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Show WEEKLY REFLEX DAVIS NEWS JOURNAL JULY 3, SUNSET NEWS, THURSDAY, JULY 3, 1980 1 980 2nd In Series m UThm The next few weeks had me running here, running there. I had to take a multitude of tests for the psychiatric department which took three days to complete. After that, I had to take a test for the high school department which determined whether or not I would be eligible for either high school or a vocational trade. THEN CAME the physical. Get the blood tests, take my temperature, check my blood pressure, check my heart, and my teeth. Now there was a problem. 1 was told I would have to see the dentist. From there I had my photograph taken. One front and two side shots, all the time holding a plate with my left hand with my name and number on it. Then came the part I was all too familiar with, getting my fingerprints. Left hand first, then right hand. That ink takes nearly an hour of hard scrobbing to get off. THEN OFF 1 went to clothing issue. 1 was first issued two orange shirts when I came on fish tier, and after two weeks 1 finally got my blues. spent nearly an hour getting suited up for what may have appeared to be an open debut in fashion. Every pair of jeans the clothing officer gave me 1 had to try on to make sure they fit correctly. When I got my boots, I tried on four pair before I was satisfied. Next came the jacket, which fit like a second glove. As far as underwear and socks, I took what they gave me, I didnt have any choice there. I wouldnt get my blue shirt until after I had been classified. 1 I ALSO had orientation classes to attend. One dealt with mailing and visiting procedures, and the other was a lecture from the warden. Not a bad old boy, but he would have been better off if he had stayed in the Army. He was trying to run this prison as if it were a boot camp for new recruits. The lecture was held in the auditorium and in January its one cold mamma up there. Its also the same place where movies are shown, where high school graduation is held and where the Prison Fellon Follies are held. AS FAR as the movies go, sometimes you would fell as if you were being punished for doing something wrong whenever you watched one of the films they brought in. This was how things generally went except for the last weekend of the month. All the inmates one night asked to have the windows opened a little to allow fresh air in, our requests were denied or just not listened to. AFTER AN hour of screaming and yelling, we started making fires. We took our trash, toilet paper rolls, started lighting them to make things worse than they already were. We wanted to get our point across and we did. Glass jars were thrown against the walls, the windows, smoke drifted into everyones house and crept up the walls. Trash cans on the bottom deck were afire blazing like tomorrow would never get here. This all started at ten that night, by eleven the goon squad came in and everyone began to quiet down. Breaking out hoses, they began to put out the fires and take pictures of the damage that was done. By the time the squad finished it was nearly midnight and the windows were still shut. WE STILL raised our voices in protest but didn't start anymore fires. It was nearly one in the morning before things came to a halt. I started drifting off to sleep, but not before I heard the familiar crank of windows being let down, down, down! The officers opened the windows completely! That night we got what we wanted, a little fresh air. WHAT WE hadn't wanted was to freeze ourselves to death all night. It was ten below with a forty mile an hour wind. I had to put all my clothes on that night, slept under two blankets and wrapped both towels around my feet and arms to stay warm. It was a long night for me but I like all the rest survived. In a sense it was worth it. The following morning the place looked like it had been fire bombed like Hamburg or Dresdan was during the war. The bottom deck was a complete wreck. After Keith and I came back from chow,sthere was talk about putting everyone on 24 hour lock down pending an investigation of the disturbance. Several inmates refused to go back to their cells. Things were beginning to get out of hand. NEARLY AN hour passed before we were back in our cells again, but every five or ten minutes a cell from below me could be heard to open. By eleven that morning, all cells were opened again. I found out the eight men were taken off the block and put in maximum security pending an investigation for causing and inciting a riot. The windows were finally closed and everything returned to normal. But I learned something that day. If a person wants something to happen, something that will benefit not only himself but others as well, you have to get in the mans face and not back off. You have to let him know you are willing to stick to your guns, especially 'if you are right. BUT I also know violence isnt the way to go about it. The people that work here wouldn't do a thing for you unless you did it for yourself. They are not here to help you, they were here to get paid. Any type of rehabilitation