Prison Pete
Thursday, December 23, 2004
Live from New York.
Here I am, live from New York. Yes folks, we are not at Club Fed any longer, and as expected, there is no work and limited recreational activities so I will be locked in a cage here for most of the day.
The first bummer is that it seems the only way to get books is have them delivered in person. And only five at that!
The visiting procedures for unscheduled visits is different here, with the time and day based on the first letter of the inmate's last name. You can also call ahead for reserved visits Monday to Friday. The visiting for me is even days, but only when they fall on Tuesday through Saturday.
I am only allowed two visits per week. I am sure that will not be a problem since Mom and Dad and you are only people who would visit, and I do not think they would stay for three days to get two visits. If you can figure out some way to visit, that would be nice, but at this point I am not sure if it would be a good use of your time.
I am wondering if Mom and Dad could get some special consideration due to distance traveled, but I am not really sure. Since they can come and visit their friends in the area, it might be something they can live with.
Since books are out, phone calls are collect, and visitors doubtful, that leaves me with plenty of time to write. By the way, the mail is not read here going in or out.
So my thought is to begin to write two different things. One: stuff for blog, the other, research for a book. I will practice writing specific issue-type postings that describe the day-to-day goings-on that can be posted now, and more personal stuff we will just hold to later.
For example, one thing I noticed is how the CO's here use "FUCK" as punctuation, noun, verb, and adverb. Last night I said "Excuse me, CO..." and he flipped on me and said "DO NOT INTERRUPT ME WHEN I AM FUCKING TALKING!" Hmm, I thought I had started talking when he was not otherwise engaged. Such is life.
We had Rec already this morning at 8:30 AM and besides me, only one of the other eighteen inmates went out. We talked a bit. According to him, we should get to go to the law library today. Only for one hour, but at least they have computers, so I can see if there has been any new case law in my favor! I know there has been no negative stuff or DA would have used it by now. So that is something to look forward to.
The faces of the CO's are all too familiar. There seems to be very little turnover here. So much to say, but I am still a little disoriented.
They have two TVs that are outside the bars but are only completely viewable from five of the cells. Since the place is all terrazzo floors and the cells have sheet steel walls, the acoustics are horrible and the sound bounces all around.
I was left in the holding area extra long last night. What a wonderful life. I do not have a watch in here and the only clock is way up on the other end of the tier. I was having an asthma attack last night, and all I know it was some time between 11:00 PM and 6:00 AM.
The dimmer for the fluorescent lights is allegedly broken, so they leave the lights on all night. Good thing I can sleep through anything!
The one thing that will be interesting is that if reading is limited, but if I am sort of tired, well maybe writing slowly can become as relaxing and my letters more readable. Well let me see what happens at the law library.
The first bummer is that it seems the only way to get books is have them delivered in person. And only five at that!
The visiting procedures for unscheduled visits is different here, with the time and day based on the first letter of the inmate's last name. You can also call ahead for reserved visits Monday to Friday. The visiting for me is even days, but only when they fall on Tuesday through Saturday.
I am only allowed two visits per week. I am sure that will not be a problem since Mom and Dad and you are only people who would visit, and I do not think they would stay for three days to get two visits. If you can figure out some way to visit, that would be nice, but at this point I am not sure if it would be a good use of your time.
I am wondering if Mom and Dad could get some special consideration due to distance traveled, but I am not really sure. Since they can come and visit their friends in the area, it might be something they can live with.
Since books are out, phone calls are collect, and visitors doubtful, that leaves me with plenty of time to write. By the way, the mail is not read here going in or out.
So my thought is to begin to write two different things. One: stuff for blog, the other, research for a book. I will practice writing specific issue-type postings that describe the day-to-day goings-on that can be posted now, and more personal stuff we will just hold to later.
For example, one thing I noticed is how the CO's here use "FUCK" as punctuation, noun, verb, and adverb. Last night I said "Excuse me, CO..." and he flipped on me and said "DO NOT INTERRUPT ME WHEN I AM FUCKING TALKING!" Hmm, I thought I had started talking when he was not otherwise engaged. Such is life.
We had Rec already this morning at 8:30 AM and besides me, only one of the other eighteen inmates went out. We talked a bit. According to him, we should get to go to the law library today. Only for one hour, but at least they have computers, so I can see if there has been any new case law in my favor! I know there has been no negative stuff or DA would have used it by now. So that is something to look forward to.
The faces of the CO's are all too familiar. There seems to be very little turnover here. So much to say, but I am still a little disoriented.
They have two TVs that are outside the bars but are only completely viewable from five of the cells. Since the place is all terrazzo floors and the cells have sheet steel walls, the acoustics are horrible and the sound bounces all around.
I was left in the holding area extra long last night. What a wonderful life. I do not have a watch in here and the only clock is way up on the other end of the tier. I was having an asthma attack last night, and all I know it was some time between 11:00 PM and 6:00 AM.
The dimmer for the fluorescent lights is allegedly broken, so they leave the lights on all night. Good thing I can sleep through anything!
The one thing that will be interesting is that if reading is limited, but if I am sort of tired, well maybe writing slowly can become as relaxing and my letters more readable. Well let me see what happens at the law library.
Comments:
It's Christmas Eve now, very early in the morning. I read your post and when I finished it I quietly said, "Oh my God." I think the two things that bothered me the most were the acoustics and the lights being on all night. Those two things seemingly being an additional punishment aside from your incarceration. It's not right and most would not agree with me I'm sure.
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