I’m at Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF), an institution in the Wisconsin Prison System (WPS), participating in the Earned Release Program (ERP). On Saturday at the supper meal, cellie Andre Charles, who is just weeks from graduating ERP, in front of the entire unit, got into a verbal confrontation with another inmate that continued with voices raised while Andre went up the stairs to his cell. Guard Ruth Bartowski noticed but didn’t say anything. He remained at the door looking out the cell window down at the inmate who had dared to offend him. As a rule you mind your own business in situations like this. The last thing you want is to get in the middle of it. I returned to my cell once the meal finished and went to brush my teeth, my habit after each meal. When I was returning, I saw the inmate who had somehow offended Andre at the top of the stairs, still jawing with him while rounding the corner to his left and to pass by a large square stoned pillar which obstructs the guards view. Andre jumped out of his cell, swinging at the inmate twice, landing one punch. The inmate at the receiving end quickly moved into the guards view while trying to act normal. Once I got back into the cell, I saw that cellie Brian Whalen was there and him and Andre were talking in an animated fashion with Whalen telling Andre to calm down. They didn’t want to tell me what happened as it “wasn’t my business” but eventually Andrew would tell me. He always does. It seems the inmate he’d hit had a cellie who Andre had heard had been talking about him in their cell and Andre believed this man was talking about that at the table to other people. He popped up and told this inmate” to keep his name out of his mouth.” After the confrontation, Andre fretted that someone would snitch to the guards about what had happened. But I have this flaw where I tell the truth in situations like this. I told him I hadn’t thought through the consequences of his actions and going after a guy for something someone else said was irrational at best. He agreed but continued to rant. I reminded him that inmates close to release often sabotage themselves. But we had other problems. It was our turn to do the cleaning on the unit like we did before. Whalen had made a bet on the Super Bowl that it turned out he didn’t have the funds to pay. Before things got too ugly for him (not paying off a debt is a big no no) Andre bought the debt off the owed inmate but he kept reminded Whalen how much he owed him it seemed like every second. But he got Whalen to cover his cleaning duties for the next 2 weeks in order to cover his debt. Worse yet he’ll owe Andre for saving his butt for the rest of his time. But for all his bluster, he really had rescued Whalen. I think, in his own way, he had done a decent thing.
Posts Tagged ‘meal’
Maggots!
Posted: April 4, 2011 in UncategorizedTags: Andre, breakfast, brother, cellblock, cellie, champions, confidence, Detention, dominated, ERP, families, food, football, friend, Frosted Flakes, Green Bay, hopes, imagine, investigation, Maggots, meal, mechanism, Milwaukee, MSDF, National Football Conference, NFC, parole officer, phone contact, Pittsburgh, plans, PO, population, pray, pre-game, pre-sentence, raisins, Secure, spouse, Steeler, Suncup, Sunday, table, throw up, transferred, word, Worms
I’m at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF), an institution in the Wisconsin Prison System (WPS), participating in the Earned Release Program (ERP). Yesterday started out like every other breakfast. Often we get a box of raisins with that meal. The guy across from me at the table poured his raisins over his Frosted Flakes and on the raisins were tiny white worm like looking things. He picked one up and put it on the table and sure enough it started squirming. They were maggots! I wanted to throw up. I hadn’t opened my raisins yet and I highly doubt I’ll eat anymore while I’m here. I’m not sure if it is on MSDF or the people that packaged them that this happened but it just doesn’t really matter. After the moldy suncup (which I still won’t drink), warm milk and now this, I just don’t have a lot of confidence in the food here. My cellie Andre Charles came by the table and quickly spread the word to others and soon it was the talk of the cellblock. The rest of this particular Sunday was dominated by the soon to be crowned National Football Conference (NFC) Champions Green Bay Packers pre-game shows and football game. Did I mention the Packers are going to the Super Bowl? 
Of course, Andre is a Pittsburgh Steeler fan so Super Bowl week should be interesting. I did do one useful thing. I made the decision to contact my biological half brother and let him know my natural father’s relatives were looking for him too. I figured we may as well get this all over with. The next day, began week 7 of our involvement in the ERP program. We also are having our first phone contact with our Parole Officer (PO). Mine is tomorrow and my PO’s name is Janet Martin (No relation to me). She also had written my pre-sentence investigation that hadn’t been kind to me. But more about that after the call. As a result of the calls, we spent the entire morning in our cell. After lunch we got into our information given to us on denial and defense mechanisms. We each took turns reading one of the 12 mechanisms. We got done and were promptly told to lock in. I found out over supper what happened. On the other side of our unit is a group who are there because they violated the terms of their parole and have what’s called an ATR or an alternative to revocation. Once they graduate they get out instead of going back to prison. But tonight three of those guys were transferred back to general population to await revocation. I don’t know why. One is facing 7 years. All were 3 weeks away from graduation. Spouse’s, families, and friends all were awaiting them to get out. Plans made and hopes are sky high. I can’t even imagine what’s going through their heads. I pray that I never find out.
