Dear Ken and Visakha,

Hello and greetings! It has been the most beautiful spring anyone can remember around here. We have had nothing but ideal temperatures and very little rain. I sort of look forward to a bit of moisture for the plants and other living things. But one can not beat sunny days averaging between 64° to 78°. I hope you are equally blessed with fine weather and are in good health as well.

I enjoyed reading and rereading your newsletter and viewing the many pictures. You all look great! The scenery around the Royal Botanical Gardens appear lush and peaceful and all the smiling faces are a delight!

I am well and deeply involved in my upcoming legal case. I submitted all the names of Buddhist teachers that I have ever had any direct contact with. My investigator is calling and emailing several of those on the list. The other day he told me that he will focus mainly on those within the state of Washington and vicinity. That way, in case they have to be called in to testify on my behalf, distance would not be such a problem. It would actually require a book to explain what this facility is all about and how people get referred to be here. It is very complicated and full of controversy. An example can be found by going online and looking up; The Seattle Times, "Troubles Persist on Predator Island" and "Price of Protection", a series of four articles on McNeil Island. Also Psychology Today , "DSM-5 in Distress", March 29, 2012, and related articles in early 2013. These and other articles are shedding light on an ugly situation and a problem very few people are aware of.

I am under no illusion that I will prevail in this court case. To put this all into a nutshell, this facility was created in response to public outcry over heinous crimes committed by people who had either been released from prison or who had been released from mental hospitals. The process used to select individuals who meet a particular criteria is fairly arbitrary. About a third of our population is classified as Special Needs. Almost all of them should be in care centers or group homes that can best address their particular mental problems. About a third are classified as Regular Track. Most of these men have given up or don't do much to get out of here. They play lots of electronic games and fantasy games, they sleep a lot and fill in the rest of their time eating or with TV. Some need special psychological help. The last third is considered High Functioning. Most of these are individuals who had successfully litigated while in prison and made enemies with various prison administrations. In my case, I filed 21 grievances seeking equitable treatment regarding religious rights. I won 17 of these complaints. I forced policy changes that made Buddhism a more accepted religion in Washington prisons. I helped get tobacco removed, and, on a couple of occasions, staff and employees lost their jobs because they violated our Civil Right to practice the religion of our choice. There is much more involved with all this, but, in the end, I made some serious enemies, and that better explains how my name was added to the list of those being considered for commitment compared to others.

Please do not misunderstand me–. I did commit crimes, and I took responsibility for them and accepted my punishments. Now they are using voodoo psychology to let the public know that they have figured out a way to determine who will commit crimes in the future. Since I have been in prison, thousands of men with similar crimes have been released. Many have done well, some have suffered greatly, and hundreds have violated their conditions or committed new crimes. The ability to predict the future does not seem to work for everyone. I can name several people with histories equal to mine or worse who, for whatever reason, were released after their prison sentence. It is simply the luck of the draw.

If I do not prevail at my trial, it is my intent to finish another book or two, complete my degree, and to challenge all the many illegal activities here by filing law suits and writing articles. I can also deepen my practice in numerous ways and perhaps still attain ordination at some point. I have a plan for my release, provided that it comes soon. But I also have to plan for the alternative.

In all, I am happy and especially fortunate to be able to practice with fewer hindrances despite the many mail restrictions. Thank you again for your encouragement and support over the years! It has been invaluable.

I hope that this letter finds you doing well and that your days ahead and your work bring you joy and happiness.

Best wishes,

Calvin

(A click on the book cover will take you to Amazon.)

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