 
Free Prison Camp Guide

by Pyerse Dandridge
Copyright © 2019 by Pyerse Dandridge
Table of contents

Prison Consultation

Introduction

Describing Prison Camp

Surviving Prison Camp

Count Time

Food in Prison Camp

Transition to Continental Breakfast

Herlong Prison Camp Commissary List

Correctional Officers

Health scare?

Doctor Visits at Federal Prison Camp

My Dentist Experience

Health Services Department Operations

Prison Email

Visiting the Prison

Inmate Telephone

How To Send Money

Displicine and Punishments

Suicide Prevention

Post Prison Transfer

Laundry

The Expectations of Herlong Prison Camp

Job Fair

Pay Scale

Work Detail

First Day At The Power House

UNICOR Was Down

Recreation Procedures

Community Based Program Agreement

Unit Rules

SSI Payments To Inmates

Can A Convicted Felon Vote In California?

Leisure Library

How To Make Friends In Prison

Beware Of Snitches

Furlough Application

You Were ALWAYS A Strong Person

Self-Development

Hitting A Ceiling

Don't Be A Victim

Homesick

Homosexual Sex In Prison Camp

Another Prison Camp Book

# Prison Consultation

If you're on your way to prison camp or just want to know more about prison camp, please email me at pyerse@pyersedandridge.com.

I have consultation for $5 via email.

I have phone consultation for $25/hour.

For more information on my services, click here: https://www.pyersedandridge.com/consulting/

# Introduction

I don't consider myself to be a professional on the subject of anything prison related. I feel that I would have to spend much more time in prison than the twelve months (of a seventeen-month sentence) I spent at Herlong Prison Camp. If there was someone that stayed longer than I, then I would consider them the professional.

My purpose for this blog is to share my experiences with the hopes of educating those who are unaware of this lifestyle and world. Maybe I could ease the mind of a family member who has a son or husband going to Herlong camp. Maybe I can spark a conversation and discuss prison related things. MAYBE I could solve a problem that has existed in a community. Maybe I could just entertain you. However, by no means am I trying to be a "professional" that can suddenly relate to those who have been in the worst situations or higher security institutions. At best, I could only TRY to sympathize and possibly understand.

That being said, prison camp life isn't that bad. Compared to what the world sees on television, it's pretty damn laid back. Don't get me wrong, if you've never been to prison, then this is prison for real. My first night there I damn near broke down once I realized how real it was. However, if you were in a low or medium prison, then this is cake. The inmates that have come from high-security prisons told me that Herlong Camp was sweet! It's very laid back and calm compared to a lot of other places. For example, in high-security prisons you can't wear slippers unless you're in the shower or your cell. At Herlong, inmates walk around in slippers all day long inside the dorm. I did too!

What is FPC-Herlong?

FPC-Herlong is a satellite prison camp. This means that it's a camp that's within, or around a larger institution. In this case, FPC-Herlong was a satellite camp to the Federal Correctional Institution-Herlong (FCI), which is a medium security prison. There wasn't another prison in the area. There used to be rumors that the federal government was going to build one, but I didn't find any truth to that rumor. The purpose of the satellite camp was to assist the FCI in functioning. Due to security risks, the prison camp inmates would have to do tasks that the FCI inmates couldn't do. We processed orders, took in deliveries, and took low risk inmates to the hospital. We even did community service for the community of Herlong, CA.

The camp was built on an old Army base. In fact we all slept in the actual barracks, but they were modified for prison security. It was one massive room with bunks for each inmate. At times we had as much as 136 inmates and as low as 90 inmates in one room. Each of us had twin a bed. I had a top bunk because I was too short so my bunky always had the bottom bunk (more on that later). The barracks had a total of seven televisions: four out front and three TV rooms with one TV each. The laundry room had six washers and six dryers, an ice machine, tables to fold laundry, ironing boards, and a hot water dispenser. Laundry was pretty easy to get done because there weren't too many inmates competing for the washroom. If you did your laundry early in the day, you'd have a better chance that everyone would either be sleeping or at work, then you could pretty much have the room to yourself.

Next to the CO's office, there was a computer room where inmates could check their emails via TRULINCS and get memos from the administration and the BOP. The law library was next to the computer room and had up-to-date files on court cases, past cases, and laws. I've seen plenty of people in the law library more than the other library and came out damn near lawyers.

