The following essays were written by the inmates housed in Lee County Jail. They are maximum-security juvenile males. On their eighteenth birthday they are moved upstairs to join the adult males. At some point, for them, education lost its place as a goal worthy of pursuing. Now, many work to obtain their GED. Some strive to pass the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test as well. Completing both tests satisfactorily results in their obtaining a special diploma from the county.

Most are headed to prison. . .

Homesick

I never thought I would become homesick; but, as I sit here and think about the people and things I took for granted, I finally realize what I miss the most about losing my freedom. I miss my parents, my siblings, my cousins, my friends, my girlfriends, my uncles, my aunts and other family members! It took my getting incarcerated for me to appreciate the things they did for me in my times of need.

I miss the simple things like being at home in my own room laying down on my bed watching TV while eating a snack whenever I want or talking on the phone and being able to go on the computer. I miss my privacy on the lavatory without being in the company of immature inmates and immature guards that only want to provoke you.

I miss my everyday activities like hanging out with my friends in school and going to parties. I miss driving a car or playing sports like football and basketball. I missing my childhood by being in jail. I miss being a kid and having fun doing the things I enjoy with the people I love.

Last, but not least, I miss the materialistic things like my shoes, clothes, pants, golds, chains, and other stuff I wear. I also miss listening to music because that's what I love to do. These are the reasons why I am homesick. If you don't want to be homesick, then don't come to Jail.


Homesick

One reason why I am homesick is because, well, I miss hanging out with the females. Another is, I miss going fishing with my friends and going to the skating rink. I also miss playing with my nieces and nephews and taking them out for ice cream every week. I miss my girlfriend; I miss taking her out to eat; I miss hanging out with her. The third reason why I am homesick is because you can't dial straight through; you have to call collect. And, I miss going grocery shopping with my mom because she gives me what I want. Therefore, I just miss home period. And I want to hurry up and go home so I don't have to worry about being homesick like this anymore. That's all I have for being homesick. It sucks!


Being Homesick

Have you ever been home sick? I have! I am! Being homesick is an ugly thing. It causes depression and other things that bring you down. Do you miss some things about not being at home when you'e homesick? When I'm homesick, I miss my family, my room, and my pop's good old home style cooking.

To start off, let me tell you about my missing my mom and the rest of my family. I miss my family because I'm very close to them; and, when I'm so far away from them, it causes me to think about them -- a lot. The thing I miss the most about my family is their comfort and love that usually is around me. I miss my mom and dad yelling at me when they want me, when they need something, or when I do something wrong. I don't know why, I just do. Another thing I miss about my family is the chillin times we used to have. I miss the times we would have family barbecues and everyone is enjoying him/herself and things like that.

Well, the next thing I'll tell you about, that puts me in that homesick mood, is missing my room. I love my room. There's nothing like your own room. And, with my being locked up in Lee County Jail, it's something I miss a lot. One thing I miss about my room is my bed. I have a queen-size bed that I haven't used in about nine months. I know it's calling my name. Another thing I miss about my room is my window. I miss my window because, when I look out of it I can see my back yard. My window lets me see the pitbull pit that I have right outside my window. I love looking at my dogs outside my window.

The last thing I'll tell you about is my father's cooking. My Pop, he's as country as you want to be; so, he cooks all the different soul food dishes. To me my Pop's cooking is the best -- especially when it comes to the gumbo, chicken, and other things he cooks. I remember one time my Pop made this pie. It was so good! It was made of vanilla wafers, bananas, and banana pudding. He let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours to get nice and cool. And, when it's done, you've got yourself a good pie!

Well, being homesick is a motha (watch your mouth). And, from only these three reasons for being homesick, you can probably relate to me and where I'm coming from. My name is __________ and I'm in Lee County Jail. I've been home sick for about nine months now, and it hurts. So tell me, do you think you will want to get homesick?


What I Miss Most About My Home

The most important key thing I miss the most is my family and my friends. I miss not being able to wake up to my family's smiles, their "Good mornings," and all of their soft tender hugs. Not being able to eat and celebrate with them through the holidays and special times is a bummer. The next thing I miss the most would have to be my girl. Not being able to fall asleep with her wrapped up in my arms. Just knowing that everything will be okay. That's what I miss the most. Being with all my loved ones.


Homesick

At the end of the day, the best place to be is home sweet home. Unfortunately for me, at the moment, I can't go home. I am incarcerated in the Lee County Jail. And, being away from home is very hard. You start to become homesick and sad. And, on top of that, you start to miss everything -- your friends, your loved ones, your house, your activities in and out of home. So hold on to your hearts because this is a real heart breaker.

I've found that when you're away from home for a period of time, your family is one of the things you miss the most. Just like my wonderful friends, who are there for me through the toughest times, there's nothing like family. Here, they are no longer there to talk to you or help you out.

At home I can enjoy my own bed, phone, food, and my lovely pet dog named Dixie. It is one of the greatest places to relax and live the life.

Lastly, but not least, there are the outdoor activities that I find I miss a lot. Riding my four wheelers through the woods, playing a nice round of golf on a sunny day, even looking forward to working are some of these. These things you love doing are stripped away from you! There are no pets to cuddle up with, no coming and going when I want, and no dating. Man, it really stinks being home sick!

So, for me, home is the best place you can be. Being at home is also missed because when you're away from home, trouble is lurking near.


Why You Shouldn't Come to Jail

I'm going to give you a couple of reasons why you shouldn't come to jail. You shouldn't come to jail because it will mess up your record; people will judge you in a bad way; and, also, you can't vote for the next President. These are just a couple of reasons why you shouldn't come to jail.

