FACE

About the Book

From the beginning of the seventh to the end of the eighth grade Matt went from being an A student to flunking out. While repeating the eighth grade, he was the MVP in three sports and was stealing cars on weekends. One night in April, 1988, he and two friends went out to steal a car. One of the friends shot and killed the driver. Trying to avoid a mandatory 25 years in prison, Matt accepted a plea of 60 years because he hoped he could reduce time served from 30 years to 12.

Most young males are victimized by the dominant inmates in prison. At DeSoto Correctional Institute he was the youngest male among 1,100 men.

Unbeknownst to his parents, Matt thrived in prison. He made and sold wine and loansharked, among other things. With his profits he bank-rolled a gambling operation. At one point he was sending money home to his brother. He paid one inmate to iron his clothes and another one to make his bed.

But in his 6th year of incarceration he hit a man with a pipe in the middle of the night. He was sent to Close Management or "Solitary," for 13 months. For the first time he had experienced guilt for something he had done. It was the beginning of a spiritual awakening.

The details of the crime and of his life leading up to it, the details of Matt's "business interests" while in prison, a love affair with an attractive female guard, the details of the fight mentioned above and the providential way in which Matt got clemency from Governor Chiles four months before he died of a heart attack, is all part of a riveting story.

About the Author

April 2003-
Matt was released from prison in August, 2000, with 15 credits towards a college degree. He has since decided on a career in building construction and wants to be a general contractor. He hopes to have his degree in one year. He was married to a charming Ft. Lauderdale woman in May, 2002. He says he has more work than he can handle as taskmasterhandyman@msn.com.