Things To Do

Outside the barracks was the barber shop, leisure library, the cafeteria,  commissary and the administration buildings. More on those in future blog posts. In the administration building, there was a very small exercise room with broken treadmills. Also, there were two bikes without the electrical monitors on them. Rooms for hobbies and crafts, church service and medical services were also in this building.

Some inmates believed that the missing electrical components for the treadmills were stolen by inmates. However, another inmate told me that the administration removed them because of a federal law that prohibits electrical wiring in prison. I haven't heard or read about such law and I'm not saying it's untrue, I'm just stating that I haven't seen it. I'm sure you can probably tell that everyone lies around here. Only God knows what's true and what isn't.

There were three full size basketball courts and a handball court with a wall made by inmates at the GM6 (General Maintenance Six). There was also a regular size baseball diamond, like at a city park, but without the grass. Next to the baseball diamond was a black track, made of asphalt, with soccer goal posts. Around the whole camp was a larger track for running. There were even two gardens where inmates planted tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables (while the CO is watching to make sure no contrabands were hidden in the garden). Weights were banned from the workout room, but I believe older prisons still have them. I believe all prisons after 2004 (and don't quote me on this) don't have weights. I heard one story that claimed the inmates got too strong and beat up CO's. Another story claimed inmates beat up each other with the weights. Who knows, they are probably both true.

Dress Code

When we went to work or met with an administrator we had to wear green collared shirts and green pants with black boots. While inside the dorm we could wear sweats, tee shirts or whatever was from the commissary. We had the privilege of moving around freely. We didn't have ten-minute moves or gates. As long as we stayed within the signs that read, "OUT OF BOUNDS," then we were good.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this introduction. As I begin to develop this blog more, I will dive deep into the processes of prison and the emotions that it stir up. Some believe inmates have it all, however, there are still restrictions prisoners must live by while incarcerated.

# Describing Prison Camp

At the camp, you'll have most of your basic needs. You'll have a living area in a large dorm similar to the military. You'll have a locker, a chair, and a bed. The quarters are very tight with little privacy. It took me about six months to get used to it all.

Within the dorm, you'll have access to your email, laundry, televisions, a bookshelf, and a ton of tables to play games or write on. You'll also have microwaves for cooking food.

Outside the dorm, you'll see the food service area. The food service area is where inmates get breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Attached to the food service area are the barbershop, leisure library, commissary, exercise and equipment room, and prison laundry. If inmates walk when the building, they will find a craft room, two classrooms, and a multi-purpose room.

The last thing inmates will find in this building are the administration offices, the nurses and dentist rooms, and the visiting room.

Behind the dorm, there is a soccer field, which doubles as a small track, a baseball diamond, and part of a larger running track that circles the camp. Between the dorm and the food service area, are a set of basketball courts and a handball wall.

Surrounding the camp borders are out of bound signs, crossing these lines would give an inmate a shot. The parking lots for CO's and visitors are right outside the "out of bound" area.

There isn't much at the prison. However, most inmates make it work. I recommend you have a steady amount of books coming to you. Resources at this camp can be low at times.

#  Surviving Prison Camp

17 Ways To Survive Prison

Let's be honest, prison camp or any kind of prison is stressful. You're already tired from the drawn out court process of being convicted and now you'll be separated from all your friends, family and other loved ones. Those same people will also now have to get by without you. This is extremely stressful if you are the person who fixed the car, paid the bills, or touched her the right way. On top of all of that, you're wondering how you're going to survive your sentence. Even a short sentence can seem like a long time. Well, I've been to prison, survived and even wrote the book called  Subprime Felon about it. I can tell you the ups and the downs you'll experience, the type of people you'll meet and advice on how to deal with the CO's. So how do you survive federal prison camp? There is honestly no easy answer, but here are a few suggestions.

1.Stay Busy

The only true way to keep your mind from going crazy is to fill it with other things and distract yourself from your negative surrounding. Read books, write a journal, and find every way you can to educate yourself. In prison they have inmate classes, attend as many as you can. As long as your mind is busy you'll keep from losing it.

