T-minus 1806

What else have I seen since I've been here...Do you want the good, the bad and the ugly? Well...ok.

The Good:

Sabrina and Black went home yesterday and per custom they were clapped out, fudge and blankets were made and the soul train line dance ensued and yes, to both of your questions 1. I boogied my way down the line 2. Right behind me...seriously offbeat....were the two guards...laughing all the way down to the sound of us "inmates" cheering them on.

The Bad:

As an A&O it is our "job" to take out the garbage. It's around the front of the building and a little off to the side....I like doing it because we get to leave campus grounds. Anyway back to the story....it's the weekend and that means visitation time. Visitor's park out front and come into the administration building. There is no fence and technically, nothing to stop a visitor from walking around the building onto campus or for that matter to keep us from hiking down to the local McDonald's, for a burger and fries....and I don't mean by foot. We have designated drivers and people who work in landscaping and in the garage, all of whom have access and permission to use the BOP cars and trucks.

It is ALL about the Honor System (Yup,,,,,college and high school)

Back to the story, we A&O's were minding our own business, taking out the garbage, when at the side of the building the cart hit a bump and dumped some of the bags out. As we were picking it up and putting it back, one of the girls spots a brown bag in the bushes, grabs it and tosses it onto the pile...believing it's just more trash. One of the staffers happened to be walking by at that time, came over to help us and also spots the bag. He pulls it off the garbage pile and looks inside....what does he find...3 packs of Marlboro's. (Aside...this is a non-smoking facility....cigarettes are considered contraband....contraband in illegal) The staffer takes the bag inside and we don't see him again for the rest of the day.

A few hours later, the on duty guard calls all the A&O's to security and asks us if we knew anything about it...of course we say no...since we;d all been here for three weeks or less. The next morning four guards are in the administration building, which of course is odd and a red flag. The walk over to one of the dorms, disappear for 45 minutes and come out with a girl in handcuffs. She was balling crying and her blond hair was everywhere. They all hop into a white van and pull off. a few minutes later admin staffers come out of the dorms with two big boxes. I find out later that:

1. She was shipped to Tallahassee SHU unit...it's the Women's Maximum facility.
2. All of her good time credit was revoked.
3. She cannot go on anymore furloughs.
4. 6 months time was added to her sentence....she was scheduled to go home next summer.
5. Her Dad dropped off the smokes and now is facing federal charges (Providing contraband to an inmate is illegal and punishable by up to 5 years in prison)

The Ugly:

Yesterday they had a "shakedown" - that's where everyone exits the dorms and more guards than usual come through checking rooms. Although they are usually directed "shakedowns" where they only go to one or two dorms and visit specific rooms. Well, I knew something was wrong after I saw 5 girls being carted off to guess where TALLAHASSEE SHU!

Turns out the were using a cell phone (provided by one of their families)...so come on say it with me CONTRABAND! What do you think happened? In addition to the permanent stay in the SHU...Again...suppling federal inmates with what is considered CONTRABAND i.e. cell phones and cigarettes you get:

1. For cell phones an additional year added to you sentence.
2. Permanent removal from Camp status and on to Max status.
3. possible loss of both your Good Time Credit and Halfway House time
4. For the supplier - federal charges.

All for a phone call (which we can do anyway) and a smoke (which can kill you anyway).....my thoughts? I don't think so.

3 miles daily

FAITH 51212