Fight Club

Something’s in the water; must be.  While fights are a common occurrence, the last 24 hours set a record.  Two fights were very serious; one, the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.

This morning on the ball court in full view of the tower and one hundred inmates, a Muslim man finally hit his breaking point with a loud, obnoxious Sergeant.  In five short minutes the Sergeant was left bloodied and dazed.  The inmate calmly put his hands behind his back and let officers – who ran from all corners of the compound when “1033” (officer attacked) blared over the radios – handcuff him and lead him to the “hole”.  Within 24 hours he’ll ship to a higher security prison and be held until a street assault charge is brought.  The fight will add 5 years to his time.

But, this environment pushes men to their breaking points.  I oppose violence, but imagine having a man who controls you verbally call you out day after day, question your sexual orientation, your manhood, your religion.  Worse, you see him bully a weaker man.  You snap.  You handle things.  And Sergeant Big Mouth goes down.

Last night the Bloods decided a member had to go.  So, in our bathroom at 11:00 pm, the member was de-ganged.  You’re “jumped” in (beaten to join); you’re “jumped” out the same way.  It was brutal and afterward, the former “banger” went to his rack and slept knowing his life inside was now changing.  To his former “brothers” he was now a failure, an outcast, dead man walking.

And the “funny” fight?  Two rollie pollie guys in our building started throwing punches at each other.  Why?  “He licked my ear.  I’m tired of his gay act!”  Like two lumbering walruses, they threw big overhand slaps hitting their rolls of back fat and man breasts.  After a few minutes they were both left utterly exhausted.  Some guys have no business fighting!

Welcome to the world of corrections.  It’s always just beneath the surface, the anger, the tension, the violence.  And DOC is either unable or unwilling to stop it.  Unlike Fight Club the movie, this isn’t a dream.  It’s every day in here.  And if it happens here with guys close to going home, imagine what it’s like in higher security levels.  Is this what people want from their prison – sorry “corrections” system?