that needed to be done you had to do it on your own. The last few days of January went by pretty smooth. I had less than a week before I would be classified and that alone made me feel better. time I had met and talked to a few more a little more involved in people and and became people their problems. What started out as getting to know people eventually got my name spread around the prison and before long I became a wanted person. Why? I wrote poetry and some of the inmates wanted to buy them from me to send to their wives or girl friends to impress them. Some of them I sold for two or three packs apiece, others I sold for coffee and stamps. Why not sell them, I had no one to send them to. Whatever an inmate had to offer I took. For the time being I was in business. BY THIS THIS MONTH brought about changes that I was glad to see. I was to be classified and I had no idea what they were going to say to me until I stepped into their office, but I did know who was on the committee, part of which upset me. I waited in anticipation wondering what the outcome would be. I asked myself if I would be classified minimum security, or if I would be allowed to go to a vocational trade work or what. Finally, after what seemed like months of waiting, my day came. What they said to me didnt please me at all. I WALKED into the room and sat in front of a large oak table. Around the table sat Mr. Tuft, a case worker for incoming inmates; Mr. Horst, one of the many officers in charge of the block I lived on; Mr. James, a large heavy set caseworker; a Lt. Devins, who is a block officer for one of the other blocks; and Sgt. Moffet who is under Lt. Devins for their block. Lt. Devins started asking me questions first. I see here by your record, that you are here for auto thefts. Have you ever been in an institution before? NO, THIS is my first conviction arrest. Mr. James spoke in a loud commanding voice, I see here, according to your past record, you were convicted in 1967 of assault while you were in the service. What I want to know is why you didnt admit you served time in a military prison for this offence? THIS IRRITATED me more than anything. I lahsed out at the remark without thinking of the consequences. Til have you know I didnt mention it because I felt it had no bearing on my being in prison today, or had any reason to be evaluated in regards to my present situation. My God! That happened over twelve years ago. I didn't think an issue as old as that would need to be brought up again. I paused to catch my breath. What I did then has no connection in my present situation. 1 have paid for that crime more times than you could ever imagine. I concluded my statement without taking my eyes off James. RELAX NOW, calm down. We only wanted to get a little more insight to your personality. I turned my head and looked directly at Lt. Devins who had directed the statement toward me. Have I given you the insight you have been looking for? SO FAR. I want to ask you a few- questions in relation to your treatment letter, lt seems you want to finsih high school, get into a trade and get at least two years of college, all at the same time. Now do you realize that you are expected to meet all you have stated on paper and it may go bad for you at the parole board if you havent complied with everyting you have stated? Yes, I understand all that. My primary concern is getting into some type of program that will help me, not hurt me. I W AS asked to step out of the room and into the main corridor to wait until they had reached a decision. It didnt take long. Five minutes later I was called in again. It is the finding of this committee that you stay in the confines of the medium security facility and await the results from the board of pardons before you can be referred to the minimum security facility. Until that time, you will be moved over to the other side of the block, west side, until you can find a job and maintain employment at least for a period of 30 days. At that time or you can put in a request for either There is no guarantee you will get what you ask for but at least you will be eligible. Are there any questions regarding our findings? take his findings and No Lt. Devins, I feel agree- I WANTED to tell him he could shove them up his nose. able to the decision. Good, you will be on the move order tomorrow afternoon at three. Thatll be all. said James. I also saw in your NOT QUITE, military record you received a dishonorable discharge. Check your records Mr. James. I received a bad conduct discharge. And no, Im not going to get angry and try to hit you, because you would love that, and Im not going to give you the pleasure. their office. Sure I was angry, but I to let them know. I couldnt help but feel like some kind of prize bull they had brought to market and were trying to auction. They treated me with indifference, with an atmosphere of, another ten grand in their pockets. Well, at least I would be off 6 p.m. lockup. I would be able to move around the institution a little more freely. First things first. I had to get my blue shirts. Two of which the clothing office will