I’m at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF), an institution in the Wisconsin Prison System (WPS), participating in the Earned Release Program (ERP). It was Friday, June 10th, graduation day for my ERP group. At about 8:30 am we all went down into the dayroom to setup the chairs for everyone to sit along with 9 or 10 chairs on the left side for whatever people that were not inmates that would attend. They put the Transformer image up on the board used at the last ERP graduation. They’ve been working on this as part of our graduation project. Then of course we put 10 chairs up front for us. John Lloyd, of course, served as the MC. He read an opening statement but the problem was the same as it was for every person who spoke thereafter. We really couldn’t be heard beyond the first couple of seats but we didn’t know that at the time. The unit manager then gave a statement congratulating us. We then each read a quote each of us chose along with saying what it meant to us. My quote was “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance” by Derek Bok. The gist of what I had to say about revolved around was that getting to know me, about why I think the way I do, recognizing the errors in how I think and how my changes are a result of a decision to change, not the product of the prison staff or programs. I’m pretty sure, though I have a deeper voice that carries pretty well, I’m sure they didn’t hear me very well. Our ERP social worker, Ms. Grey, clearly was unhappy with my comments. Oh well. If you’ve been following this blog, especially prior to my arrival at MSDF you’ve known this to be true. Afterwards Ms. Grey spoke and handed out ERP completion certificates. These were actually pretty impressive. In order to get my license back I’ll need to do an alcohol assessment and this certificate will show I’ve completed a program. That was followed with a closing statement by ERP group member Scott Bunker. Lest I forget, intern Nikita also made some nice comments while Ms. Carr and Ms. Presley both declined to say anything. After it was over, they handed out cookies to everybody after which we put the chairs away. We went back to our cells to await lunch. News of the carry conceal law came over the news. Cellie Malcolm Johnson said this was great news for criminals like himself because they would just take the guns away from the white people carrying them. And with that he forcefully put his hand at my side to demonstrate. I wanted to say something but I decided to wait until we were alone. About that time Ms. Grey showed up and wanted our Phase I , Phase II, and Phase III tests we had done. It took me a minute but I found them. After lunch, when Malcolm was in the room alone with me. I told him in the future not to put his hands on me. He said alright but didn’t apologize which is fine. It wouldn’t have been sincere anyway. Fortunately 1 pm arrived and since I’m now a graduate I went to our former group room and played ping pong and took a shower. It’s starting to actually set it. It’s over! It’s not so much joy as it is relief. I said a thank you prayer to God. I called my adoptive parents Charles and Victoria Martin and Charles got the phone line in for my bracelet but didn’t have the internet in yet. I also called one of this blogs’ sponsors and they are still planning on getting me at the bus station once I’m released. The next step is for the judge to sign my amended judgment of conviction and send it back to Ms. Grey. Ms. Grey will let my parole officer (PO) Hellen Gaither know who will send a C15 form telling MSDF to release me. This process should take 10 to 14 days. Piece of cake considering what we’ve been through. Don’t you think?
Posts Tagged ‘piece’
My ERP Group Graduates
Posted: January 5, 2012 in UncategorizedTags: About, Afterwards, alcohol, arrival, bracelet, Bunker, Carr, cellie, cells, certificate, certificates, Charles, completion, conviction, criminals, dayroom, decision, Derek, Detention, didn, education, errors, Gaither, gist, Graduates, Grey, Group, guns, Hellen, ignorance, inmates, Institution, John, Johnson, judgment, June, Lest, Lloyd, Malcolm, manager, Martin, member, Milwaukee, MSDF, news, Nikita, officer, parents, person, Phase, piece, prayer, Presley, Prison, product, Program, Release, relief, room, Scott, Secure, setup, statement, System, Transformer, Unit, Victoria, Wisconsin, worker
Guard Trick Could Have Backfired
Posted: March 4, 2011 in UncategorizedTags: Abuse, addition, Ander, Andre, assignments, breath, Brian, Casarjian, catalog, Change, Charles, Christmas, Conduct, conversation, Could, Criminal, December, Detention, didn, Edition, expectations, Freedom, Grey, Guard, Guide, Harvey, headphones, Improvement, impulse, inmate, Inner, Institution, Jack, Kenneth, Koss, Malik, management, Marcus, medication, Milkman, Milwaukee, mood, MSDF, opinion, pastime, Pearl, piece, Power, Prison, Prisoner, Program, Publications, radio, Release, Robin, room, rules, Sage, Secure, self, situation, Strategies, substance, System, treatment, Trick, vacation, vacations, violations, Wanberg, Whalen, Wisconsin, workbook