2. Focus on the Positive

I understand this is easier said than done, but negative thinking isn't going to help. In fact, it stresses you out. Even worse, it will stress others out and cause unnecessary drama. If you begin to think about how long it's going to take you to get home, shift your mindset and focus on how great things are going to be when you go home. Looking forward to your next visit will be extremely helpful.

3. Create a Daily Routine

What was once considered dull in life will become one of your biggest stress relievers. Having a schedule will help you focus on positive things and give you better sleep at night. It's also proven to aid in reducing stress. This daily structure helps the camp life become a little more predictable.

4. Learn to be ALONE

This is really important. You must learn to have fun and enjoy yourself, by yourself. There is nothing more annoying than someone continuously bugs everyone. The same is true for someone who wants to hang around all the time. If you're going to be around someone, look for like minded individuals. Staying busy without company will attract those types of people. Having people with a positive mindset makes your sentence more enjoyable.

5. Find a Low Stress Job

You definitely don't want anything else to cause you stress. If you're going to get a job to stay busy, find something that doesn't add stress to your sentence. Everyone is different when it comes to stress. You may like cooking while others would be stressed in the kitchen. When searching for a job, don't look for something you think will make time go by fast. I promise, whatever you do will make time go by quickly as long as you are buy and positive. If you notice the majority of the people who work in laundry are stressed, then it's a sure sign that you don't want to work there.

6. Relay Positivity

Although you are having a rough time, know that your family will be more stressed than you are. You're in a world they only see on television and they think it's like the prison show OZ or whatever prison tv show they watch. Tell your family positive things about prison. This will help them relax as well as help you relax knowing they won't be worried. Prove to your family, with a smile on your face, that you're getting a license or you're reading that book you always wanted to read. Try to make prison camp look as fruitful as possible.

7. Stay Away From Negative People

Anyone who is extremely negative or anyone who is continuously complaining about being in prison camp will bring you down. I cannot stress this enough, negativity will make things worse for you and everyone else around you.

8. Accept the Things You Can't Change

There is a lot of responsibility and privileges you lose while being locked up. You won't be able to help your wife fix the TV, help Junior with the model car or help your daughter with her boy problems. Accept it and move on. Truth be told, you're no longer obligated because you no longer have the freedom to do so. I'm not saying that you should stop caring. However if you overwhelm yourself with the former responsibility of caring for your family and couple it with the heartbreaking truth that you physically can't accomplish any of it will only further drive you crazy. The inmates who accepted the fact that they couldn't do those things seemed to be a lot happier than those who stressed over it.

9. Don't Rush Your Sentence

Many new arrivals concern themselves with their release date as soon as they are locked up. The truth is, you'll leave when you leave. Don't get caught up with early releases or rumors about early releases. Most of those things will change several times throughout your stay and most rumors end up being false.

10. Keep Your Mouth Shut

This isn't the place to be a saint or completely honest. You'll see someone steal—you didn't see it. You hear about something illegal—you didn't hear it. In prison, there's nothing worse than a snitch. In fact, you're not a better person because you told on someone. It's a bad idea because you're not helping the person you snitched on and to make matters worse, the CO won't even like you anymore. On top of that, everyone is watching you closely; they're careful about what they say and block you out of conversations because they think you're going to snitch again. The CO's will also have less respect for you. The entire community will see you as a sellout and an ass kisser.

11. Keep Low Funds

Never put more than $50 on your books a month. This will prevent you from having to pay so much in restitution fees. Also, you really don't need that much money in prison. I was able to get by with $50 every two months.

12. Don't Be in a Hurry to Make Friends.

If you're a first-time felon like I was, then NOTHING HAS PREPARED YOU FOR PRISON. My advice is to learn the prison camp system. Observe the people inside and find out who is cool, who isn't, who runs things and who's full of shit. Keep in mind that the first people you find to hang out with in prison are going to be the first people you dislike. Usually, people who rush to be your friend in prison don't have any friends and are desperate to make some.

13. Don't Brag About Anything

I would think this is something that doesn't need to be discussed, however you wouldn't believe that people still make this mistake. No one likes an all knowing nobody. You couldn't have been that smart if you ended up in prison with the rest of them. Even if you are brilliantly intelligent, don't make yourself sound smarter than anyone. Actually, I find that if you try to learn as much as you can from others, you'll get a lot more friends.

