“The Editor”
Podcast series Criminal, episode 49, “The Editor”, entails on the journey of a man who had found a source of realism, despite spending nearly 17 years in prison. Robin Woods, had been arrested after multiple accounts of burglary and theft. He had been exposed to lots of police brutality and racism within the prison systems, and had little hope towards his future. The prison that Woods had been held in offered a program that was referred to as “library call.” Woods did not know how to read very well, due to his school placing him in special education at such a young age. However, Woods took it upon himself to try and teach himself how to read. It was difficult at first, but Woods confirms that learning had given him “confidence after each page.” After reading hundreds of books, Woods decided to purchase his own copy of the Merriam Webster Encyclopedia. Despite the book being available primarily for research, Woods had read it for fun, and had even noticed mistakes within the text. He gathered up the courage to send a letter to the author of the encyclopedia, and received a response of thanks and congratulations. Thereafter, both Woods and Mark Stevens (author of the encyclopedia) had kept in touch with each other persistently. Woods was even thought as to be a personal editor for Stevens.
In 2006, Woods was transferred to a different prison and was not allowed to bring his books along with him. He could not afford to replace the books himself, and asked Stevens for assistance. Stevens then, wrote a letter to the prison, expressing how holding the books away from Woods was “cruelty.” The prison was then informed on the operation that Woods and Stevens had been doing for years, and had lessened his sentence. Woods was soon released, but had been in prison for so long, that he did not know how to take care of himself financially. Stevens offered to help, by giving him loans, which turned into gifts. The two finally meet after years and years of connecting through letters, and express their gratitude for one another. Wood’s home was soon after invaded, and he then knew how it had felt for all of the families that he had affected. Woods no longer reads as often, for the books offered him a realistic state of mind in prison, that he gets to be a part of now. Therefore, thanks to Wood’s efforts, there is hope that anyone can make a positive difference to others. Even if it involves simply reading.
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