Yes, being sent to jail will mess up your record. Your record is something very important; because when you go up for a job interview, that's one thing they will look up. And with a bad record, they will think twice about hiring you. This is a good reason why you shouldn't come to jail.

Another reason why you shouldn't come to jail is because people will judge you in a bad way. You don't want people to judge you because of your past record. You could be the nicest person in the world; but since you made a bad mistake in the past, people wouldn't want to be seen with you. Other people will say negative things about you -- hanging with some one who has a criminal record. This will be another reason why you shouldn't come to jail.

The final reason why you shouldn't come to jail is because you would not be able to vote for the next President. People who would like to vote for the next President can't because of their past records. They wouldn't want any criminal voting for the next President. Well, this was the last of the reasons listed why you shouldn't come to Jail.

So remember, jail will mess up your record, people will judge you in a bad way, and you will not be able to vote for the next President. It is messed up how things work, but you can't do anything about it.


Why I Miss Home

Why I miss home? Well, there are many reasons why I miss home. These include family, friends, my freedom, and all the good tasting food. But most of all, I miss my freedom.

I find myself constantly thinking about my home and what I miss. One of the things I miss is my family. I miss my sister, my foster parents, and my real Dad. I really miss being with them and having family events with them. Just seeing their faces throughout the day makes me happy.

Another thing I miss is my friends. I only have 3 really good friends who are good influences and positive influences. One is named Ashley. She is my best friend. She has always been there for me -- through the easy times and the hard times. My other friend's name is Joe. He is a positive influence; and, he also inspired me to go to church with him, which is why I admire him so much. My last friend's name is Kylee. She is my ex-girlfriend, who I happened to love. I also look at her as a very close friend.

The next thing I miss is all the good tasting food. I would have to say that the food I miss the most would have to be steak, potatoes, vegetables, and A-1 sauce. Other than that, I would have to say that I miss the delicious, mouth-watering pizza.

Last but not least, I miss my freedom. I miss being able to see my family and friends. Also being able to eat whatever, whenever, I want. I just miss breathing air, and being free like a soaring eagle, soaring high in the sky.

To conclude, these are the things that storm my mind. These are the thoughts that make me homesick; and, this is why I miss home.


Homesick

I miss my bed the most because it's comfortable and soft and really nice. I miss some of my friends and my family a lot because I haven't seen them in a long time.

I really miss going to the studio and recording my songs because that's my hobby and I love music a lot. It just relaxes me and makes me feel like I'm in another world. And, it helps get my mind off of things when I'm feeling down.

I miss going to the club with my girlfriend and dancing all night until the club closes because that's a lot of fun. I miss going to the mall shopping and hanging out with my friend and joking around and cracking jokes and just having a good time.

But out of it all, music is what I miss the most. If you understand missing these things, then, you know, I miss my freedom.


Homesick

Being homesick is one of the worst feelings you can have. This being away from home and locked in a cage is being away from life. All of the great things that you have memories of are taken away.

I miss a lot of the little things such as watching TV or eating Mom's favorite special spaghetti. Just being able to be with your family and have that loving hug and kiss – how, I miss that! It's even got to the point where I miss hanging with my little brothers and arguing with the one-second-oldest under me. I not only miss my home phone, but, oh, how I miss my metro cell! I miss seeing the girls when I walk outside or go to the park to play ball.

I also miss just sitting around watching movies with my family or going to see my brothers play ball. In other words, if I could change time, I would so I could go back to all of my loved ones and be able to do all the things I love to do.


Am I Homesick? If So, What Do I Miss?

Yes, I am very home sick and I find myself missing many things. I miss my family very much. My mom, dad, sisters, grandparents, uncle, aunt -- I miss everyone in my family. I miss going to the park to hang out with family and friends. I even miss playing volleyball with my sisters!

I also miss eating when I want. I miss real food, real drinks, and even fast food.

I miss my house. I miss walking around my house by myself -- not having someone walk me handcuffed the whole time. I miss looking out the windows. I miss turning the TV to what I want to watch -- not what everyone else wants to watch. And, there's being able to make phone calls when I want without having to pay for them. I miss my bed, my room, my clothes, shoes. . . I miss my pillow and blanket. I miss my bathroom and having a bathroom door. I miss being able to leave my house when I want.

I miss doing pretty much what I want, pretty much when I want. I miss looking around outside and knowing that I can go just about anywhere. I miss seeing other people, talking to other people, breathing fresh air, and hearing the sound of birds and other animals, and even the sound of cars. I even miss school and being able to learn in a real school. I miss the feeling on weekends that I got thinking "No school!" -- just hang out with friends all day with no one telling me what to do. I miss playing video games and watching movies. I miss riding a bike to the store or even to my friend's house. I miss walking around the block, playing football, baseball, and basketball.

Yes, I miss a lot of things. I miss things that I never thought even mattered. I've learned to be appreciative of even the smallest things. But most of all, I miss these two things -- my family and FREEDOM.


I Miss My Home and My Family!

I miss my home because at home I can do anything I want -- like sleep whenever I'm tired, go out to the store, listen to music, watch videos, be with my family, watch movies, cook whenever I'm hungry, and talk on the phone. I miss my family because I've been with most of my family most of my life. I have never been away from them for so long. I'm used to seeing them every day and now I can only see them once a week and through a TV screen. I miss hugging my mom. I miss all those days we went out together and had good times. I miss being free!!