Recreation on the Inside: A Federal Inmates Story (Part 2)

Being locked up in a federal facility is different from being locked up in a state facility. There are a lot more resources available and at ones reach in the federal facility than in state. There are many things that one can do when locked up in the federal system to keep themselves busy and out of more trouble. Let’s take a look at my experience with some of these resources that are available.

Daily Routine

Being the head orderly I had a daily routine of being up as early as 5:45 am every day. This was to be able to set an example to the others in the dorm as well as get things rolling for the day to make sure that code was met on my part, cleaning the dorm, making sure that everyone was dressed and hygiene met to standards. Daily inspection was a routine that we had and if code/standards were not met, we were stuck in dorm until code was met. This was all done in the morning and I would not be able to go anywhere else until this was all done.

Another part of this responsibility was also my own personal routine of recreation. Usually, after lunch and after any classes that I may have had, I was able to have some free personal time to move about how I wanted. After lunch would be handball, I was good too. People thinking that a big guy like me was not quick, but I proved them wrong. There were other things that I could do like play pool, go to hobby craft – which is where one would learn different types of crafts, some that would include making leather purses, making jewelry boxes and more. Things like this is not something that you are given a chance to do while in a state facility. Federal prisons are the only ones that offer these kinds of resources to their inmates, knowing that they need to keep their mind occupied every minute of the day in order to stay out of trouble while on the inside.

Another big event of recreation that I took part in was a basketball tournament that we had on the inside. Every day I practiced, practiced and practiced. Knowing that this was a big thing among the different groups/races. Teams were formed within the races. We moved racial aside and formed mixed groups for this tournament of basketball that we created. Game after game, moving racial aside, it came down to the end and our team won. I was named the MVP for the tournament. Memories of this time is a time when racial was moved way aside and there was nothing else like it within the complex ever done before.

I can honestly say that during my time as head orderly and being in a federal facility was a lot different than being in a state facility. The resources that you have at your disposal can actually bring you into being able to learn about the law and even become a lawyer on the inside, so that you have something to fall into when you get out. I did not do that, but I learned a lot about the survival and the politics of the federal inmate system. There is so much more that I can tell you but that would take a lot more articles.

I’m Not a Person, I’m Just a Number

My name not important. I am just a number in the Federal Justice System. Being an inmate in the federal justice system takes on a new life for many on the inside. I myself have experienced the federal justice system. Not knowing what to expect and being female, I was in a bad situation that just got worse. Injured with a gunshot to right arm about two months prior to being picked up by federal law enforcement, and having to have care on a daily basis still for my wound,  being locked in the whole for 5 days without knowing the system and what to do and what to do or who to ask. Time going by and not knowing how family is handling everything, especially my small children, who were there when law enforcement came.

The Wait

Time went by and got a visit from several of my family members, telling me how could I and what about your children, Then next finding out that my family had called CPS to take my children away from my in-laws, who at that time were doing what they could with the children, not knowing what was going to happen next.

After about 72 hours was able to meet with my court appointed lawyer, who by the way I do not think even knew what he was doing. Him telling me that I was looking at staying locked away for the next 5-10 years and being told that my boyfriend, now my husband, was not from the US and probably would be deported back to Mexico. Me not even knowing this before and not being able to speak to him to confirm if true or not.

Over the next few months waiting for a final court date. Here where I am from, the federal court system wait to get a trial or court date is about 6 months or more, depending on the severity of your crime.

So during the next six months there are many things that happen. One thing in particular that sticks to memory is when this young girl comes in from Mexico. She is young girl, about nineteen, pregnant and without money. She is put into our room or tank, as they call it, of five other girls. All was well until she joined us. She wrote a letter to the Lieutenant telling her that I was stealing from her and she had also managed to turn some of the girls against talking to me or having anything to do with me. Well push comes to shove and one of the senior guards comes in to take care of the situation after my complaint against her as well.

This person not having anything from the time she came in until the time that this happened. Well things got heated and everyone decided that I needed to be moved, so they moved me right about two weeks before I was to go to court, after being with the same people for the longest time. This person ended up getting put into the whole after causing a fight in the tank some weeks later.

Day of Final Court

The day that I went to court my father, mother, and my in-laws showed up. My in-laws being my support throughout the whole six months that I waited for this day. I got to see my boyfriend, now husband, that day in the courtroom. Again being told by my attorney that my boyfriend was not from here and probably would be deported. Still not understanding and telling myself he must be talking about the other guy involved in our case. But I found out during the hearing that it was him. But something happened during our sentencing. I felt a great calm come over me as he was up there being sentenced, which was telling me that everything was going to be fine. He got sentenced to three years. I got sentenced to one year and one day.

Then we got to ride the bus back together to our location. The guards allowing us to be able to talk while on the ride back, which was usually not allowed. This made my day, knowing that we both would be ok, not looking at the time that our lawyers had told us. My husband was looking at 7-10 years due to his history through the state legal system. And even then we could not figure out how the judge managed to get confused and only sentence him to 3 years, knowing that he should have gotten a lot more time.

The Move

Now it was time to be moved now that we had been sentenced. Still not quite understanding the system, and not knowing where I was going to be moved to. That day came when I was told at 4 am to pack up my things and it was time to be moved. First I was sent to one location, then about a month after being there I was sent to my final destination. This final location was somewhere that from the beginning was not agreeing with me.

Some months passed, when I should have been given my daily medication with meds roll call and the guards were not complying so I filed a grievance against them. Again not knowing completely how the system worked, I got myself put into the whole during a four day holiday weekend. Scare of already being locked in small spaces since a young child, and even worse not having anyone that I could call to help me out of this jam that I was in. I finally got out of the whole and put into a tank that was non English speaking.