stamp my last name and number onto. Black on blue. I WALKED out of wasnt about HE ASKED me how they fit. I looked at him with a half smile on my face. Yeh, fits good. Now I feel as if I fit in with the crowd. Later that day I ran into Keith who was classified the same day and we decided to go to the gym and play pool . We didn't say much, our replies to each other were more like grunts or moans of approval when we started shooting. AS THE progressed, the ring-in- s and the continued waiting for things to happen, I decided to check out the AA program this weekend. I needed all the programs I could handle to make it look good when I went to the Board in July. That night after lockup, Keith told me how scared he was about going to the Board. I dont know, I really don't know, he kept saying, they could give me a rehearing. I mean I was lucky getting my sentenced reduced from a five to life to a one to fifteen an all that, but If I get a rehearing, I wont stand a chance of seeing the baby born or even being with my wife or anything. She might even want a divorce. I LEANED my head against the bars and spoke softly, Keith one thing I have learned out of all the mistakes Ive made is dont judge what hasnt happened yet. Besides you're making a mountain out of a mole hill. Didn't you tell me yesterday you got a letter from your wife telling you she would wait for you, no matter how long it took! Yeh, I gues youre right. Itsjust that I dont want to lose her. Know what I mean? YEH KEITH, I know what you mean. It hurts to lose something you love. But dont start thinking that youll lose her, or you will. Think positive man, think that youll be out in a year. Think that the day you go to the Board your whole family will be there to give you support and carry you through the whole thing. Think about the baby thats due. Do you thing that girl will want a... Hey, wait a minute. What makes you think itll be a girl? I SMILED, dont know Keith, guess you could say I had a vision. Anyway, do you think that girl will want a father that is a quitter? What about it, are you a quitter? No, it isnt that, I just want to get out of here and start over again, raise my family without any hassles. To be a good father and a good husband. KEITH, as long as you continue to feel that way, I dont have any doubts of what you will do and what you will be; just dont quit trying. I paused for the cause and returned to let him know I was going to hit the sack early. You take care, and Ill see you in the morning for breakfast. If Im not awake, get me up will you? Keith replied, If you get up before me, get me up okay? Sure thing kit. Sure thing. I COULDNT help but think what I had just told Keith about it hurts to lose someone you love. I tossed and turned for nearly an hour before I cried myself to sleep. Before the week was over I found a job. Not exactly what I wanted, but I couldnt complain. I began working in the school department as a teachers aide. Inside of another week I became a tutor. But there was a catch to the job. Only Mr. Locks and myself knew that any inmate who worked there had to be a high school graduate, which I wasnt, but I had an arrangement worked out that when my records came in from Delaware, we would see whaf it was I needed and would take whatever tests were necessary to get my diploma. I figured all I needed were two, possibly three credits. WORKING IN the school department was a trip. I worked with all the teachers, including Pat who is a pretty little thing, if I dont mind saying. The only problem is she is married and pregnant, so I had enough to do in helping her maintain order in her class. Most of the guys in her class had a tendency to play off their school work and try to make time with Pat. Many times 1 had to tell the guys to cool their jets. One inmate, who had been in preison about two years, pulled me off to the side after I had been working there about two weeks tried giving me some advice. Look man. Im gonna give you some info, and you better make use of it dude. See, this is a prison, not a school. You in prison. Im in prison. You wear a blue shirt. I wear a blue shirt. If you dont keep your mouth shut when Im' trying to get some play, Im going to mess your face up. Understand? I HEARD what he said and nodded my head, then looking him squarely in the face I said sternly, Hey, I want you to understand one thing right now. Pat is a lady, deserves to be treated like a lady. You dont want anyone making a play for your girl when she comes to see you, so why dont you treat Pat with the same respect. What Im saying is this, if you dont like what I say or do, we can get it on right now. It dont matter to me. You might whip me, but you are going to get hurt, I promise you that. Now its your move Sumpter. W'hat do you want to do? AFTER CLASS punk. Meet me in the gym and well find out who gets hurt. He stared into me as if I were dead meat, just waiting to be cooked, and quite frankly I felt I had bit off more than I could chew, but I wasnt going to back down, not after what I had said. THE REST of the day went smooth. Sumpter and I say anything more to each