Prison Life: Routine, Rules, and Rumors

I usually try to have a theme or single subject for my journal entries, but that’s becoming cumbersome. So, this one is just a collection of updates on my life and some prison gossip.

My daily routine is pretty consistent. My yoga classes are going well, even though we’re getting new participants every session. It can be challenging to convince people to try yoga here, as it’s not traditionally seen as “manly.” I tell them, “You know what’s truly manly and tough? Not caring what others think.” My half-marathon training is also progressing; I’ve increased my runs from 1.5 to 3.5 miles in the past month. I injured my shoulder last week during an intense burpee workout with my crew, so I’ve been focusing on legs and abs. I’ll dedicate a future post to the crazy workouts we do.

Today, I had my first team meeting, a status update with my case manager, which happens upon arrival and every six months afterward. It went smoothly; he confirmed my release date calculations from my previous post. I also recently joined an exclusive “club”—not a gang, let me explain.

There are two dorm buildings in the camp, with four wings each. Each building has what’s jokingly called the “retirement wing.” In the “G” building, it’s wing 1, also known as the dog wing (where inmates train and rehabilitate dogs for adoption). In the “P” (RDAP) building, it’s wing 4, where I recently moved. These wings are special because they have extra rules enforced by the inmates themselves. Residents are held to a higher standard, with a few perks. The three main rules are:

1. No contraband is tolerated: no cell phones, vapes, drugs, or alcohol.
2. Strict noise policies from 10 PM to 8 AM.
3. Maintaining a clean cube (a rule in all wings, but rarely enforced elsewhere).

Most wings have 32 people joking, laughing, using contraband, or playing loud music all night, making sleep difficult. In the retirement wing, it’s silent after 10 PM, and we tiptoe to the bathroom. Besides cleanliness and quiet, the main perk is not worrying about being sent to SHU for a cube mate’s hidden contraband.

To join, you need references, and the current residents must like and trust you. I also had an interview to ensure I understood and would follow the rules before moving in last week. I like it, though it’s sometimes too quiet. I use rain sounds on my tablet to sleep. It can also be a bit boring, so I visit friends in other wings for entertainment and stories.

Speaking of stories, there’s a lot of gossip about K2, a drug that’s prevalent here. I don’t know how it gets in. Users have wild episodes, sometimes curling up in a ball in the bathroom, yelling random words, or staring into space for 30 minutes with no memory of the incident afterward. It’s frightening, and I don’t understand why anyone would use it. There are many K2 episode videos on YouTube. Anyway, either there’s a recent influx, or a bad batch came in, because two inmates had severe episodes today and were taken to SHU.

I witnessed the first incident. A guy was walking slowly and swerving, flanked by two others who were trying to help but also laughing. When I realized he was on K2, a guard yelled, “Stop right there!” The guy didn’t stop and was chased and taken to medical. He returned three hours later. Rumor has it he either tested negative (K2 doesn’t show on urine tests) or ratted someone out.

Later, after the last count, two inmates ran from the “G” building to the guard station—a sign of a medical incident. Someone in wing 1 (the retirement wing) had a bad K2 episode. He was taken away in cuffs and didn’t return. I’m sure the wing 1 shot caller isn’t happy. It seems K2 is coming in heavily, and the timing is bad.

The camp is at capacity, and more people are coming next week. Guards are reportedly told to find reasons to send people to SHU to free up beds. Wing searches and “random” drug tests have doubled, and they’re frisking people on the way to chow.

The worst part is that the dogs in wing 1, who used to have their own bunks, now have to sleep on the floor. 🙁

For me, everything is fine. I’m in a great wing and keeping my head down. I have a good routine of reading, writing, yoga, and running. I’ll get through the next 8.5 months just fine.