My name is Ronin. I have been in and out of prison multiple times over the last 12 years and have reached a point where some call it institutionalised. The thing is, I love prison. I love it so much that I seem to be constantly on a reckless path when I'm out to either die, or come back to prison.
The last two times I was released, I only managed to make it out for a few months, even though I was really trying to do the right thing and work. But using that energy of mine to constantly chase money left me constantly with none left for my passions. That's why I love prison. It's a place where I can read, paint and exercise in peace. A place free from social expectations, free from the monetary rat race and the place I feel the most freedom to be me. I can do all the things that I genuinely love to do without sacrificing myself towards making money. I have a roof over my head and food in my stomach. I love it so much that this time I'm writing a book about how I found peace in prison. It's called Pri-zen. And like your newspaper, it's a book that I hope will find itself in the hands of my fellow prisoners. To help them learn how to use their time.
Kind regards,
Ronin
My name is Ronin. I have been in and out of prison multiple times over the last 12 years and have reached a point where some call it institutionalised. The thing is, I love prison. I love it so much that I seem to be constantly on a reckless path when I'm out to either die, or come back to prison.
The last two times I was released, I only managed to make it out for a few months, even though I was really trying to do the right thing and work. But using that energy of mine to constantly chase money left me constantly with none left for my passions. That's why I love prison. It's a place where I can read, paint and exercise in peace. A place free from social expectations, free from the monetary rat race and the place I feel the most freedom to be me. I can do all the things that I genuinely love to do without sacrificing myself towards making money. I have a roof over my head and food in my stomach. I love it so much that this time I'm writing a book about how I found peace in prison. It's called Pri-zen. And like your newspaper, it's a book that I hope will find itself in the hands of my fellow prisoners. To help them learn how to use their time.
Kind regards,
Ronin
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On 1 November 2025, QCS introduced a new pricing model: 20 cents per minute for all calls, mobile or local. A call that once cost 30 cents for 15 minutes now costs $3 – a ten-times increase.
I have been incarcerated for 22 months of a four-year sentence in Queensland jails. This poem is about my own situation.
Reading other prisoner’s stories inspired me to keep my head up and keep going now four months in, thank you all who share your stories and words of wisdom.
I moved units about a month ago and we feed some stray cats here. One even let me pat her last night! It's been over a year since I've patted an animal, so you can imagine how excited I was!
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