Jail, Jail, Jail #1

I have recently spoken of my first time in jail, which was for a couple of days in Brooklyn, NYC central booking.

I have been PROMISING to speak of my other experiences. Today I start. I have mentioned some in passing, but never got down to the nitty gritty...(nitty gritty?..what am I like 70 now).

I had given the lead up to my 1st major jail sentence a bit ago. I will not repeat the details..it was long. You can catch up if you need to. The blog title is OK OK... Working up to Jail, It may take a bit. I think it was posted on September 29th or so.

A brief back ground was I was on my way driving form New Jersey, to WI. I was driving b/c my hubby,(not my hubby at the time, and I had bought a home about 6 blocks from the kids' dad to do the right thing for the kids).

Read the original post for details.

Just know it lead to jail time. I was sentenced to 80 days in the Kenosha,WI county jail. At the time I did not work, I did not go to school.. Luckily, I did have some knowledge of how things worked, because a woman that was in my out-patient program had been to jail prior to me, at the same location. I actually would pick her up once a week from jail to go to an extended out patient program...she got out for that...she was awarded "huber". She knew of this program called..."work crew". It was a bunch of organizations that received free help from the non-violent inmates. For example, St Vincent Depaul, YMCA,  picked up trash on the side of the highway, and local food shelters. I knew I needed to get into that program. Aside from getting out on a regular basis, you would also get 1 day off your sentence for every 3 days worked.

I took this information and held it close in my back pocket. When I was sentenced was about 2 weeks prior to my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. I asked the judge if I could turn myself in the weekend following..he allowed me to do so. It happened to be Memorial Day weekend. In Kenosh County you turn yourself in on Sat. am. by 8:00am.

My hubby drove me there, he sat with me in the waiting room..it was like a medical room waiting area, except, I would not be done anytime soon. I had to report to the Kenosha County Jail. Like I said, I had no job, no school...no reason for huber, BUT I was awarded huber, and with the knowledge of the "Work Crew", I had faith that I would not have to stay in the county jail proper.

Wholly shit, that was the worst place EVER!!!, and I have the ability now to judge. I actually believe that Kenosha County Jail was worse than Brooklyn Central Booking. Why? you ask? Well there was no ability for inmate  teamwork for a drink of water. Most importantly, I kept trying to ask who I need to speak with..(in a very "white " way), " With whom do I speak to about "work crew"." My question was totally ignored. I tried to say calm. I was in a cell block...6 cells, over crowding..to the point we had an additional 6 beds..they call them "boats"..on the very small common space open to the inmates from 6am-8pm. The total non-cell space was about 15x25. Also included in that space aside from the additional beds, boats...were 2 square stainless Steele tables, a single man shower(oh the shower worked on a push button...push the button it sprays for 90 seconds and stops..gotta push the button and hope ya get hot water..no shampoo...ya get a toothbrush, and a mini bar of soap), and a mounted TV on the ceiling. The channel was always the same....unless..ya finally had a guard that gave a shit...or half a shit, and was willing to lift half a finger to change the channel.

I KEPT asking the guards for information on who I needed to talk to about "work crew". I knew from my friend it was in a different, better facility. The guards told me I had to write a request form. I said, OK..where is the form? They gave me the form. I asked for a pen to fill it out. The guards would not give me a pen or pencil...they told me I had to put it on my inmate cantina request form(the cantina in jail is where ya get supplies like...pencils, envelopes, ibuprofen, candy, paper....ya get my drift). Ya can't use anything in jail unless you buy it from them.

Here in lies the problem I can't request a pencil, unless I have a pencil to make the request. Guards are such asses...Most barely have a GED and are on some power trip. I went round and round for 3 days trying to get a fucking writing utensil. I had no contact with my family...the phone in our ward did not work at the time....I had lost total contact to my husband, and kids. I was in a panic, but trying to stay calm.On the 3rd day after a whole lot of crying, and prayer ,one of the girls was going to be transferred somewhere else..she gave me her pencil. I was FINALLY able to write a request form.

Well, I was almost there I had a pencil...A broken pencil with no writing tip. I learned that cement block, and a whole lot of time..away from the cameras, creates a great pencil point.

After I wrote the form. I waited, and waited. I learned how to play spades. I am not sure why, but spades is the official "jail game". How did we have cards? You ask? Well a girl that was in our cell block, had already been in jail, and had ordered them through the jail. So when ya order stuff thought the jail, ya can take it with you from place to place with in the jail. The cards were very worn, wax almost worn off, when ya tried to shuffle they stayed bent. At least they were cards. Something to do.

I was able to write the form, and I did get "work crew" I was transferred on Wednesday.

OK more on this later.