nickname in here) will be saved and available to download from Trulinks.
(Dad Comment: Scott said his and several other inmates MP3 players got fried when they were being recharged and an electrical outage and then surge occurred at camp.)
"Spending time wisely."
Mr. Carper spends most of his time trying to improve himself while in prison. He is enrolled in RDAP, is studying to be a paralegal, and is enrolled in several classes to educate himself. These classes include a financial responsibility class (he tells us his father Mr. Carper will be proud of that), a leadership class (7 habits of highly successful people), and a communication class. All these classes will bring him additional FSA credit. To blow off some steam and just to have a little fun you can find him in his nightly card game (spades). Where surprisingly enough he is becoming a very savvy card player.
Exercising has been a high priority for Scott. When anyone asks where he is we tell them he is probably downstairs in the workout room. Riding the bike 2/4 times a day for over 1.5 hours each. People often meet with him downstairs while he is biking to go over whatever issue they need help with. This hard work is starting to pay off as he is shedding pounds.
"Becoming a legend legend"
Scott is starting to leave a very large imprint on the RDAP program here at the LPC. He is currently the tutoring chairman and his sights on becoming the "Core," Chairman. Core is the committee in RDAP that is reserved only for the best of the RDAP participants. He works daily on coming up with ideas to improve the program, make it easier, and a more positive experience for everyone involved. Some notable highlights are as follows:
Helping countless inmates put together release plans,
Helping inmates apply for the cares act & compassionate release,
Assisting with paperwork to get inmates longer halfway house time (4 months sooner than they thought). Heck, he has even helped several people with their divorces.
"Some thoughts on the Man himself"
It is easy to go into autopilot while in prison at the LPC. There are very few things to do. Most people tend to get lazy and do not try to better their lives or the lives of others. Not Scott Carper. I have personally witnessed this man work relentlessly at bettering his life and working at becoming the best version of himself while in prison.
Scott has become a highly respected member of the prison community here at the LPC. What is interesting to note is that Scott has become respected in his own way. He does not try to mold himself into the "typical inmate," persona. He has gained respect by being himself. Scott is the hardest working inmate at the LPC. He is busy every day. We must send out search parties to find him sometimes. Although he is usually in the cafeteria or the gym. But sometimes he hides so he can get some work done. He is constantly being surrounded by people asking for help. He never loses his patience, and somehow it never seems too much for him.
It’s almost annoying at how positive and upbeat he is day in and day out. From his intense 3 a day workout to his insane amount of time spent reading and studying for his correspondent legal program. Somewhere during all this studying, working in the kitchen, RDAP, and working out. This remarkable man finds time to help anyone that comes to him for guidance or advice.
Scott truly wants to help others and gets great joy from doing so. I once advised Scott to slow down and be more selective on whom he tries to help. I told him that he cannot help everyone and cannot save the world on his own. His response left me speechless when he simply said, "why not, I can try." I would not believe that statement from most people, I believe Scott when he says it. I cannot think of a single person who makes more of an impact on other people’s lives here.
by Phil Goetz
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