My very first conversation with Josh was on the phone.

It was a month before he got out of prison.

This is the first time, like, really in my life where I get out and I actually have really nothing.

Pretty much starting from scratch until I get on my feet.

I wanted to know some basics about his plan for when he got out. Did he have family waiting to help him? Not really. Are you going to have any work? Yeah, I should. I've always had good references. I didn't have a problem. What kind of work do you do? Before I got into this mess, I was working on a tree farm.

Oh, cool.

A Christmas tree plantation.

A Christmas tree farm.

I'm thinking to myself, good.

Josh is really going to need a job.

And Josh tells me he loved this job.

He loved being outdoors all day. He loved working with

his hands. He liked his boss, Rick, who owned the farm. Is it still there? Still running?

Yeah. Yeah. Are they people who you think you might be able to work for in the future?

Well, Rick really wasn't impressed that I got in trouble.

Okay.

Because that was his longest employee.

I've been there.

Josh changed the subject pretty quickly after that question.

I figured his boss there just didn't like what he'd done to get arrested.

You know, I didn't know anything other than working with him out in the fields of trees.

This is the Rick who Josh just mentioned, Rick Zealfelder. I asked him what Josh was like.

...