14. Stay Away from Cell Phones and Smoking

Cell phones and smoking are violations in prison. You'll end up going to the SHU (the hole) as punishment. If you're a first-time inmate, going to the SHU would be like "real prison" from what I was told. You know, the horrible stuff you see on television. Also, these crimes will increase your sentencing time.

15. Respect Everyone

This is simple. You don't have to be overly polite, but use wisdom and don't have an attitude or try to act hard. When you respect people, the people will in return respect you.

16. Avoid Sarcasm

Sarcasm in its nature, is very difficult to understand even to the wittiest of people. To avoid terrible misunderstandings avoid sarcasm even in joking. Wait until people better understand who you are. Hopefully by that time your friends will be quicker to ask what you meant, then to harm you.

17. Don't Take ANYTHING Personal

You will experience things that just aren't fair, but remember, nothing is about you. No one cared about what you did before jail and no one will care about you after you leave. Just worry about staying positive and making it to your release date.

Remember, it's an unfortunate situation to be going to a prison camp. However, you can make it a positive and fruitful experience by desiring to stay positive.

# Count Time

Sometimes, I think some of the correctional officers (COs) are lightweight sadists because they use their power to please or thrill themselves. It's a perfect example of someone abusing their authoritative power. Society thinks prisons are the best place to reform an individual, but when people mismanage their authority, it just makes an inmate more prone to negative emotions, thoughts and actions.

Every day in prison camp, COs have to count the inmates. We call it count time. COs are supposed to count the inmates to make sure no one has escaped. This requires all inmates to stand up, even if we are in a dead sleep. At Herlong Prison Camp, count time was around 10:15 pm. It could also be changed to 10:30 pm, 10:45 pm or later. It's an absolute pain when you have to get up for work at 7:00 am and count time is late. I can't understand why they couldn't just let us sleep.

The difficult part of count time is that it could also happen at any point throughout the day. The COs would call for count and then walk up and down the rows of inmates to count us. This process could take fifteen minutes or forty-five minutes. It all depends upon the CO for that day. Counts included the neighboring Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) too.

The problem with that is the COs would count at the FCI first and then come to the camp to count. There was a late count and of course, we were woken up out of our sleep and made to stand up for count. The Warden slowly worked on changing this. He did mention the issue in his two memos (this memo and  this memo). His memos discuss his attempts to get the count started on time, however, the COs only started on time for two weeks.

Here are a few things I've learned about 10 pm count:

• Stand up the whole time! As soon as the CO said "Count Time," you had to stand up.

• You must have BOTH FEET ON THE GROUND. Please don't be the idiot who stands on his bed trying to be funny.

• Don't leave your square or cell for any reason. Not even to go to the restroom. If you have an emergency, hold it or try to go before count.

• Don't talk! Most COs like it silent during count.

• Don't cook or go into your locker. Keep your locker closed and your food out of the way.

• You can read a magazine, check out the TV or listen to your headphones.

• Don't harass the COs. Someone once told a CO "Can you count, damn?" He got sent to the hole.

Remember any violation during count will get you sent to the hole quickly. Some campers would violate these simple rules, which made the CO recount. Recounts could happen as many times as the COs needed it. If all went smoothly, counting at the camp would only take a few minutes.

Although I feel count times are extremely important, I also feel that the prison and the COs could do a much better job at counting without disrupting the sleeping patterns of inmates that are just trying to make it through their punishing sentences.

# Food in Prison Camp

According to TV, prison food always looks like slop from a pig trough that's ladled into a bowl or plate. It's the lumpiest looking goop you've ever seen. It's something that you can't imagine that people would ever eat, even if they were starving. However, prison food isn't like that at all. At least not at the prison I attended in 2012.

The prison I attended was Herlong Federal Prison Camp in California. The food wasn't too bad, it was just as good as eating at Denny's. The inmates cook the food and the CO's oversee the cooking. Herlong provided three meals a day. We ate breakfast at 6:00 am, lunch around 9:30/10:30 am, and dinner at 3:30/4:30 pm (or after 4 pm count was complete). At Herlong, we waited in a long line along the wall of the food service hall. It usually took about fifteen minutes to get through the line. Then we had another fifteen minutes to eat.

