I’m at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF), an institution in the Wisconsin Prison System (WPS), participating in the Earned Release Program (ERP). Nothing much happened the weekend after our ERP Group graduated. Two minor incidents would have implications later on. First, cellie Scar Johnson began talking trash about me in the dayroom. I got word of this from cellie Larry Sands. I just didn’t care as I’ve come to know the person he is and since I’m almost out of here opinions here matter even less than it did to me before. Second, cellie Jose Michaels had the occasion to be playing his music louder than normal. He likes a Puerto Rican style of rap which I don’t care for. But the way it has worked in our cell up to this point is we use our headphones for electronics. It’s a respect thing as not everyone likes what another might. So, I asked him to turn it down which he did. End of story right? Not exactly. Come Monday, it started similar to when I first got to MSDF. Lots of TV, took a shower and read. It’s so nice to not have to wait in line for the shower now! But during the day, our ERP social worker Ms. Grey came by and summoned us to the dayroom. I hoped against hope she got word our judges had already signed our paperwork, but no such luck. Though she hadn’t felt the need to go through our Phase III evaluations, she brought our Phase 3 evaluations for our signature. Glancing through mine, the ratings were generally positive, but the true reflection of how she felt laid in the comments she made. She mentioned how I went to the hole because of this blog but also mentions that though I never received any kind of discipline for it I seem to always have to have the last word and that I didn’t seem to grasp the basic tenants of the ERP program. I read this and briefly agreed. I was helping at her request other inmates with their goals for crying out loud! But I wasn’t going to make any headway here, certainly not with all those other group members standing around. It felt vindictive, almost retaliatory on her part. Of course, this doesn’t change anything about my status as having completed the ERP program. The only downside is this eval will go to my parole officer (PO), Helen Gaither. There’s a good chance she won’t even read it. But at the time I admit to being angry. I was even more angry when Sands returned and told me Ms. Grey asked him if he regretted moving to this cell. When he said no, she asked if he was sure. Again he said no. I sat there fuming. I went about my business thinking about all this. I got in a better mood though when Michaels came around. He has such a positive attitude, you can’t help but not be down around him. We got to talking and he told me that he had been unhappy when I asked him to turn down the music and that he can’t wait till Sands and I leave so he can run the show in this cell and they can be bad as they want in there. He was decent about it and he demonstrated respect by seeing we had a way of doing things before he got here. But I’ll still be glad I won’t be here for that collision between Scar and Michaels! But I’ll close with some comments about what Ms. Grey did. Its good I always wait before I write these entries. It allows perspective to form. But to be honest, I’ve been unhappy with my writing for this blog while at MSDF. I have had one hour a day to write whereas at other institutions I had tons of time. I’m also unhappy with my time at MSDF. I grew as a person much more while at DCI, JCI, and FMCI. Though MSDF and ERP were largely negative influences in my life, ultimately I’m responsible for my own growth or lack thereof. So I have to accept responsibility for that. It’s not Ms. Grey, MSDF, cellies or others fault. But I will say I do look forward to a more positive atmosphere that I will create out in the world. The proof is in the pudding as they say. I believe that with God’s help, I will be successful even if it does look overwhelming now.
Posts Tagged ‘electronics’
Hot As A…..