other. However, when school was over thats when the action started. Both of us left together, walked down to the gym, and went into the far corner where no one could see us. As I started taking my shirt off, Sumpter hit me on the right side of my forehead. I had to move quick. He was coming at me with an intense desire to rearrange my face. Again he swung, and again he tagged me on the right cheek bone and the underside of my chin. This had me spinning a little, but I managed to get my hands free, and began to block the next barrage of swings aimed at didnt me. I NOTICED about seven or eight guys standing around cheering Sumpter on to beat me. No one was giving me any encouragement at all, and this alone got me mad and upset at the same time. When Sumpter came at me again, I ducked under a swinging right, came up underneath him and landed a hard right to his jaw. This backed him up about three steps, and then I came at him one more time, jabbed him twice with my left and landed a roundhouse right that put him down, and he stayed down. I THOUGHT it was over, but I was dead wrong. Two other guys grabbed me and one other started beating on my stomach until I thought I was going to throw up. The other two let me go and I fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes and was kicked several times in the back and chest. As they moved away from me I heard one of them say, nobody beats up my brother punk, and dont you ever forget it. Cmon guys, lets split. Did I ever hurt. But what hurt worse was the fact that no matter how hard I tried, I couldnt win, there are to many people in this place I had to fight if I wanted things to go right for me. At least my face wasnt damaged to badly, no big or ugly bruises to try and hide. Hell of a price to have to pay for being right about something. I came out a winner only to loose. Now thats what I call justice! I HAD made plans when I got off fish tier to attend an AA meeting but I kept putting it off until I felt I had the time. Well, I finally made the time and went to the meeting to check things out. I didnt know it then, but the people I met in AA were to end up being the only real friends I would have for a long time. Because AA is an anonymous group, I dant go into details that are said in each meeting, but I can say the reason I first went was to help me get some action when I went to the Board, but after I attended several of their meetings, and listened to what these guys were saying, I began to think a little more differently about myself and about what I wanted to use AA for. I began to get involved. I was on a cleanup committee for almost five months after I started going. I began to feel useful for the first time, and that felt good. ANOTHER THING about this group, it is based on trust and honesty, and when there are thirty or forty inmates in a group like this, you can adhere to their own rules without trying to make a play on somebody, or trying to get an AA officer to do something that isnt legal, then you know you have something good. I would go into my house at night after the meetings, I would ask myself if I was, or if I am an alcoholic. One of the hardest things to do is to admit to yourself who and what you are. It became a struggle for about two weeks before I finally gave into the truth, I am an alcoholic. I AM blowing my own anomity but I dont care. There is more to this story than my being an alcoholic, but getting back to what Im saying, the men in AA became the only real people I could relate with, and the only ones I could count on for support, help and understanding. Outside of Keith, I finally made friends for friends sake, not because I worked in the school department and tould get ink for tatoos, not because I write poetry for other people, but because I am me. And let me tell you, that is one beautiful feeling. and I I HAD put in my move order to go to was approved. Keith wasnt. That was sort of a bum mer, but I told Keith not to try to go to minimum he w ould have security until he went to the Board. Now could he request a before weeks two to wait at least move change again. The day I moved, I had four boxes packed with matebooks, typing paper, typewriter, clothes, hygeine chair a had I even rials, mattress, the whole works. me. with I took that contraband considered is which ' WHEN I was approved, Lt. Devins said I was reand that any quired to maintain the rules and regulations infraction would have me removed back to the block just came from. 1 Lt. Devins, I said, dont worry about a thing. and smiled of sort He there. be like an angel over replied, See to it that the angel doesn't get into anymore fiths while he is her either. 