A Guard Goes Down
Posted: March 9, 2011 in UncategorizedTags: addict, addiction, Afterwards, Andre, antenna, antennas, attention, band, Body, Brian, cable, cables, cell, cellie, chairs, Charles, chick, Choice, cords, Detention, Down, girl, Gracie, granite, Guard, inmate, inmates, Institution, Larry, leader, locker, Malik, manner, marriage, meal, Milwaukee, movie, MSDF, Neurotransmitters, noise, outlet, Pearl, People, person, Peter, Peters, plays, Prison, Program, radio, Release, result, room, Roscoe, Ryan, Secure, shirt, Some, Specialist, steps, Supervisor, supper, System, television, televisions, Thorn, Though, vacation, wasn, Whalen, wires, Wisconsin, woman, word, world
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 my towel and washcloth third in line on the chairs in front of the disgusting shower and was happy about that. It was also laundry night so I was plenty busy. The next morning cellie, Brian Whalen, agreed we would pull all our cords out of the tangled mess on our outlet and I would try to get it so that the wires and cables weren’t interfering with the reception of our antenna’s for our televisions. Though we don’t have cable we do pick up 31 television stations, which is amazing considering all the granite and steel here. But electrical cables seem to interfere with the antennas. But I decided to wait until lunch to do this as we were having the worst meal here, beef stroganoff. I went to my ERP group where our group leader, inmate Larry Sands, decided on his own to show a movie called Gracie’s Choice , an excellent movie of a young girl with several brothers and sisters whose mother was an addict. After it was finished I returned to my cell and when lunch was called, I began to work on the cords and antennas. Cellie Andre Charles was the only one left in the room, his fan blaring on high, and having just banged around at his locker. As I experimented with antenna positions he challenged me in a threatening manner on the amount of noise I was making. This coming from a guy who plays his TV and radio loud all the time and no one says a word. I just looked at him and left. I saw Whalen coming up the steps and told him after he inquired of whether I was finished that no I wasn’t and he should ask Andre why. After I returned, everyone was quiet and Andre was pacing the floor saying he’s not going to put up with this sh—anymore. I showed no fear or concern, but I didn’t answer. The other cellie Malik Pearl, confided once Roscoe Peters, our regular first shift guard, returned from vacation he would ask to be transferred. I told him I probably would after he did. His reasoning is he can’t handle it. But I don’t put it beyond Malik to be playing games either. I just don’t know for sure. Our ERP group resumed and after doing a couple assigned crossword puzzles on the Body System and Neurotransmitters, we watched another movie, “When a Man Loves a Woman” starring Meg Ryan. It’s a story about how a woman gets help for her drinking problem but as a result of getting healthy as a person, her marriage suffers. I avoided this movie in the real world as I heard it was a ‘chick flick’ but it was actually pretty good. Afterwards I returned to my cell. Andre wasn’t saying a word now. But right before supper was served, Malik drew my attention to the cell window. There was Peter Thorn, the guard who liked like he belonged in a punk band, on a chair head in hands with a white shirt (a supervisor) encouraging him to come with him. He hadn’t looked right before and he displayed the eyes of heroin use. Some inmates laughed, some cheered, but not me. Addiction can take down a guard, an IT Specialist/programmer like myself or anyone else really. People are fighting for their lives in here on several different levels and not all of them are inmates.
