My last entry was about a good day, fueled in part by commissary shopping. This one is the complete opposite.
I’m in an FCI camp, which, unlike a traditional prison, lacks fences. Theoretically, we could walk out at any time. In fact, a public road runs close to the track, making a getaway by car possible. What keeps us here is the fear of being caught, facing additional charges for escape, and being sent to a high-security prison for an even longer sentence. Plus, most of us are just trying to do our time and get out, wanting to live the rest of our lives far from any jail. However, some inmates aren’t as focused on staying out of trouble, and their actions affect everyone.
The absence of fences means contraband—phones, vapes, and drugs—finds its way inside. Guards conduct searches almost daily, with varying success. If contraband is found in a “cube” (shared living space for four inmates), everyone in that cube gets punished. Depending on the severity of the offense, it could mean a few days in solitary confinement or a transfer to a medium-security prison, along with the loss of earned good time and program participation. Innocent people can lose months or even years of their lives due to a cube mate’s stupidity. That’s why most contraband is hidden in common areas. When found in public spaces, the items are confiscated, and an investigation to identify the owner begins. That’s the usual procedure. This week was anything but usual.
The rumor circulating is that a few nights ago, a car drove down the nearby public road and tossed a bag out the window. When guards recovered the bag, they found 30 cell phones, 30 vapes, and a surprise item. That’s a massive amount of contraband, and the numbers could be exaggerated, as this is just camp gossip.
The surprise item was a young woman’s driver’s license. Apparently, the driver accidentally left it in the bag. With the ID, it was easy to cross-reference visitor logs and identify the intended recipient. The culprit happened to be in my wing (though not my cube). I never spoke to him or even knew his name. He was taken to solitary confinement two days ago in the early morning. Rumor has it he and his girlfriend are facing new charges, and he’ll never return to this camp. He had only six months left; now he’s likely added years to his sentence.
After he was taken away, they locked us out of the TV room in our wing. I was told that locking the TV room meant we were on lockdown and couldn’t get commissary. I assumed that was an exaggeration. However, a bulletin came over our computer messaging system today: limited commissary for wings 2 and 3 (I’m in wing 3). Only a $25 spending limit, and only for hygiene items, for the next 30 days. I was crushed. Commissary order form turn-in day is tomorrow. Everyone in my building has spent the last few days meticulously filling out their forms. Even with the usual $180 limit, it was hard to get all the snacks and supplies needed for two weeks. It’s a calculated task, especially for newcomers like me. I still need to order clothing and supplies I couldn’t get last time. I still need a watch ($80), a sweatsuit ($60), a radio ($50), and earbuds ($12), along with hygiene items and high-protein foods to supplement the regular meals.
After receiving the “limited commissary” bulletin, my carefully planned order form became useless for at least 30 days. Looks like I’ll just be getting soap, toothpaste, mouthwash, and laundry detergent.
The whole wing is pretty depressed. Most are mad at the guards for punishing everyone for one person’s actions. I’m mad at the people who keep bringing contraband in. What am I supposed to do? Tell these criminals, “Hey, you guys need to follow the rules!” I’m sure that would go over well. On the bright side, the lack of food will help with my weight loss goals this month 🙂
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