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| Not Sam's Prison |
Yesterday we left off with the tale of my first visit to see my friend Sam in prison for selling unlicensed fireworks—a box of firecrackers loaded with a wee bit too much gunpowder.
Sam
entered the visitation area looking fit and healthy, and was in good spirits.
Prison visits are allowed on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, from 8:00am to
3:00pm. Any non-felon can visit, but they have to be pre-approved with a
background check and on the official visitor list. The first thing Sam wanted
to do was hit the vending machines. Prisoners have a canteen where they can buy
some snack foods, but they usually don’t have access to sweets. They are
absolutely forbidden to use the vending machines in the visiting area and
aren’t allowed near them. Visitors bring rolls or bags of quarters to get
treats for the prisoners. Throughout our visit, I think Sam had two bags of Pop
Tarts, two packages of doughnuts, a candy bar, some Fritos, some vending machine
White Castles, a Coke and three coffees. Good thing he has a fast metabolism.
Sam
talked a bit about the makeup of the prison. The population was around 50%
black, 20% Hispanic, and 30% white and “other.” He has a Master’s Degree in
Communications from Eastern Kentucky University. He said only about 1% of the
prisoners has an advanced degree; there was a pharmacist and a banker there who
were both highly educated. The currency inside is postage stamps. Prisoners use
stamps among themselves for favors and to buy small items from each other. He
has several jobs, one of which is to clean certain rooms, and in a few weeks he
will begin teaching a public speaking class. As an adjunct professor at several
local universities, that teaching experience will finally come in handy. The
reward for this gainful employment is around $10.00 per month.
The
mail situation is interesting. Apparently prisoners can get magazines in the
mail, but not books or newspapers. They can get photographs, as long as no one
is fully nude. The mail is censored, or at least opened and given a cursory glance,
but most things get through. There are sports available, and Sam has played
pool, soccer and worked out. The security is minimal. A prisoner can walk away
any time, but when they are caught (and they’re almost always caught), they
will go back to the maximum-security facility. And no one wants that.
The
prisoners do not have to get up at a certain time, but they do have several
head counts per day and they have to be at those counts. On foggy days they can
have as many as four or five counts per day to make sure no one slips away in
the mist. That actually happened recently, as one prisoner slipped away in the
fog to meet his girlfriend and get some nookie and Burger King. The man may
have even intended to return—but he was found out, caught, and is now serving
the remainder of his sentence, plus added time, at the facility next door.
Needless to say he won’t be slipping away again. I hope the Whopper was worth
it. For her and him.
We
discussed what was happening in our lives, and Sam was hungry for news from the
outside; of our friends and family and the latest gossip. We had a great visit
and I stayed until the guards tossed everyone out at 3:00pm. As we embraced and said
goodbye we both teared up. I miss my friend and hate to see him trapped like an
animal for 18 months because he sold a hot firecracker. Not when there are real
criminals to lock up. Sam’s friends are trying to have someone visit him every
weekend, so he doesn’t get too lonely. Hopefully he can rebuild his life,
although the loss of his business and now a felony record will make things
difficult. Luckily, he’s intelligent, ambitious and has a vast support system. He’ll
be all right.
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