John Cole

Hi guys, for those that don’t know me, I’m John Cole and I’m kicking back here at S.Q.C.C. Gatton. My friends call me Johny Cole, Johny Jay Cee or me preference, just J.C.

Regrettably, I’ve been in the “Nick” since July 2001, in saying that there is a bit of light at the end of the tunnel with parole in just over another two years. January 2017 to be precise. I must be the only block in history to get 20yrs for one Armed Robbery. Thems the breaks I suppose. This last 2 ½ will be over before I know it.

Not that you could say exactly that time flies around this place. I wouldn’t class it as stimulating, intellectually or in any other fashion. I just maintain a routine, you keep your days full and they seem to tick over o.k. I was working in the kitchen 7 mornings a week and filling my day from there. Yesterday that all changed.

After a mate and I submitted a proposal to management for two new employment positions, the proposal was accepted and I’m now an “Activity Co-ordinator”. There’s a bit of work in the position. We run inter-prison games and competitions, we do every aspect of the comps, from finding the participants, doing the draws, officiating in all comps from Soccer to Basketball, from touch football to chess games. Then we’ve got to keep all draws and ladders updated. It’s looking like taking up a great deal of time, this is a good thing.

For my troubles I’ll be earning the princely sum of about $20 per week. Clearly its not about the money, it’s about keeping busy. Other than work I’ve got a few other things that keep me busy on a daily basis. After 2yrs off, that clearly shows in my profile picture, I am back in the gym and cardio room. I do an hour of each seven days a week. The very least I’m leaving this place with a body in pretty good condition. The plan is to go really hard for the next 12-18 months and then just a bit of maintenance for the last year. The gym is just standard, throw weights around, the cardio room though that’s the variety. Rowers, Bikes and Cross Trainers, but really their all ho-hum. Get the gloves out with the focus pads, throw in a skipping rope and you’ve got a good session and everyone is happy.

Further to the above, and like just about every other “Aussie Broke” I’ll plant my arse on the bed to watch just about any sport…. other than Aussie Rule.

I’m also a voracious reader. With the exception of Sci-fi I’ll read just about anything. I enjoy reading ancient or modern history and historical fiction, Romans, Greeks. Trojans and Mongols, all interesting stories. I can’t even guess at how many books I’ve read in this past 13 years. I’ll read most fiction, from Wilbur Smith to Raymond E Feist, from Tom Clancy to Conn I gulden.

Don’t think I only read other peoples stories though, some reading is done to improve my story. I’ve done about a million courses in this last 13 years. Well maybe not a million but plenty just the some. I won’t bore you with listing them all just my most recent. I just finished the cert IV in W.H.S. and I’ve decided to go on with it by completing the W.H.S. diploma. Once that’s sorted it’s a profession I can consider upon my release.

I’ll wrap it up with a message to those that have stood by me and supported me over this last 13 years, you know who you are so THANK-YOU! I thank-you for the times when I question myself, my morality, my worth, am I a good bloke or one of the baddies. Knowing I have support from people of such high integrity tells me I must be a pretty good bloke myself.

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