I finally learn that I just need to stick to myself until my time is out. That is the best thing to do while in a state or a federal prison system. You can only protect and care for yourself and no one else. You have to learn to be alone and learn to deal with things that happen calmly and patiently. But the most important thing when on the inside in any type of facility is to respect anyone that comes within your path.

The Release

I was released a few days earlier than planned. So luckily one of the other girls that was being released was a local and I was able to stay with her until my ride came to get me. I was out and the only thing that I wanted to do was to be with my family.

I was picked up by my uncle and got to stay for three days with my littlest son, at the time who was going to be 8 years old that year. I had decided that the best thing for him at that time was for him to stay with my uncle. He had already been there for one year. So he was staying and I was leaving, hard to do when you know that it is the right thing to do.

I left a few days later on the bus headed home to live with in-laws until my husband would be released almost two years later and deported back to Mexico. Today, we now live in Mexico and it has almost been three years since going from bad to worse to the best we have ever been.

I now work from home, a jack of all trades for anything internet. My son adopted last year by my uncle and his wife and my girls live with us. My older son went off to his first year of college in August of 2012. Everything is going very well and we are now enjoying life the good way, one day at a time. Thanks to God!

A Federal Inmates Story: The Politics, What You Don’t See

In the federal prison system for the men there is a much different kind of treatment given, than to that for women. There are more of us that are locked away here in the federal system. One main political action that you have to keep is when it comes down to a fight you have to stick with your race for survival. For the men sticking with your own race for survival, whether you are White, Black, Asian or Latino, may also mean becoming affiliated for survival of not being subjected to all the politics. Each affiliation earns their respect the same way that they give respect to others. Survival is based on the give and the take of respect.

Several years ago I made an error in my life and got locked up. Let’s take a look at the politics within the Federal Prisons that goes on that no one sees.

The Political Survival

Any little thing that is said or done can turn into a big fight. During that time that I was on the inside I became the head orderly for our dorm of 200 people of mixed race, but each race has their own group affiliations as well. Being the head orderly takes on a lot of responsibility, not only to clean the dorm but also to keeping the peace within the different races. Each race Whites, Latinos, Black and Asians.

Keeping the peace within the dorm is a big responsibility. I myself did it for almost two years at the facility where I was assigned. Also being affiliated has a big advantage and a lot of risk at the same time. I was affiliated during my time on the inside, but once I knew when I was coming out the affiliation stopped there. I did not want to risk my family upon being on the outside and being affiliated.

I would like to tell you one of the stories that happened to me while on the inside that involved a lot of politics, something so small it will make you think why that.

At the facility in the form where I was housed there are three TV rooms, one for English, one for Spanish, one for Sports neutral. But in political terms the TV rooms were broken into Whites, Latinos, and Blacks. Each race has their own TV area and if they were to invade another area, sometimes just because the room is empty they want to use it, which is considered disrespect to the ones that the room belongs to, which can cause a big riot, just for something so small.

What people do not see or understand that goes on behind the scenes is that the more you can earn and give respect to others the better off you are and the more you will gain in return. On the inside no matter if in a Federal or State facility for your crime, you have to give respect if you want to be respected.

There is a lot more involved in the politics that keeps the peace for something as small as the TV room and who gets to use which room or even who gets to change the channel and when. Ask yourself this question, wouldn't you want to give respect to earn respect if you had to do it for survival?

State Prison vs. Federal Prison Systems

As it has been revealed, there exist various differences between the state and federal prisons. This is in the basis of various aspects of operations carried out in the entire criminal and justice system. Under the same level of security, federal prisons are a bit safer than the state prisons since there is less crowding in federal prisons. More specifically, the federal prisons involve few cases in which the individuals imprisoned are offered larger spaces and better facilities as compared to state prisons. This has enhanced decreased vulnerability of prisoners in the federal prisons to social humiliations. Though the cases dealt with in federal prisons may attribute to larger and more severe punishments, the prisoners are not usually exposed to unnecessary tortures as it is in state prisons (Glaser 54-65).

It is important to note that, the federal prisons usually have their staff more trained than as it is with state prisons. This is because, the federal prisons deal with more technical and advanced cases as per the laws set by the congress; thus necessitating contracting of more advanced staff in the processions of the prisons. In this regard, the federal prisons are larger and more complex than state prisons on the basis of the various cases involved. Basically, the state prisons are usually run locally by the governors whereas the federal prisons are dealt with by a set of security team appointed by the congress. Considering the technicalities of cases involved in federal courts, a highly qualified staff would be required in carrying out various activities in it, leading to their better payments. On the other hand, the staffs for state prisons are not much paid since their level of qualification is a bit lower than the ones in the federal prisons; as they deal with local cases (Barbara & Rather 45-79).

More so, suicide cases in state prisons are more than as it is in federal prisons. This is usually as a result of more congestion in state prisons than it is in federal prisons. Being smaller in sizes and dealing with numerous local cases, state prisons have been found to be having a larger number of suicide cases than as it is in federal prisons. In addition, the pathetic conditions found in state prisons leads to many people committing suicide. Further, homicides have been more experienced in state prisons than in federal prisons. This is because; in state prisons, the security is a bit less than as it is in federal prisons. This has attributed to the higher level of homicides in state prisons where prisoners are many and congested. This congestion experienced in state prisons encourages the act of people killing each other in state prisons. Specifically, both suicides and homicides are more experienced in state prisons than in federal prisons (Glaser 34-67).