Posted: January 3, 2012 in UncategorizedTags: Anyway, bunk, Bunker, cellie, compassion, cups, dayroom, degree, degrees, Department, Despite, Detention, didn, Dietz, doors, electronics, Fridays, Grey, Guard, Health, Hogan, injustices, inmate, inmates, Institution, Johnson, June, Larry, machine, Malcolm, manager, Mark, member, Milwaukee, MSDF, noise, obstruction, paperwork, person, Peters, Prison, Program, Records, Release, relief, restrictions, Roscoe, Sands, Scott, Secure, spokesman, System, ticket, Turns, Unit, Waukesha, Wisconsin, worker
I’m at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF), an institution in the Wisconsin Prison System (WPS), participating in the Earned Release Program (ERP). Wednesday came one degree away from setting another record for June 8th – 92 degrees with the same high humidity. It got to the point where they pulled out the huge mobile fans and the ice machine went dry. They had to put restrictions on ice as the machine created more, not allowing anything but cups to be filled. The point is, it was hot again. The tape put over the vent by cellie Larry Sands didn’t help at all. Since it was Wednesday there were no ERP groups for anybody. Despite the heat, we were still required to wear the yellow tops in the dayroom or in the rooms. Guard Roscoe Peters showed some degree of compassion by looking the other way at inmates who didn’t wear the tops in their rooms until our ERP social worker Ms. Grey showed up. Despite having told us previously not to stay in the dayroom all the time she insisted everyone do so now because she saw one inmate in his bunk. I was already grouchy as it was and this didn’t help. Then ERP group member Mark Hogan told several of us that our paperwork for release was not going to be sent to our judges until Monday per Ms. Grey. All the other groups until now have had their paperwork submitted the day before graduation by the Records Department because the person in that job didn’t’ work Fridays. The unit manager happened to be on the unit having his ear filled by cellie Malcolm Johnson about the perceived injustices done to him. Sands, Scott Dietz, and I approached the unit manager. Sands acted as spokesman. After reiterating the issue the unit manager seemed to not have an answer. He is new here so that didn’t surprise me. Speaking of Sands, it looks like Waukesha County is going to come get him for the warrant he has. Its an unpaid fine for a years old obstruction ticket. He wrote the judge asking him that it be made concurrent with his prison sentence but it was denied. Anyway, things were still up in the air as far as our release paperwork is concerned. On top of the heat and everything else, I also found out ERP group member Scott Bunker has got another problem. Us inmates often use earplugs when we sleep to drown out the noise cellies or guards make with electronics or slamming doors, etc. Well the tip of one broke off and got shoved deep into his ear. Health services here said they couldn’t see it and if he asked about it again they would refer him to psych services while also charging him twice the $7.50 copay. Turns out, not only is it there, the tip of the earplug is going to have to be surgically removed! With our impending release I wonder how they’ll handle that? The night ended as it began. Hot and humid but at least there is relief in store tomorrow.
MSDF Arrival
Posted: January 24, 2011 in UncategorizedTags: About, Again, April, arrival, badge, bunk, Bunker, cell, Correctional, Courthouse, December, desks, Detention, Dodge, door, electronics, FMCI, food, handbook, inmate, Institution, John, June, Just, Lake, length, Lloyd, locker, Milwaukee, Minimum, mood, MSDF, news, person, Prison, Program, Release, Scott, Secure, setup, shirt, street, System, tier, Unit, walls, Wisconsin
I’m at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF), an institution in the Wisconsin Prison System (WPS) participating in the Earned Release Program (ERP). I got up about 4 am at Fox Lake Minimum Correctional Institution (FMCI) knowing it was my day to go, so I could shave and shower as experience has taught me there are no guarantees how things might go initially. Then I went back to my bunk and slept. About 7 am, the guard woke me up and told me it was time to go. I cleaned up my remaining linens. My cellie told me “not to let the door hit me in the a—“ with a smile on his face. They told me to walk down to Unit 10 where another inmate named Scott Bunker on his way to MSDF for ERP as well joined me. He had gotten to keep his electronics the last 5 days! The guards gave him a hard time about that in a good natured way. They pretended to strip search us and then got on the same kind of bus that brought me to FMCI. We were joined by John Lloyd, who had managed to get staffed straight to ERP at MSDF from Dodge Correctional Institution (DCI). I let him know how totally lucky he was. John was in for his 5th DUI and Scott was in for his 7th DUI. John had some good news. He had reviewed the “handbook” on each institution and our ERP was only 13 weeks! I was on cloud 9! I’m going to be out by April! We got to MSDF, which is across the street from the Milwaukee County Courthouse and got sent to a holding cell. Everything screams a county jail to me here from the dingy walls to the layout of the facility. They took the greens issued to me my first day in prison. They gave me bright yellow clothes with a white t-shirt. I look like a banana! Then they went through my property. Turns out I got to keep everything except the clothes I bought out of the catalogs, including my electronics which everyone said I couldn’t keep. Now I’m in a great mood! They threw away my old badge, gave me a new one and the nurse checked in. All of the staff was by far the most professional and courteous I’ve seen in my time in jail or prison. Then we got lunch. Oh boy. It was some kind of hoagie and it tasted awful. Again, the food resembles county jail food. Well, I wanted to lose weight so I’ll get that wish. I got to the 4th floor where I was assigned a cell. Top bunk again of course. It’s a 4 person cell with 4 full length grayish blue lockers in front, 2 bunks on each side, 2 TV stands on each side, and 2 desks. The walls are a dingy white with a maroon door. Just like a county jail its a 2-tier setup. My 3 cellies were all there and they clearly weren’t expecting me as my locker and TV stand were being used. Then they dropped the bomb on me. Its actually a 24-week program. We’re talking June release. I got bummed. How could I be so stupid as to believe inmate information? We’ve learned this over and over again. I got settled in, figured out where the TV shows I watch were. I’ve got till December 13th to get used to this place. I’m so very tired.
