DEAR ABBY: I'm a woman in prison for embezzlement. I was sentenced a year ago. My problem is my fiance. He's constantly saying that when I am released in 2 1/2 years, we are going to have a serious talk about the reasons why I did the crime. I have told him repeatedly that once I walk out of the prison gates, I won't want to discuss the reasons that put me here. I just want to put this horrible experience behind me.
I know this has been difficult for him, and he wants answers. How can I get him to understand that I will have paid my debt to society and just want to focus on the future when the time comes for my release? -- IMPRISONED IN VIRGINIA
DEAR IMPRISONED: I have an idea. Discuss your reasons for having committed embezzlement with your fiance now, before your sentence is up. He has proved his love by sticking with you, but if he is going to marry you, he deserves some honest answers. Although you may wish to close the gates behind you on this chapter of your life, that you are a convicted felon may have a negative impact when you re-enter the job market after your release, and you should be prepared for it.