I am Ronin Grey, the writer behind Beyond the Ninth Wave.
I have been in prison for most of my adult life, and will likely be here for some more years. I have time to write. My chief editor on the outside will send out occasional notes as well.
This Substack is a place to share my writings: the project described below as well as various fiction in search of a publishing pathway. It is all offered without a paywall for the forseeable future - the goal is to reach an audience in the spirit of change for the better through communication.
I am using a pen name - a chosen name that conveys who I am now rather than what you would see if you googled my given name. It’s not an effort to hide but a way to show a more complete truth.
Why Ronin Grey
I am an individual driven foremost by unquenchable curiosity. Empathy did not come naturally to me but once I embarked upon the brutal journey of self-reflection I needed to acquire it, it’s become a muscle I take great pleasure in flexing.
Beyond the Ninth Wave
This is a research project to collect and share the experiences of those within the system under the harshest sentences of life without parole and death. My hope is to offer a rarely heard perspective and expand the prison reform dialogue, which while extremely polarized, is as yet a narrowly explored conversation. I hope that you have an interest in making our prison system more humane and more effective – I do.
In the ancient days of the Celts, to send someone beyond the ninth wave meant to put a person who transgressed against society in a tiny boat, tow them far out to sea, and abandon them. If they managed to find their way back to shore, the gods favored them: they were welcomed back, forgiven. Most never returned.
In our society the ninth wave exists behind prison walls. We enter exile here, and the burden of proving ourselves worthy of returning falls on us. Most never return, but some do. If the goal is to protect society by transforming broken and dysfunctional people into whole and healed ones capable of returning from beyond the ninth wave, we are failing.
The majority of public opinion and policy regarding prisons is informed by news media, police, politicians, and anecdotal input from short term prisoners’ viewpoints; this does not come close to painting the entire picture of a carceral system which impacts every member of our society and presents a distorted picture of who is in prison and how effective the system is.
If we are failing, it could be we haven’t invited enough voices to the discussion about how to fix it. Prisons are moderately successful in separating dangerous people from society so that they might gain the time to reflect and begin their journey of rehabilitation. Unfortunately, our prisons often fall short of guiding the people within them toward real healing. ‘Why’ is not relevant to this project; it’s enough to say most people agree we’re spending a lot of money on prisons that don’t efficiently produce rehabilitated people that are able to integrate back into society as productive members. This is not an indictment - prisons are like all our social services, overwhelmed and obscured by bureaucracy. Giving these exiles from society the chance to add their knowledge to our understanding, we can build a bridge back from banishment for them and use the hard won wisdom of these people who without support or attention have been rowing back to shore.
I have met thousands of lifers. It is not only the rare exception who proves themselves worthy of returning to society. It takes tremendous strength to face the prospect of spending the rest of your life in prison and still choose to move forward in a positive and productive way. Despite being offered no promises, no forgiveness, no freedom, and no hope, many exiles still row their boats toward shore. They grow, and change, and heal, and find peace anyway. The people who make the worst mistakes face the longest, most difficult journey with the least encouragement - but we still find it worth the effort.
My own path included nature-based spirituality, writing, art, international correspondence, and journalism. The paths those that have found a way back from their crimes are as diverse as the people traveling them, and exist within the system, costing nothing - spreading awareness of their journeys would inspire others to explore and engage in making choices that define their lives moving forward. This is a vital element of rehabilitation - it is not given, only earned through hard work and commitment, no different from an academic degree or career success. This project seeks to create hope for and share best practices with struggling incarcerated people as well as illuminate the conversation on the outside. Exiles do want to see society do better, and we want our experiences to help those within our community who may be walking the roads we once did. It gives a sense of purpose to life to know that you can potentially turn someone away from making the same devastating choices you made.
Everyone in prison experienced trauma before they became a criminal. The past does not excuse our decisions, but ignoring this fact distorts reality. Trauma occurs every day. We do the next generation a disservice in ignoring the very people whose wisdom, gained by doing things the hard way and suffering the consequences, could help others cope in healthier ways. By silencing these voices we doom the ones who come after us to repeat our mistakes. None of us want to see the next mass murder on the news, the next school shooting, the next senseless taking of lives. Knowing what interventions could have forestalled our own actions, we can help the ones who work now to prevent the same acts we once committed if we focus on building awareness of one another’s struggles rather than blaming each other for a system that is collectively failing us all.
It takes darkness to see the stars. We have ventured through the darkness, but it is the stars we carry with us ever after.
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives.
Stay up-to-date
Never miss an update—every new post is sent directly to your email inbox. For a spam-free, ad-free reading experience, plus audio and community features, get the Substack app.