The cool thing about Herlong was that if you were lucky, you could get a second or third helping. It depended on how much food was left, but more importantly, it depended on which CO was in charge. Some CO's believed that inmates should eat their own food for seconds, but others realized that most inmates don't have the money to eat in their dorms. Those types of CO's have no problem offering second helpings. The one rule for multiple helpings were never to take food from the service hall. Any inmate caught doing so would be subjected to the "hole" or put on cleaning duty. Despite the enforced consequences, I have never seen anyone being disciplined for taking food.

As I've said earlier, we had only fifteen minutes to eat. One reason was due to the inmates that washed dishes. If we took too long, they would get annoyed. However, as far as I know, as long as I didn't miss count, I could stay in the food service hall as long as I'm eating.

This lists below are old and it is very possible the menu has changed.

# Transition to Continental Breakfast

Periodically, inmates receive memos from the Warden or other prison and prison camp staff about updates in policy or other warnings. This is an official memo found in the  Trulincs system. The memo below tells both the prison camp and the prison that the administration is getting rid of the normal full-sized breakfast. They are replacing it with a continental breakfast. Luckily I was released before this change took effect. I have no idea how effective this was at saving money or what the breakfast entailed.

If you want to see the normal, full-sized breakfast, please  click here.

# Herlong Prison Camp Commissary List

What if you could write a list and have your family or friends go shopping for you? All you would have to do is fill out a form that helped them to know what to purchase. You'd get to know the prices ahead of time so you can make a decision as to whether you wanted to buy that item or not based on your budget. Well, since prison inmates don't have the luxury of shopping in the store for the items they need, they instead, have to fill out a form called a commissary list. It's just like having a family shop for you.

Most likely a correctional officer would do all the shopping, perhaps even an inmate that worked at the commissary would do it. An inmate would be given a commissary list (pictured below) that included a lot of different items such as food, hair products, healthcare items, and things like stamps and batteries. There are a lot of various items on the list. In fact, it is two pages long.

The rules for using the list are strict, most likely because they had so many orders to fill. There are not substitutions or additions allowed. However, if you didn't fill it out correctly, the paper says that it would be discarded. Although inmates are forbidden to do so, some trade these items since they don't have enough money to pay for them. If caught, the administration would certainly discipline them.

# Correctional Officers

The funny thing about being here in prison is that the correctional officers (COs) think they are better than everyone else. I don't know if it's their job status or just because they're COs. I wonder if it's a superiority complex or an inferiority complex. Either way, it's like they're showing off their riches in front a homeless man. Doing so only proves all uncertainties and makes them look weak.

Here are some things inmates have told me about the CO's:

• Some believe that they have to always be superior even on things that you are clearly superior in.

• No matter how annoying, never allow it to make you snap. I'll talk more about the CO's in future posts.

• Sometimes it is better they think they are smarter. Correcting them the wrong way could be seen as disrespectful, especially if they are sensitive.

• Let the CO do what he thinks is his job. If he's wrong, calmly talk to him about it when he able to have a conversation.

• Never take anything personal.

I learned most of those lessons dealing with COs face to face. For example, I worked on a business idea with a good brotha named Dennis; he worked in the food service area. Dennis is cool and has a lot of knowledge in his thirty-five year old mind, and he also got me into yoga! We were talking about using Black articles to provide for African Americans and by playing with the figures, it seemed like the business idea that I came up with could actually work out fine.

A short, chubby food service CO sat next to us and listened as if he was mildly interested. He suggested a search engine called Startpage. It's a unique search engine because it doesn't save your IP address. Um...apples and oranges right? Well, I told him about my next idea, but he blew me off and continued a conversations with Dennis—as if I wasn't in the room. Okay, no sweat. They talked about online paper trading and the short, chubby CO was giving Dennis advice on how to trade and make money. What he didn't know was that Dennis was already a millionaire and already knew how to make money from stocks. In my opinion, "Short Chubby" was trying to sound smarter than us or prove that he was smarter than us (in his own mind).

