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.
Posts Tagged ‘memo’
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
The Green and Gold Blue Flu
Posted: October 19, 2010 in UncategorizedTags: Aaron, Afterwards, Again, Anyway, Blue, bunk, chances, Chicago, coincidence, composure, Correctional, decisions, didn, doesn, explanations, failure, FMCI, football, gates, Gold, haters, inmates, Institution, Just, Lake, manager, memo, Minimum, Nation, nature, opinions, orders, Packer, Packers, passion, Prison, Rodgers, room, Should, snacks, sweaters, System, team, tendency, truck, Vikings, wire, Wisconsin, zeal
I’m at the Fox Lake Minimum Correctional Institution (FMCI), a facility in the Wisconsin Prison System (WPS). We submit our canteen orders on Sunday’s and then get what we ordered after count clears, about 6 pm, on Monday. Basically when the truck gets here, they call for volunteers to unload it. After count and mail call, everyone stands in a room waiting for their name to be yelled by the two guards passing it out. I tell you all this now to tell you that none of this actually happened this past Monday. We were notified via a memo posted in the window behind the guard station that due to a lack of staffing, canteen would not be handed out until Tuesday. Inmates who have been here awhile report they’d never seen this happen before for this kind of reason. But this was no ordinary Monday night for the monsters of the midway, the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers would play a football game. Apparently, it was just a coincidence that the flu took out all of our regularly scheduled guards on the same night or at last that is what they would probably tell you. They won’t explain that to us because we’re not entitled to explanations. I don’t personally care. Those that did either are the ones that have a tendency to whine about something all the time or were out of canteen. Again, not my nature. My former family used to laugh at me for bringing coats and sweaters when we would go camping but sure enough, late at night, they would all be wearing those coats and sweaters. My point is, I try to be prepared for the unexpected. Prison has only reinforced that. Anyway, if you’re not a Packer fan here, chances are you holler and yell along with all the haters about how horrible they are, and how great the Vikings or some other team is. Unfortunately, its not always all in fun. Fights nearly break out over it. As game time approached, we get our snacks ready and I climbed into my top bunk. I walked around during the game a bit, observing people, guards and inmates, of all races, colors and creeds being pulled together by the common denominator of the Green Bay Packers. Everyone cheered (or yelled) at the top of their lungs for or against. For a few hours we forget where we were, the barbed wire and the gates. At the end, almost everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong for the Packers, yet they only lost by 3. It was more how they lost. They lost their composure. They didn’t stay focused and didn’t do the very things that are basic to football.
Afterwards, even those professing an undying loyalty to the team questioned the coach’s decisions, the general manager, even though he didn’t have anything directly to do with the game, and even Aaron Rodgers, who had been the toast of the Packer Nation. Are they any less loyal, love the team any less because they questions ,and have their own opinions on things they don’t have all the facts on? Should the Packers disown their fans for such faithlessness? No, of course not. Their passion and zeal, even when its misplaced, is further evidence of their love and devotion for the team. Do you see where I’m going? Those who were close to me have turned their backs on me because of my failure to get help when I was sinking, its not fair to hold it against them. Their opinions, without knowing all the facts, doesn’t mean they don’t care.
The next day, the haters were out in full force led by the sergeants on 1st and 2nd shift. But that’s ok. Just because we get down on those we love, doesn’t mean we’re going to stop loving them. We just need more accurate information.
Life in Wisconsin Prisons and Beyond 