Don’t Forget Where You’re At
Posted: February 4, 2011 in UncategorizedTags: Again, ambition, Andre, asset, assignment, bathroom, breakfast, bunk, cell, cells, Charles, Clean, complaint, desk, Detention, Developer, discussion, door, equals, fact, food, Forget, guys, Institution, Just, Last, Malik, meal, Milwaukee, moments, MSDF, paradox, patience, Pearl, person, Prison, Program, reaction, Release, rules, Secure, Software, STOP, System, tier, wasn, Where, wife, 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). One thing that started yesterday was that it was our cells turn to clean the upper tier of the cellblock after each meal for the next two weeks. We each get plastic gloves from the desk and go upstairs and clean. Clean what, is the problem. I’m the kind of guy that wants to know my assignment and let me go and get it. I have little patience for “busy work” or standing around wondering what to do. But if your not cleaning the bathroom that is essentially what you are doing. So in a really weird paradox, the one job you’d think nobody would want – cleaning toilets and sinks – everyone in my cell wants to do so we’re not guessing what to do. Of course, I find something to do. I sweep the tier though I actually pick up very little. I want to do this every time so I can know what to expect, but the other guys in the cell don’t want to do that. They want to discuss what job each person will do each time. My thought process/reaction is probably like this: “Oh man give me the worst job each time so I can get this done and move on. Just STOP TALKING!” A few companies I worked for as an IT guy and Software Developer, I chafed under the same idea that talking equals work. In some ways, I find the discussion more stressful and complex than the actual work. My ex-wife knew enough to give me a list of things to do and then get out of my way. If this is a character defect or character asset, you decide. But I’ve been like that since I can remember. Everything was fine until breakfast. I pulled out my broom to sweep the tier but not everyone was done eating. One guy said to me to wait till everyone was done so dust wasn’t in their food. He was right of course. My problem was he yelled it to me in front of everyone. Again, another pet peeve of mine is being called out in front of others. I prefer one on one. But that won’t happen all the time. I said nothing and waited, then swept. The guys then went to their ERP group. Last week, no one cared if those of us not in the program slept during the day. Today they cared. We’ve seen guards who make up the rules as they go, but I’m convinced that wasn’t the case this time. The guard came to my door and I was sitting on my bunk so he moved on. But moments later Malik Pearl came with a smile on his face told me I can’t sleep even if I’m not part of the ERP group yet. I asked what prompted all of this and he replied that even though we weren’t part of the ERP group we still had rules to follow. I then observed Malik and Andre Charles and the social worker talking and pointing up to the cell. I’ pretty sure I know what’s going on here. In their ERP group there was a discussion concerning non=program people and that complaint got raised which got the guard involved. The guard, they don’t just suddenly get a spurt of ambition and create a rule that didn’t exist before. Now whether Malik and Andre were behind it, I’m not sure but the fact Malik showed up right after the guard came by and announced the rule tells me I’m going to have to remember though they share my cell, they are not to be trusted. It disappoints me as I would like to build a circle of people I trust. But even though this is the ERP, I’m still in prison and I can’t forget that.
Thanksgiving Day
Posted: January 17, 2011 in UncategorizedTags: Almost, area, band, conclusion, Correctional, Cowboys, crime, Dallas, Detention, didn, downside, duration, fantasy, FMCI, food, Framework, fruit, guys, Information, inmate, inmates, Institution, items, Lake, letter, Macy, meal, memory, Milwaukee, Minimum, MSDF, NuWave, obsession, Orleans, oven, Prison, result, RSVP, Saints, Secure, status, supper, System, Technology, tension, Though, turkey, Unit, wasn, Waukesha, wife, Winnebago, Wisconsin, worker
I’m at the Fox Lake Minimum Correctional Institution (FMCI), a facility in the Wisconsin Prison System (WPS). The Thanksgiving holiday started off quiet. Almost all the regular guards have been gone the last 2 days as many of them have gone deer hunting. The result of that is we had guards unfamiliar with how things really work as opposed to by the book. This created some tension but most of the time we just laughed. Early in the morning several inmates began preparing a feast of canteen items, making burritos, cakes, chili and such on the counter we line up by for lunch. I wasn’t invited as you had to contribute canteen that was needed and since I was packed up to go to Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF) for my ERP program on Monday I didn’t have anything. There were those that wanted to participate but others already involved didn’t want them to. Food made by the inmates is usually pretty good though quite spicy, usually too much so for me. But to be invited to contribute canteen and eat is usually indicative of the positive social status of the inmate. The downside of this activity is the microwaves on the unit are occupied for the duration. I and other inmates had to sneak over to the other side of the unit to warm up our coffee. It might surprise you to know that we all were watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade. It was a nice memory for me as I had played tuba in the band and marched competitively back in high school, all 140 pounds of me back then. Boy I feel old at 42 and 195! Our “Thanksgiving meal” wasn’t until supper so I put on 2 coats, hat, gloves and tied up my hood and walked on the track. As you might expect, my thoughts were far from FMCI, and not really even about MSDF. They were more about my future and the focus on what I need to do when I get out. I waver between rational and anxiety drive trains of thought. Technically inmates have to go back to the area were they committed their crime (Waukesha county) but if you have a job and a place to go they’ll let you go there. As I’ve noted before, I’m in Information Technology and a .NET Framework programmer. My adoptive parents are in Winnebago County so perhaps Green Bay, WI is where I should go which is near them. There’s few jobs like that in Waukesha County and besides my ex-wife and all those triggers associated with that are there. How can I pull this off? The thought process gets tangled between obsession, fantasy and reality. The thought occurs there is little I can accomplish on my own without help. I wrote a letter to one of my sponsors expressing all this, pretty scatter brained sounding I’m sure, asking for help with how to do this. I’m not sure they’ll know what to do but they’re who I have in my corner right now. I really need to be focusing on finishing ERP at MSDF in the short term. Supper consisted of turkey loaf, cranberries, stuffing and mixed vegetables. Though everyone complained, I didn’t see anyone giving their food away. That’s alright, when I get out, to celebrate, I’m getting a NuWave oven like I used to have and am going to make a huge turkey, peach cobbler, stuffing and fruit salad. Everyone is invited but please RSVP! 🙂 But back to this reality. Unfortunately, they ran out of turkey loaf so they had to do something else for the guys at the end of the line and a servery (kitchen) worker fell and shattered his elbow. We all watched the exciting conclusion to the Dallas Cowboys – New Orleans Saints game. As for me, my stomach did back flips as one of the guys who was cooking canteen earlier in the day offered me a left over burrito. It was good, but man it was spicy!