He must have been past his prime. He looked like he was in his late forties or fifties and didn't have any other skills other than bossing around inmates. Rumor was that he was a woman's "doormat" as well as his fellow COs, especially because he couldn't cook. As far as I know, he could only do work at the prison camp, only in that kitchen. I also heard rumors that he couldn't work at our brother facility, the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) because the inmates bullied him and he couldn't handle it. Since we are campers, most of us bow to him, until we realize he's a punk! Although he gets more respect from campers than FCI inmates, campers will just work with him or around him.

As they talked to each other, a White female CO that looks like a white butterball with no neck, came to me and said she'd recommended me for the food line. That was where the  food was served. I explained to her that I had already had a job lined up; I was going to the Power House to learn HVAC and already had a cop-out signed. I was just waiting for the physical and ACI (more on that later). She lost interest in me and focused on Dennis. She began asking him how to make more money since she didn't make enough as a CO. Even though inmates only make about ten dollars a month and that's if they had a job. I'm sure both COs made much more than that.

Minutes later, both COs lost interest in Dennis and began gossiping and complaining about their job. "Short Chubby" acted high and mighty and "Butterball" talked ghetto and even acted ghetto. We sat there quietly as not to disturb them. We could have walked away, but we were hoping they leave so we could have the space. They soon left minutes later.

As mentioned earlier, this was one of my first lesson in tolerance—don't let anything bug you. To be honest, one of my pet peeves is being interrupted during a conversation over some BS.

The experience made me want to keep quiet and to stay to myself as much as humanly possible. I had good relationships with other inmates as well as the Blacks, but I kept it professional with the COs. I respected their authority by being polite, but I never went out of my way to enjoy time with them. I saw some campers get into a lot of trouble with the same CO they had befriended. Remember, the funny thing about being in prison is the way the COs will act toward you and every other inmate.

If you have a story about a CO with a superiority complex, let me know in the comments. If it's interesting, I could feature you.

# Health scare?

I remember I was in the Sports room watching the Heat during the Eastern Conference finals. All of the inmates had assigned seats. The seats that were closer to the TV belonged to the brothers that were in prison the longest. The seats that were against the wall and directly across from the television were the most desirable. They were also close to the television, but people hardly moved around over there which means you wouldn't be bothered too much. On the left side of the television was a wall with the only window facing outside the room. To the right side of the TV were three rows of chairs (sometimes there were four rows) that reached all the way to the second window on the other side of the room.

The room was mainly filled with Blacks and those who usually kicked it with Blacks. Some Whites didn't want to be a part of this room because they felt Blacks were too loud. That could have been true, but there was also a power struggle. I'll talk more about television in later blogs. I sat on the second row behind a brother called nicknamed "Good Word." He got that name because he spread the Word to other inmates. Although he wasn't a pastor, he did it because he was passionate about Christianity.

As we watched the game, I sneezed. I sneezed into my elbow; it was a "vampire sneeze." No big deal right? Well, it turned out that it was. Everyone in the room swore I sneezed without covering my nose. Even Good Word jumped since he thought I sneezed on him. Needless to say, the room went silent. This made me paranoid and I started to wonder what was going on.

"What?" I said.

After more silence, a brother nicknamed "T" (he slept in front of me) said, "We got a lot of germaphobes here bro. We just don't like getting sick."

I could see what he was talking about because one brother to the right of me nicknamed "Short Khop" covered his face with his t-shirt to avoid contact with my germs. Good Word actually jumped up and changed his shirt just in case I sneezed on him. The brothers in the room began to share their disgusting stories about inmates and their unhygienic sneezing habits. There wasn't any drama, just jokes and some long stories. At the end of it, they asked or rather instructed me to cover my nose with my shirt or to sneeze in my elbow (which I did). Also, if I used my hands, I had to wash them immediately.

I thought about that all night. It bugged me that these brothers would be so paranoid about health with such a good health plan in prison. I mean that was what I was told in schools as well as conversation with friends; inmates in prison get the best education and health care. I was told it was as good as the senators and politicians. Maybe it was because people are just that nasty here? Honestly, and this proves my ignorance to the whole prison life, I assumed prison would be the cleanest place ever. All of the money that went into prisons made me feel that it should be the cleanest place in any state. However, because these brothers were so concerned about health it made me question if the health care system inside the prison was really as good as I've been told.