I’m at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF), an institution in the Wisconsin Prison System (WPS), participating in the Earned Release Program (ERP). Shortly after count last night, the Koss headphones I bought off the catalogs, a plastic piece by the right ear just fell off making the ear piece unable to stay connected (Jack L. Marcus catalog #2168). I got them while at JCI several months ago and they take a considerable pounding since I never listen to TV or radio without them. I spent the rest of the night after shaving my head wearing those headphones being careful not to touch them once I got them on my head lest I cause the headphone to fall. It’s unfortunate it happened right before Christmas break where TV viewing will be a major pastime. With Christmas right around the corner (today is December 23rd) guard and staff vacations have started which means we have staff unfamiliar to us. I asked them for an order form and catalog so I could order the headphones but were refused. While waiting for lunch, my cellies, Malik Pearl, Andre Charles, and Brian Whalen had a long but productive conversation. Andre went on and on about how those in his ERP group upset him with how they act. He finally came at me and wanted to know what I thought. I took a deep breath and told him the problem was him. His expectations of how these people act is what has created this problem. In addition, I told him his anger management isn’t the problem but he has a rage issue, and that he needed medication for mood stabilization and impulse control. Finally, I told him I worry someday he will kill someone before he was even aware of what he’s done. Everyone in the room was stunned by what I said but Andre said I was dead on accurate and thanked me. But he asked why Whalen never had issues with him. It’s because Whalen does everything he can to appease him while Malik and I would not. Whalen even agreed with this opinion. For once I thought I handled this situation well. We had count after lunch and Andre came out without his ID or yellow smock. Normally, they let this go but these new guards did not. After count cleared, one of the guards showed up and told him to pack up as he was doing to the hole for these violations. He was patted down, and Andre was clearly getting angry. After going through his things, the guard announced he was “fu—– with him as he had them by not following the rules”. Relieved he didn’t go to the hole he returned to his usual loud self. But this guard had played a very dangerous game. What if Ander had flipped out over losing his ERP over his trick? Getting kicked out of ERP can mean additional years an inmate may have to sit in prison. I believe Andre to be fairly dangerous and this guard was by himself and didn’t know Malik or I. Fortunately, it ended ok …this time. At 1 pm, Ms. Grey joined us and gave us new books. On was “Houses of Healing: A Prisoner’s Guide to Inner Power and Freedom, 5th Edition”, 2008, by Robin Casarjian and another workbook, “Criminal Conduct and Substance Abuse Treatment. Strategies for Self Improvement and Change” by Kenneth W. Wanberg and Harvey B. Milkman, 2006, Sage Publications. We will begin assignments in this next week while she is gone on vacation. Ms. Grey also gave us a whole bunch of worksheets. The load is getting heavier no doubt. But I am confident I’ll keep up.
Don’t Pee on the Toilet Seat
Posted: February 15, 2011 in UncategorizedTags: Again, Another, beast, boot, Brian, Bunker, cell, cellies, comments, conversation, Correctional, coverage, custom, Dallas, December, Detention, freeway, Grey, Group, inmate, Institution, Lunch, Malik, manner, Milwaukee, moments, money, movie, MSDF, nature, news, Pearl, period, piece, Plus, Poor, Prison, Program, Racine, relationships, Release, results, room, Scott, Seat, Secure, Some, standoff, System, tensions, Toilet, treatment, Unit, wasn, week, West, Whalen, Wisconsin, word, 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). The see saw relationships between those of us in this cell continues. I actually opened up about a period I was homeless while in Dallas, TX before I got myself together many years ago. I hadn’t even told you all about that mostly because it wasn’t relevant yet. But the conversation revolved around the fear of being homeless after release. I relate to that believe me. It’s a big fear of mine. But the conversation seemed to ease tensions. I still don’t trust any of them but such is the nature of the beast. This morning was dominated by the coverage of the standoff on I94 West which blocked both sides of the freeway. It’s so weird seeing all the cold and snow on TV and not be able to feel it or see it with my own eyes. No sun, sky, moon, stars or fresh air until I get out. I better get used to it. They had another community meeting as is their custom on Friday. Housecleaning issues were that people blow their noses and spit in the sink and showers. We’ve seen this before. What is it about prison that makes people believe in such a gross manner? Another issue, people pee on the toilet seat. No ladies, prison doesn’t fix that about men. They moved onto the quote of the week which had been assigned to one of my cellies, Malik Pearl. His quote was “To stand still is to die. To move forward is to prosper”. He did a good job explaining it. He even had part of the quote tattooed on him. The word for the week was “receptive”. Again, the comments were