What a Place

My first full week in the “college dorm”. It won’t be a full college dorm for about another five weeks. So far, all the academic aides and mentors have moved in as have about 20 students. Three quarters of the building is left to go.



I’m fine anywhere, but I’ve seen things in here I hadn’t experienced in my old building.


Thursday morning two guys got into a fight (a real fight) right in the bunk cut. Blood went flying and both guys were drug out and CO’s packed their stuff. They’re celebrating Christmas and New Years in the hole. They won’t be back. Neither guy is in the college program. Two more open bunks.


We have one of the most flamboyant black gay guys in the compound still in here. “She” should be moving this week. “She” sits to pee. No joke. “She” swivels into the bathroom lisping “excuse me fellas”, then drops a squat.


The other day another gump was mad because she didn’t come out for “girl talk”. The young lady was deeply offended. “I’m out here freezin’ my titties off and KK – that bitch – is toastie.” Without missing a beat, the CO on duty on the rec yard said “honey, all women lie, even ones with balls.”


At least six times a day guys fire up little roll up cigarettes in the bathroom. For $2 of commissary you get a rolled up cigarette that gives you at most two quick puffs.


Then there’s the tattoo artist who’s putting sleeves (an entire arm) on guys with a homemade tat gun. He’s working ten hours a day on tats making a few hundred dollars a week.


There’s a barber operating shop on the floor. Cutting hair in the building is prohibited, except, apparently, in here. The guy is cutting hair with his radio wired into his TV speaker. Rap music blasting away (another prohibited act).


Then, there’s the “thug” smoking weed while he’s sitting on his bunk. No one says a word.


A friend of mine – Craig – discusses life on the “Eastside”. Craig has a Masters from Ohio University. A high school science teacher and assistant football coach, he did something needlessly stupid (a man after my own heart!). He’s almost 40 and eight years into 14 to serve.


He’s as quirky as I am (perhaps quirkier) and funny and brilliant. He’s also survived his entire eight years in one of the worst building sides here.


“I never spoke to anyone. For eight years I sat in my cut working crosswords.”


He said he never tried to move buildings even though he was the school principal’s assistant.


“I wanted to wake up every day and remember how despicable this experience is.”


So many of the guys on this side run scams, don’t work, and in general don’t care because to them prison is just another lousy life experience. So far, nothing DOC has done has changed their outlook, given them a reason to say “I hate this. I want a better life.”


Perhaps putting the college dorm over here will work. Perhaps the Governor’s re-entry directive will turn these men’s lives around. One thing is for certain, what DOC is doing currently isn’t working. It’s clearly entertaining over here. But, more is at stake than my amusement.