Biography
Emmett Tatter – COUNT TIME prison memoir author & advocate
About Emmett
Beyond my upcoming memoir, COUNT TIME, I serve as a vocal advocate for prison reform and criminal justice commentary, bridging the gap between extreme environments and the pursuit of inner peace. My mission is to translate survival into a shared path for collective healing and systemic change.
About the Author
Emmett Tatter is a 2026 Claymore Award Finalist, CounterPunch contributor, advocate, and certified yoga instructor whose work bridges the gap between lived experience and criminal justice reform. His debut memoir, COUNT TIME, offers an unflinching look inside the Florida Department of Corrections, drawing from ten years in multiple maximum-security facilities including Lake Butler RMC, Suwannee CI, Taylor CI, and Baker CI.
During his incarceration, Emmett taught himself yoga in conditions designed to crush hope, strip away dignity, and erase identity. He practiced handstands in mop closets while dormitories reached blistering temperatures, eventually battling prison administration for the right to establish restoration-focused yoga classes. He never gave up, eventually teaching hundreds of incarcerated individuals restorative practices in an environment designed for punishment rather than healing.
Official 2026 Claymore Award Finalist
for Best Nonfiction for the upcoming
memoir, COUNT TIME.
Upcoming Events & Media:
• August 20–23: Featured Panelist (3 Panels) at the Killer Nashville International Writers' Conference.
• October 1, 2026: Featured Guest on NPR's First Coast Connect at WJCT Public Media.
• October 4: Author Talk & Reading at the St. Johns Cultural Center Waterworks.
• This November: Guest Lecture at St. Mary's College of Maryland tracking the deep social psychology, institutional dynamics, and architectural realities of carceral environments.
Featured Press & Investigative
Spotlight:
• St. Augustine Record Feature: Profiled in the investigative spotlight piece "We’ve Paid Dearly."
• Targeted for Advocacy: Profiled narrative coverage by journalist Matthew Vernon Whalan, tracking Emmett Tatter as a writer, advocate, and former prisoner targeted for voter fraud.
Survivor, Author, Advocate
Speaking Topics for Emmett Tatter
Professional Credentials
CREDENTIALS
&
SPEAKING
- Count Time: Stories of Survival and Systemic Transformation
COUNT TIME: Inside Florida's Maximum-Security Prison
Mindfulness in Extreme Environments: A Tool for Survival
Reclaiming Identity Post-Incarceration
Truth in Survival: Navigating the Memoir Landscape
Criminal Justice and Reform
Resilience & Reform
Mental Health & Wellness
Writing and sharing experiences on how to face challenges during & after prison
- Author of COUNT TIME (Upcoming Memoir)
- Currently writing one-man play adaption of COUNT TIME
- Working on second book, COUNTED OUT
- Flagler College guest lecturer (criminology department)
- Flagler College Lifelong Learning Institute presenter
- Various speaking engagements
- Currently considering enrollment at Flagler College
- Certified Yoga Instructor (200 hr. Jared McCann Certification)
- Created and led yoga programs that served hundreds of incarcerated individuals
- Featured Speaker at PechaKucha St. Augustine
In Their Words
Impact
”I absolutely enjoyed hearing Emmett speak about his experiences. I was so enamored with his story that I just wanted to listen. I'm so excited to read his book when it comes out."
Flagler College criminology student
"I really enjoyed hearing Emmett's story. Hearing how corrupt and scary the prison system really is really changes my views on how the prison system should be. Overall, I think Emmett presented his story in an amazing way. I want to get his book so I can learn more about prison life."
Flagler College criminology student
" I thoroughly enjoyed Emmett Tatter's presentation. It was really nice to humanize prisoners and learn about the experience from an inside perspective. He really made it feel like I was there, actually experiencing what he experienced."
--Criminology student