wooden and felt forced but I don’t know maybe that’s how it is here. Then another inmate shared a news story about how Milwaukee County is developing it’s own style of boot camp for their jail and how it was a good idea. Everyone stood up and said how great this was – except me of course. I surprised myself by speaking up even though I don’t start the program until Monday, December 13th. My point was that programs such as these don’t produce results – which is to keep people out of jail. Plus, the money would be better applied to treatment programs, to address the root causes of why they are in prison. My cellie, Brian Whalen actually spoke up and agreed with me. The last piece of business was to introduce the new social worker, Betty Grey. She helped with the ERP program at Racine Correctional Institution (RCI) prior to being at MSDF. Ms. Grey is going to be running my ERP group on Monday. You’ll be hearing a lot about her over the next few months. Tried as I may, I couldn’t read anything about her in those few moments. Group concluded and the school is out feeling came over the entire unit as no ERP stuff until Monday. Some went to sleep, watch TV, use the phone or as I found out today, they have a movie room. Lunch came and the people sent to the hole yesterday returned. The guy who was suppose to go home did. But one of the guys who went was Scott Bunker who came in with me and like me starts ERP Monday. Poor guy. It’s been a rough start for him as the first room he was in wasn’t to his ethnic standards and now this. In fairness to him they were much younger than him but it’s not going to be easy for him here I think. My cellies kid me I can’t take it easy anymore but I told them I’m ready to get this going. “Finally” is the word that comes to mind for me as we’ve been trying to get in ERP all of this past year.
The Aftermath
Posted: December 14, 2010 in UncategorizedTags: addition, Aftermath, Another, area, band, Bramer, Brodie, bunk, Capt, Christian, complaints, Correctional, degree, distribution, emergency, events, fantasy, FMCI, food, friends, fruit, hall, heater, human, inmate, inmates, Institution, Jackson, kitchen, Lake, life, Minimum, mood, NCIS, noises, November, People, Percy, piece, Prison, regulations, repercussions, restriction, restrictions, rules, sarcasm, situation, soap, Some, System, ticket, tickets, Unit, upside, Wisconsin, world
I’m at the Fox Lake Minimum Correctional Institution (FMCI), a facility in the Wisconsin Prison System (WPS). The following day after the institution wide shakedown I got to the showers right after count cleared around 7:50 am. It was good that I did because shortly thereafter all the hot water was turned off on the unit with some saying the hot water heater had failed. This certainly didn’t help the mood on our unit which was already sour due to yesterday’s events. Then to top it of, we ran out of liquid soap though later in the day we got a new supply. The repercussions of the shakedown continued. An unconfirmed number of 9 people were sent to the hole with more expected the following day. In addition new regulations were put in place regarding kitchen food. Seconds were banned. Only one piece of fruit allowed in your bunk (not including canteen). A note was posted on the whiteboard saying if you had any property confiscated you were going to get a ticket for unauthorized transfer of property or similar offense and that the days to come Lt. Brodie and Capt. Bramer would hold hearings on the tickets. This is going to be literally dozens of tickets. Some inmates began making noises that it was an illegal shakedown because according to the rules an inmate must be present when their area was tossed even during an emergency and they were going to fill out complaints about this. They will lose. You can’t fight city hall you know? But all of these new restrictions on food and such came about because so many had abused the situation. This had been a long time coming. People working in the kitchen were okay with it though as there was more food for them. But truthfully these were the kind of rules we had at Jackson Correctional Institution (JCI), a medium security institution. One upside – perhaps they won’t have so many flies during the summer. I won’t be here to see that though. Tomorrow I get off bunk restriction. We are having a stretch of 60 degree November days so I’ll hit the track hard. We finished off the night with canteen distribution a day late due to yesterday’s fun. Another inmate made “cake” with some of his canteen and gave me some. It simply was some of the finest food I’ve had in the last 18 months. Oh and a side note. Percy actually spoke to me like a human being with no sarcasm and a genuine smile. Will wonders never cease? I settled in for the night comfortable in my Tuesday night routine on my top bunk. I watched TV shoes NCIS and Parenthood while eating a microwave bag of plain popcorn. I then flossed and brushed. Then I laid down and did the same thing I do every night. I fantasize of life in the real world, of a family of my own, interacting with friends, playing in a Christian band and having my happy ending to all this. That fantasy can become reality but we’ve got a lot more work to do to get there.
Life in Wisconsin Prisons and Beyond 