The next morning I asked T and he told me, "There isn't any great health care in prison. People don't care about themselves or anyone else. The nurses and doctors didn't care about doing their jobs either. They do as much work as they can at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) then if they have time or if they feel like it, they come over to the camp. You gotta remember, you're in prison. No one gives a fuck here."

So I asked, "Why don't they isolate the sick to avoid germs spreading? The government could save money that way and take care of the minimum number of people."

T said, "It ain't about money. Look at how much they spend on lights, shelter, food, bedding, laundry, water, hot water. It's cheaper and profitable to put low risk, low danger criminal on an ankle bracelet then to pay for all this. If the government really wanted to save money, they would save it."

He went on to tell me that one time at a higher security prison, one person got sick with the flu. Within hours, the whole area got sick. Some people took months to get over the flu. Before long, everyone within the 1,000 inmate prison had the flu. Since everyone doesn't practice good hygiene, some people got the flu twice. He told me some people missed visits and work assignments just because of it. Now he didn't tell me this part, but I'm guessing the hospital couldn't give out medicine because the medicine was on the commissary. If it is in the camp commissary, then the hospital or clinic will not give out the medicine. Not all inmates have the money for commissary due to lack of family support or too many financial responsibilities. This means that inmates barter and trade to get the things they need if they can't afford it (I'll explain in other entries).

He told me that it took three months or more for inmates to receive needed surgeries, even life threatening ones like hernia surgeries. I saw two brothers that worked out too hard and got hernias. It took them four months to get someone to look at it and one year to get the surgery. It took 22 weeks to get his arm fixed because the nurses were on vacation. When inmates play football and break their legs or ankles, it could be two or three days before a nurse would see about them at the camp. This could also be due to fear of disciplinary action for those inmates who play tackle football or work out too hard. As far as I know disciplinary action could have been going to the SHU (the hole) or some kind of chore. I've heard stories that some inmates would wait as long as they could in order to come up with a better story. If they had a better story for the administrators they would most likely prevent themselves or others from getting into trouble.

His explanation explained a lot. I was always wondering why people use their shirts or jacket sleeves to touch doorknobs and light switches. I noticed no one liked handshakes because they didn't know what was on the other person's hands. This explained why inmates took three or four showers a day and washed their hands so much. Some inmates washed their sheets and clothes daily. Personally, I washed my clothes daily, but my sheets were washed every two weeks. I also took two showers a day and used Magic shave once a week. Poor medical health was also why inmates gave me hygiene products when I first arrived in prison. They also gave me pens, paper and other things I needed in order to get situated.

Again, because of poor medical health standards, no one walked around with bare feet even if they were in the shower. No matter how many times the floors were cleaned, they got dirty just as fast. Also, inmates from higher security prisons were trained and conditioned to believe that a fight or a riot could occur at any time, so they needed to be ready. I'll save that for another post. That's also why they worked out so much. They wanted to keep in shape, but they also wanted to keep their immune systems running smoothly. They took several vitamins and ate as healthy as they could in prison. Of course it was a challenge because of the limitations in our food choices, but more on that in another post. Herlong had a lot of random weather patterns, so it was definitely important to keep their immune systems healthy.

Prison isn't always what the tv tells you or what your friends and family mentions to you in conversation. I had to find out the hard way about the prison system's healthcare department. It's a shame that inmates have to be treated unfairly. They're already serving their time, why punish them even more?

# Doctor Visits at Federal Prison Camp

Have you ever heard that prisons are supposedly the best place for anyone that needs medical care? I don't know who told me that inmates get the best health care, but I can honestly tell you, that's not entirely correct.

I hated doctor visits because the medical sucked at Herlong Prison Camp. My first appointment was conducted to determine if I was healthy enough to be in prison camp. Of course, I asked, "If I was unhealthy enough, can I go home?" They quickly responded with "No!"

Anyways, an elderly black woman, I don't know if it was a doctor or a nurse (most likely a nurse) asked me for my ID, but I had forgotten about it. Without any eye contact, she told me, "You're supposed to have it on you all time."

I replied, "Okay, do you want me to get it right now?"

"What do you think? I can't work on you without it," she said.

