Hello, my name is Roberto Virola, and I’m a prisoner who is incarcerated at a Medium Security prison, and my reasons for writing this article was based on two reasons. The first reason being, I would like very much to be able to help someone who was heading in my direction, maybe by them reading this article. It could help them decide which road they would like to take. The second reason being through my religious experience with God. It’s helped me to change my life for the better.

I would first like to start off by describing my religious experience, and how I came to know God’s words. I was placed in segregation and didn’t have anything to read and I was mad and upset that I got myself into a stupid situation again as I’ve done many times before to be placed in segregation. I then asked this officer who was working if he had any books I can read, he told me to wait until he does his rounds. This officer then appeared with a book in his hands, which was a Bible, and a book as I requested. He stated, "this is all we have right now to read, do you want it or not?” I personally did not like to read the bible, for my own personal reasons, and did not care to read it, because I was not big on the words of God. I took it anyways, and like never before I felt different. I felt like the words of God was guiding through my darkest moments and I felt comfortable. I remember many dark days in segregation. Being in segregation made me think back to the time when I was a little boy, and all the special days of my life because I felt at peace with myself. The trouble I got myself into was because of my stubborn behavior and not wanting to listen to people who were trying to give me good advice about doing the right things in life so I decided to take a turn for the worse and I became a criminal instead at a early age in my life.

My criminal experience started when I was very young about 10 or 11 years old. I became rebellious against my mother who was a God fearing lady and who just wanted to instill the words of God to her kids at an early age. My mother who lived by example to show us that through faith and belief, everything was possible. Now to share with you about my youthful experience when I was a kid. I was committed to the Department of Youth Services for troubled kids when I was 14 years old. I was committed for approximately 5 years, until I was 18 years old and considered an adult, then released out in the world on my own. Then at the age of 19 years old, I got in trouble with the law again and was incarcerated at the institution in 1990 on an assault charge.

I’m going to take us back to 1991, when I was incarcerated at the institution at a different state prison. I got myself into a fight with an inmate for cutting me in the food line. I was then sent to a maximum state prison. At which point I got myself into more trouble by fighting and hanging out with a rowdy group of friends who had nothing better to do than fight with other groups of kids about nothing. And in 1992 I got into more trouble by fighting with a Correctional Officer, and was given 3 years for this assault on an Officer in the Department of Disciplinary Unit at the Maximum Security State Prison. I was one of the very first inmates out of 120 inmates of to enter this Maximum Security State Prison. This place was bad. It was the worst of the worst place to be locked up in segregation. There was constant noise with people screaming, yelling, and fighting with officers wearing tear gas masks. I describe this place by saying it was a nut hospital inside a Maximum Security State Prison. It was out of control and I spent three years there. After being released in 1995 out into the world free as a bird I got myself into more trouble because I could not face the rules of society and rebelled against the law which got me another 10 years in Prison for Armed Assault and Battery.

I now look back at all the things I’ve done and can only say that I have been blessed, even thought I’ve been in prison, that I am not dead or spending the rest of my life in Prison because I could have been one of the unfortunate ones who are there for life.

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