MONROE – From 8:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
That’s the time inmate Reuben Hinton of Lynnwood considers the worst time to be behind bars.
During those hours, alone in his tiny cell, the father of two sons faces solitude and thinks of his family.
Hinton, 33, who has been locked up for about seven years for attempted first-degree murder, faces about 30 more years in prison. It’s hard to see hope and think positively in prison, he said.
But on Thursday, Hinton listened to a man who once was an inmate but was able to turn his life around.
Gordon Graham stood in front of more than 20 inmates in a conference room at the Monroe Correctional Complex as the speaker of a prison program called “A Framework for Breaking Barriers.”
Graham, 72, served 17 years in prisons in Walla Walla and Monroe for burglary and perjury. He now lives in Bellevue, where he owns a training company.
“I’m no different than anybody sitting here,” Graham said. “No different. Certainly not smarter.”
Inmates often feel as if they have no control over their destiny, but they still can make a difference, Graham said. They need to change their principles and character to improve their lives, he said.
A turning point for Graham came when he bought cigars at a store in Issaquah several years ago. A cashier charged him only $12 by mistake when the actual cost was $40.
Graham told the cashier about the mistake. After that, honesty became a habit, he said.
Graham’s message struck a chord with Hinton.
“It’s very positive,” Hinton said. “It’s very receptive because Mr. Graham has the same experience as the life we’re going through. That’s why what he says is more powerful.”
Educational programs such as Graham’s presentation keep the prison from becoming “a mad-house,” said Hinton, who took notes during the presentation.
Inmate Ronnie Thornton of Seattle, 45, is scheduled to be released Monday after serving six months for second-degree robbery.
Thornton, who has been in prison before, said he’s concerned about returning to the same community, the same friends and the same bad habits.
But the presentation helped him see there is hope after prison, he said. “I’ve learned to trust myself because I know it’s going to be hard out there.”
Former inmates such as Graham rarely come back to prison, let alone try to do good for inmates, Thornton said.
“I’m glad to see he hasn’t forgotten about prison life,” he said.
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