1 11 I DIDNT change my facial appearance, but in the back of my mind I knew there was a snitch in the crowd somewhere. I havent the foggiest idea what you are talking about. I dont get in trouble, you know that. Dont try to snow me. I know all about what happened in the gym and I dont mind saying Sumpter didnt deserve what he got, but be careful in the future. You appear to be an intelligent person, and around here youll have to use your brains more than you fists if you want to get ahead. Just remember that. He paused for a minute, then added, "I like you Bill, but 1 can t be responsible for anything that happens to you. The only alternative is Protection, if you want me to. PROTECTION! For what? If you think Im going to inspill my guts as to what happened and who was volved, you are crazy! Ill get along in here just fine. Besides, 1 have plans for my future, and if I go to Protection, Ill never be able to accomplish w hat I want to do. I Okay, have it your own way. Keep in mind what said. Dont buck the inmates, and dont buck the system. Its a losing battle and youll end up getting hurt in the end or dead. I GOT up from my chair, walked over to the office door and without ever turning to face him I said, Devins, you watch your back and dont worry about mine. I knew the advice he gave me was solid and sound. Why I tried to play hard with him I dont know unless it is that one part about being an inmate and the image a man has to live up to, I dont know. But I didnt have any trouble for quite a long time. LATER THAT same day I was paged to go to the denial lab. This part I hated, for it meant 1 was to get my teeth pulled. I remembered about a week prior to this appointment, I went there for an examination and the dentist looked into my mouth and asked, Have you taken drugs in your life? I was taken aback by that Wait a minute, check my medical records, saying, youll find out I have never used any drug except alcohol, and most drugs that can be had only by prescription I cant take! Relax, if you havent been using drugs, you must be seventy years old and well preserved for your teeth look that old. , , , i t WELL, ITS a combination of a lot of things Doc. Ive had bad teeth for as long as I can remember, and the other is I never took care of them the way I should. I want you back here in one week. Those teeth have got to come out. HERE I was again, back in the dental chair getting ready to have them all come out. Top and bottom alike. Say Doc. How long will it be before I get my dentures? One is HARD TO say. If everything goes right, after we wait for the swelling to go down, lets say 30 days, we can go ahead with impressions and after three or four of those, we can have you fitted and pretty well intact. Right now we are looking somewhere around May. I waited this long, I guess a few more months wont kill me. ABOUT THREE that afternoon, an hour alter ne started, my mouth was empty. He told me not to smoke for 24 hours, to stay with soft foods for the next three meals, and come back to let him check my gums. " An hour later, I smoked about six cigarettes, ate pork chops for dinner that night, and never had any lems. prob- -' : I WASNT on the block two weeks before a new order ; came from the adminstration office saying that all in- would have to move to either D- mates on Block or go back to or go to the farm because c into Protection and a they were going to turn compound for 24 hour lockups. ; This infuriated all the inmates who lived there as the j block is quiet and peaceful. We tried to approach the? staff in a respectful and dignified manner, but this ob-- t viously was something they couldnt understand, so we i tried another way which seemed to do the trick. ; EACH INMATE wrote on a sheet of paper that their life was in danger and demanded to go to Protection; : Staff took one look at the 80 requests, said we were all I insane, and would grant our request. But inside of eight : hours the rest of the inmate population was ready to back our play. , Kitchen staff, mostly inmates, refused to prepare ? another meal, plumbers refused to work, electricans were unable to work, and all because they felt their lives were threatened, and like us demanded to go to Protec tion. ; -- -- ; I NOTICED about seven or eight guys standing around cheering Sumpter on to beat me. No one was giving me any encouragement at all, and this alone got me mad and upset at the same time. : When Sumpter came at me again, I ducked under a swinging right, came up underneath him and landed a hard right to his jaw. This backed him up about three ' steps, and then I came at him one more time, jabbed him twice with my left and landed a roundhouse right that ; put him down, and he staved down. . I THOUGHT it was over, but I was dead wrong. Two ' other guys grabbed me and one other started beating on ' my stomach until I thought I was going to throw up. The ; other two let me go and 1 fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes and was kicked several times in the back and chest. As they moved away from me 1 heard one of them say, nobody beats up my brother punk, and dont you ' ever forget it. Cmon guys, lets split. Did I ever hurt. But what hurt worse was the fact that no matter how hard I tried, I couldnt win, there are to many people in this place I had to fight if I wanted things to go right for me. At least my face wasnt damaged to badly, no big or ugly bruises to try and hide. Hell of a price to have to pay for being right about something I came out a winner only to loose. Now thats what I call justice! ; . : ' (CONTINUED NEXT WEEK) |