It’s All About Follow Through
Posted: November 30, 2010 in UncategorizedTags: About, Afterwards, aren, Attorney, black, chords, computer, contacts, Correctional, crime, custody, Dane, dedication, Despite, didn, disservice, dominoes, feet, FMCI, gotten, Greer, Hospital, inmate, inmates, Institution, Just, keyboard, Kleefisch, Lake, library, lyrics, meal, memo, Meriter, Minimum, music, notes, October, office, places, Power, Prison, psychiatrist, purpose, Rebecca, session, singer, specifics, statute, Sure, System, tension, Thank, Through, treatment, Unit, Waukesha, Wisconsin, word, worker
I’m at the Fox Lake Minimum Correctional Institution (FMCI), a facility in the Wisconsin Prison System (WPS). At about 7:10 am, I got paged to come to Ms. Greer’s office. Ms. Greer is the social worker on our unit and it appeared we had had a disconnect on the issue with Waukesha County. Turns out she had let me know she simply didn’t remember what it was we had been discussing. She took the copies of the bills my Power of Attorney had sent, made a copy of my criminal case record that proved I was in custody at the time and told me she would look into this. I was floored again. Calling me in prior to office hours and agreeing to help? I don’t think she got the memo that DOC staff aren’t supposed to care. Of course I’m kidding. But it’ll be interesting to see what happens next. I was glad I followed through. At about 10 that morning, I was taken for a previously scheduled session with the psychiatrist I liked. It was pretty informative. I felt comfortable enough to tell him about this bog and how much work I’ve been able to do through it. He seemed quite interested. I asked him how he was able to avert his eyes to the feet that most don’t get the treatment they need while in prison. His answer was telling. He said he does the best he could with what he’s given and he would be doing a bigger disservice to inmates by not being the best advocate he could be. Really, you’ve got to love the honesty and dedication. He shared he’s gotten burned before but it can’t keep you from following through with what is best for the inmate patient. Just outstanding. After I got back, it’s getting pretty evident nerves are getting a little frayed around here. A lot of us don’t have coats yet and its gotten cold out. They were suppose to have gotten out the middle of October but it didn’t happen for some reason. What’s worse is they’ve come out a few coats at a time, allowing the inmate in control of the laundry who hands them out to play favorites which angers many. What this all means is we aren’t getting outside. Losing my time on the track has been hard on me. Thank God I have my electronics. But the focus for others is playing cards, dominoes and chess. They’ll tie a blanket around the metal table we eat at and play their games. No, I don’t join in. But a group of black inmates were playing dominoes at meal time but didn’t wrap up when meal time started. We all have places and groups we sit by in the dayroom. A group of white inmates who usually sit at the table, just stood there with their trays not saying a word. They refused to move. A couple of the inmates from each side ended up going nose to nose talking crap to each other. The guards didn’t notice. But finally the white inmates sat, elsewhere, grumbling all the way and the black inmates laughing at them in a disrespectful tone. I’m glad I wasn’t involved. But truthfully I’d never be married to an inanimate object (thank you Rebecca Kleefisch!) or think I have to sit with the same group. I know I need to socialize more. Afterwards I went to the multi-purpose building to practice on the keyboard for Sunday. The singer had lyrics to gospel music I’d never heard but not chords or notes. We struggled for an hour, all the while I regretted ever getting involved in this. Afterwards, I decided to use the law library computer to see if it would address what Waukesha County was trying to do. Sure enough in Wisconsin statute 302.38, it appears the County is responsible for medical costs if I’m in custody for a crime and can’t pay which was the case and it seems to be confirmed by the court case Meriter hospital vs. Dane County. They would have to release me to not be responsible. When I got back I advised my POA on the phone and wrote on information request to Ms Greer letting her know these specifics in case it might help. Despite the tension in my unit I felt good. I’d accomplished something for a change, I actually had done well, and that’s not a feeling I’m too familiar with much anymore. Add that to positive contacts with staff for a change and it really was a good day.
Life in Wisconsin Prisons and Beyond 