Payback

I've been a bad boy. Seriously, I've done some really messed up shit in my time. A lot of it was senseless acts committed against innocent victims. While it could be argued that being locked up is an adequate repayment of my moral debts, to me this seems nowhere near a sufficient way of making amends. Perhaps I could turn to Baby Jesus to cleanse my conscience. But, not being religious, a couple of Our Fathers and a few dozen Hail Marys just won't cut it.

What are the alternatives? I can simply wait until I'm released and go spend time in an animal shelter or something, but why should I have to wait? Doesn't it seem ironic that, in a facility designed for the correction of anti-social behavior, there are no programs or options for inmates to serve the society they all hope to rejoin? No ways of donating their time to a charitable cause?

OK, it's not like I can reasonably expect officials to start busing in wayward youths for weekly big brother bonding sessions. And it's not like it's in any way logical to have a bunch of inmates wielding hammers and jigsaws building an orphanage somewhere. But surely there's a form of volunteer work which meets the rigid security requirements of U.S.P. Terre Haute. Stuffing envelopes soliciting donations for flood victims; writing letters to orphans. I don't know. All I know is that if the administration here doesn't want to take the initiative to encourage community service, I'll do it myself.

Problem is, I've got the passion, just no ideas. Does anyone have any ideas for a long-term project which could be implemented behind bars? Possibly an organization I could contact?