You Can’t Handle the Truth
Posted: December 6, 2010 in UncategorizedTags: account, Again, apartment, attitude, boat, Brodie, bunk, Club, confinement, Correctional, decisions, depression, didn, disciplinary, electronics, fears, FMCI, Glee, gotten, Greer, Handle, history, impulses, income, inmate, Institution, knowledge, lady, Lake, Minimum, needs, news, office, officer, outcomes, paper, Percy, Prison, requirement, rules, skills, spite, supper, System, ticket, tickets, Truth, warden, Wisconsin, word
I’m at the Fox Lake Minimum Correctional Institution (FMCI), a facility in the Wisconsin Prison System (WPS). I’ve gotten better as the week progressed and not only that I forced myself to get out on the track and felt better for it. I started to reengage people too. One inmate confided in me his fears about getting out soon. He claims, if you can follow, he got revoked because his cleaning lady got busted at his apartment with pot without his knowledge. In his case, he is unusual because he is “max discharge”, that is he has no “paper” or requirement to follow rules that a parole officer might require. His fears revolve around his being alone, having nowhere to go and no job. I certainly understood as I’m in that boat too. I got him talking about his skills and how much potential income they might bring. Yes its going to be rough for him, but if he already has a defeated attitude, how far will he get? It got close to supper time and the Glee Club was lined up already. Pretty soon word had gotten around Lt. Brodie was conducting hearings on tickets. One of the Glee Club that knew I had a ticket taunted me in a good natured way that I was next. He was right. Brodie was conducing his hearings in Ms. Greer’s office. He acted as if he didn’t know who I was but I just don’t believe it. He asked my side of the story and I explained what happened. Then he said he’d already taken into account my lack of any discipline history when he determined my sentence was 5 days bunk confinement. Everyone had told me these hearings and their outcomes were predetermined before the inmate says a word. I guessed that to be true but I didn’t expect Brodie to be so brazen about it. My bunk confinement was to begin the following day. I was told I could appeal to the warden but I figured they’ll double it again if I do. I did get some good news. Again, inmate information was incorrect, I did get to keep the use of my electronics. They can take it away but usually don’t unless it involves misuse of the electronics. Truth is outside of my walks on the track, bunk confinement wouldn’t be much different than my normal routine. Yet I was still angry. I was angry that Percy had just for spite, had wrecked my perfect disciplinary record. I was wrong for putting myself in the position he could accuse me. I started feeling the familiar yet unpredictable impulses of rage and anger toward Percy. That’s a side of me I don’t like at all. Fortunately, I’ve never acted on such impulses. When waves of depression and rage strike, I ride out the storm and never make decisions during that time. Then after the storm was over, I prayed for Percy, that he might find happiness and whatever it is he needs to find his center. Then I went to sleep. It was the first real good sleep I’ve had in awhile.
