My letters to my parents take a drastic turn for the better once I’m at the FSL. Since hoodlums aren’t allowed, there is no more having to deal with childish people. As I mentioned the FCI inmate functioning level ranged from teenagers down to toddlers. So, if you’re an adult, their behavior was exhausting.
There was still childish behavior at the FSL, but it was totally teenager level, no toddlers. The teenaged behavior was cliquish fighting and an intractable need to “door hug”. At the FSL, the doors remained open for most of the day. We got recalled to the dorms before lunch and dinner, and the door was locked. Since there were only two units, the eating order was either first or second, unlike at the FCI where it was 1 to 6. Lunch and dinner ended about 15 minutes after the last camper was served, so there wasn’t any rush. Yet, the teenagers would hug the door for the hour before the door got opened for “chow” as we called all eating sessions. This was only an annoyance because the locked door was also the area where the bank of 4 phones were, making it difficult to make phone calls during the door hugging.
Anyway, when Dan and I entered the FSL we both agreed that our black & white perception had turned to color. It was summer and people were out playing Basketball, Hand Ball, Frisbee Golf & Volleyball with a sand pit. I was put into a top bunk window cube and was immediately greeted by the welcoming commitee. (I shit you not.) They asked if I needed anything (they had toothbrushes, toothpaste and other commissary stuff a new arrival might need. You just paid them back when you went to commissary for the first time.) I explained I was a transfer, they side “well, let us know if you need anything” and were off…
After our first night, Dan and I discuss how eerily quiet it was, after lights out. Our fellow campers acted respectfully and did make noise after lights out. (The TV rooms are open to 11:30pm on weeknights and 1AM on weekends). AT the FCI the hoodlums would make noise all night then try to sleep all day, having the nerve to ask you to be quiet during the day – SMDH. Once at the camp, we understood the meaning of “club fed” because that’s what it was. I continued to walk the track for most hours of the day. After my PTSD had warn off from the FCI, I began to make friends and discuss my situation openly. Since there was a sex offender treatment program at the FSL, people were very open about their charges and the evidence against them. They all agreed, without exception, that the case against me was total bullshit.
First, relating to the illegal images, they realized over casual conversations that I really didn’t understand the lingo that they used. Next, I had no knowledge about “series”. I was told that illegal images are traded as “series”; where the collectors try to collect all the pictures or videos in a particular series. Also, apparently you have to pay restitution to the subject of a series if you are found to have been in possession of files from any particular series. Thus, one of the first vetting questions they ask new campers is “who did you get?” after they see your name on the list for treatment. I, of course, couldn’t answer the question because I genuinely didn’t know what they were talking about when they asked.
The FCI and the FSL debunked a persistent convict myth that everyone claims they’re innocent. Perhaps this is true for when convicts speak to non-convicts, but to other convicts they admit what they’ve done. Although, almost all assert (and I agree) that they got too much time for their crime(s). Another myth my experience has shattered is the idea that our justice system is fair, it most certainly is not.
The food at the FSL was much better than the FCI because there were no hoodlums stealing ingredients for hustles. The hoodlums made food in the dorm by using “stingers” to boil food in mop buckets. The stingers were made from an AC cord they’ve stolen and connected to metal rods. They plugged the stinger into a wall outlet (some of the cubicles had them for sleep apnea machines) fill a mop bucket with water then put the food inside “clean” garbage bags and cook it in the hot water. I never ate anything from these gross endeavors. Cooking with stingers was one of the many hustles at the FCI. The hustlers were paid with dollar stamps (the currency of the FCI & FSL). You used stamps to pay others to do stuff for you like steal food from the kitchen (usually hot sandwiches), cook food for you in stingers, do your laundry (each dorm had 3 washers & 3 dryers), clean your cube and provide contraband (mostly porn and drugs). The last two things were smuggled in by the guards (who weren’t paid very much). FYI, the FSL had very few drugs.
There were many people that shouldn’t have been at the FSL – including me. One guy was so autistic that he functioned at the level of a ten year old. Everyone agreed he had no business being in prison, the Judge that put him there should be in prison. Another guy was so weak from cerebral palsy that he was wheel chair bound and wasn’t strong enough to open the dorm doors (they were heavy but balanced two inch steel, easily opened by anyone over the age of 8). Too many at both the FCI and FSL were in their 70 and 80s, I was like “what is the point?” The worst case I witnessed was a guy had to come stay with us for a month (A MONTH). His “crime” was that he had used the funds directly deposited into his recently deceased mothers account. Instead of just making it civil, they prosecuted him criminally. He showed me his paperwork, and it proved – like me – he was railroaded.
He was another victim of the “Meet ‘em, Plea ‘em, Flee ‘em” CJA mentality. He provided the Social Security Administration promptly with his mothers death certificate BUT deposits continued for a few months resulting in an overpayment of about 4 grand. Since he had proof that SSA made the mistake, this was strictly a civil matter as there was no fraud on his part and he was a joint account holder with his mother. Legally, anything deposited into the account was also his. He didn’t understand that, and his lawyer didn’t tell him. His CJA lawyer made it seem like he’d done a great job getting him this lenient plea deal. I told him your lawyer was either incompetent or a complete asshole.
Anyway, in regards to Ms. Maxwell – yeah she’s getting special treatment being at a camp that’s not an FSL but the warden could just let her go too, it’s totally within the BOP’s power to put inmates wherever they please.
Next I’ll post about my trip back up to the FCI – just in time for the Covid-19 fiasco…