Box 1

Scope and Contents This collection has 4 letters dated in December 1967, from Stephen to his parents. Stephen is primarily updating his parents with his expectations for the next board meeting in March. He is introspective about his past experiences and how meeting different people has changed him over time. In the last letter of this set, Stephen thanks his parents for sending the Christmas package earlier in the month and asks them to find out about Charlie, Lee Ann, and most importantly his "darling"...

Scope and Contents This set of 8 letters ranges in dates from early January to late February of 1968. In these letters to his parents, a recurring topic is his board meeting scheduled to be in early February. He transitions from having lots of faith in God and being ready for the meeting, to admitting that it is very hard to keep faith in religion when facing reality. In mid February he gets a concerning letter from a finance manager in Kansas City, MO to which Stephen owes money. The finance manager isn't...

Scope and Contents Stephen writes that he had lost hope of meeting the board with a clean record, as he spent 24 hours "in the hole". He does not give detail as to what happened, but tells his parents that maybe one day he will tell them. Luckily for Stephen, he was not found guilty of the incident and his record remains clean. Other than the board meeting, Stephen notes that he has gotten into a coffee drinking habit. He drinks so much that any deviation from his daily routine can cause anger or...

Scope and Contents This set of 7 letters were written in March 1968. Throughout the month, one of Stephen's most pressing priorities, mentioned in 4 of 6 letters, is the fact that he needs his parents to send him money for new guitar strings. Early in the month, Stephen expresses a lot of enthusiasm for college courses in prison and obtaining a college degree when released. That enthusiasm quickly fades away. He reminisces about girls from his past that he misses: Linda, Carrie, and Gaylynn. In a letter from...

Scope and Contents In this set of 6 letters written in April 1968, Stephen consistently talks to his parents about his guitar and a new passion/hobby he has taken on, body building. Several of the letters go into detail about his routine lifting weights, his diet, and his physique. The only letter that does not mention that is from April 17, where he instead mentions a girl named [Hannah]. She seems to be a younger sister as he expresses that he wants to check up on her before he dies but does not want...

Scope and Contents

In this letter, a man named J.B. expresses that he is really good friends with Stephen and knows him from his time in Tracy. He is 21 years old and was originally arrested for DUI. J.B. is sorry to hear that Stephen's board meeting did not go so well but hopes to see him in 1969. J.B. owns a landscaping business and used to work with Stephen in the bakery.

Scope and Contents From May through August of 1968 there are only 6 letters from Stephen to his parents. Significantly less than previous months. In May, Stephen expresses that he does not believe that "Hellfire" is worse than prison as it has changed him physically, mentally, and spiritually. Also in May, Stephen received his typewriter from his parents and the letters going forward begin to be typed instead of handwritten. There are no letters dated in June 1968, as Stephen explains in a letter written in...

Scope and Contents This set of 4 letters ranges from September to October. In these letters to his parents, Stephen mentions his physique, his plans after prison, and also mentions specific details about the area in Los Angeles, CA where he once lived. One letter stand out in October where he mentions the writings he's done while in prison and encourages his parents to listen to a song by Porter Wagner called "Soul of a Convict". Stephen believes that song perfectly summarizes his experience in prison and...

Scope and Contents

In this letter to his parents, Stephen begins by saying that he must admit his sins. Stephen consideres himself psychotic and makes several statements regarding the United States justice system and its politicians. He mentions the night of his arrest and still claims his innocence, stating that he is still a functioning member of society. The letter is written sometime in September but has no specific date. The date of 09-12-68 is the date the envelope was stamped by the post office.

Scope and Contents

This is the final letter in this collection that Stephen writes from prison. He labels it urgent as his official parole/release is less than 3 weeks away. Stephen asks his parents for money to pay for transportation. He needs a bus to Tracy, CA, then a bus to San Francisco, CA, and lastly a plane from San Francisco, CA to San Antonio, TX. There are no conditions for Stephen's parole in CA, except that he update his parole officer on where he will be. Stephen hopes the same applies in TX.