Thursday, December 11, 2014

Day 36 (10/28/14) Desperate times, desperate measures...

It’s Tuesday, tried to sleep in and just can’t. Don’t know why. I read until “meds”. That’s when the meds are given out to the inmates that “need” them. So, it’s 8am. So, dayroom should be soon. We have another new deputy. 
Meds came and went and no dayroom for either tier. What the heck is it today I wonder ? The deputy has a long list in her hands. She starts letting inmates out, one at a time, sometimes two at a time. I am curious what is going on. This takes over an hour. It’s 9:15am, by the time she gets to my cell, it ended up not being anything. The nurse was there doing sick calls. In a housing unit of 53, over half the inmates put in medical requests. I am pretty sure it had to do with the head lice “outbreak”. We were stuck in lockdown all morning. Even had lunch in our cells. But, they finally got around to taking care of the problem. They addressed all the medical requests and removed the “host” inmate. Hopefully they are treating her and not just moving her to another housing. Then her cell was emptied, cleaned, and sterilized. The girl sharing the cell was issued all new bedding. Now, hopefully we can move on. Unfortunately, we lost dayroom time because we caused such an uproar about the lice issue. But, it needed to be addressed and I’m glad it finally was. Thankfully, the books my Mother sent me arrived last night. 2 weeks ago when I was desperate for books, my wonderful Mother ordered me two. They were delivered and signed for at the facility on the 18th of October. I got them on 10/27. The deputies had them this entire time. It really makes me angry. Before the deputy gives them to me, she asks how many books I have. I tell her “5” and then she gives me my books. I guess there is a policy here, you are not allowed more than 6 books. I understand that is the rule for “shared” books, but I own these. I wouldn’t have to have so many books ordered if they would just give out the books for us to read that were donated. Generous people donating books to the jail that the deputies won’t give the chaplain to give out. How can you limit how many books I have when you keep me on lockdown for 21-22 hours a day ? This place is really out of hand. Again, I am not a dangerous criminal that committed some heinous act. The corrections system is not about “correcting” anyone. That’s why so many people end up coming back. Why so many people end up being more “broken” then when they arrived here. Why so many people aren’t ready for the “real” world when they do get out. All because the corrections system is broken and needs an overhaul. We need reform desperately. Maybe my voice, along with others can make a difference. 

Only got out an hour this afternoon. Had to have dinner in our cells. Didn’t have time for a shower., so I had to “sink” shower. You have to do what you have to do in here. The lockdown makes people desperate. Two girls couldn’t take it anymore and they “hurt” each other. One slammed the desk on her bunkies foot and the other on her hand. They were swollen and black and blue. They really did hurt each other pretty bad. But, this “accident” got them out of here and into a nice bed in medical. No lockdown, no waiting for the phone, tv all day, desperate times equal desperate measures. That’s how bad it is here. So bad they were willing to physically hurt themselves to get a break. The entire housing unit has no dangerous criminals. They are all non-violent drug and theft crimes. I just can’t understand the extreme amount of lockdowns. 
Then to top it off, the deputy on duty forgets to let me out on time for my video visit. It’s 10 after 7pm. My visit was at 7pm. I now have 20 minutes left.  She apologized, but that doesn’t get my 10 minutes back with my Son and Husband. This is a state of the art, hi-tech facility. But, there is nothing to keep visits on time. Seems so simple. Some people may think “What’s the big deal ?” Well, again, with two, 30 minutes video visits a week, it’s everything. It's all I have. 

Well, it wasn’t the best day, but I made the best of it. I didn’t let this facility's BS get to me, and to me, that’s a victory ! 

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