I realize how dumb of a question it was. When I returned with my card, I showed it to her, and she didn't even look at it. Without any personality whatsoever, she did a very basic check up on me. She also gave me very vague answers to my questions. If I didn't know any better, she either hated me or was highly disappointed in me. If that was true, then she was basing it on other inmates, because I did nothing to make her feel that way. I was in and out in a matter of minutes—healthy enough to be in prison.

I later found out that this was an appointment was just the prison's evidence and documentation that I entered in prison without any bodily harm. It would be used in case I did cause bodily harm to myself in the future. The administration would have evidence and say, "He didn't come in with these scars or tattoos." Self-injuring and tattoos could get you a shot (disciplinary action). If there were any markings on an inmate they could go back and check the medical records Keep in mind, I had a similar check up when I first entered prison, which was just before I went to the actual camp.

Also, medical appointments are for funding. As long as the prison seems safe for inmates, Herlong will always obtain government funding. Thus, the people who are getting money from the prison can keep getting their money.

I had another medical visit a few days later. It was at a dentist office this time. It was yet another impersonal and rushed doctor visit. The room was small and was right next door to the clinic I was in before. There were two white doctors: one middle-aged and balding and one chunky gray-haired man. I didn't get the names, but I wouldn't have remembered them anyway. It was a clean, yet cluttered room. I first sat on a blue plastic chair and then sat on a gray chair with a donut-shaped headrest. I didn't any chains, shackles, or restraints.

He poked around in my teeth mentioned I had three missing wisdom teeth—or maybe he said I need to have my wisdom teeth removed. In any case, he wouldn't clarify or give me an explanation for it. He told me my teeth were healthy and scheduled me for a cleaning. When I asked why my teeth bleed when I brush—all he said with a forced niceness is that I could need cleaning and could be brushing incorrectly. It felt like I was in and out five minutes. I found out that the balding dentist assistant was just another inmate who hated Blacks. He couldn't do anything because he would get sent to the hole for being a jerk or for trying to fight someone.

Quality care takes time and all of my visits to medical professionals within the prison camp were rushed and impersonal. No one took the time to really care for me and make me feel like my health was important.

# My Dentist Experience

Part of the prison care system allows inmates to receive healthcare. In order to be able to see a doctor, dentist, or any healthcare provider, a form called a  cop-out was needed. Once it was filled out and approved, inmates could visit the appropriate office.

I needed to have my teeth cleaned so I filled out my form and received a  cop-out. It was an experience I would never want to go through again. I worked only a half day at my job, the Power House and then went to the dentist. As she poked around my mouth, she was extremely rough with my gums. She was supposed to be cleaning out plaque, but it felt as if she was scraping the insides of my teeth! I felt helpless. My mouth was in pain the entire hour, it was killing me. I also had a difficult time keeping me mouth open.

Although it was painful, it was also free. They found one cavity and a decay in one of my teeth. I guess they did a great job, but I would never go back. I decided to wait until I got home to take care of the cavity. I didn't want to go through that again. It was a helpless feeling knowing that all I could do was squirm, shake, and stare at the light. I was forced to "open wider", "lower my chin", and "turn left or right". I hated every moment of it.

I later heard a rumor that the dentist didn't know any English because she was from Brazil. I'm unsure if that was true, but I don't remember her telling me any other English words. Come to think of it, the assistant was the only person who did any real talking to me.

Her assistant was a White inmate I'll call Vetti. Vetti was a stockbroker who got five years for insider trading. I don't know the process of how they hire inmates, but the medical staff figured he was smart enough to work as a dentist assistant. It was his job to tell me to stay calm and inform me of the procedures the doctor was doing. The doctor never said a word except for the words I mentioned above.

At the time, I was thinking this wasn't worth losing work over. I became teary eyed hours later just rethinking and journaliing the entire event. After the procedure, my teeth would bleed when my tongue pushed against my teeth. It wasn't a lot of blood, but my spit was red and you could see blood around the side of my teeth. Also, my bottom gums were sore. When I asked Vetti a few hours later, he just told me not to worry about it. He tried to avoid talking to me too much. At first, I didn't understand why, but later I found out that Vetti didn't get along with Blacks because of some racist things he previously said.

I missed the rest of the day of work. It wasn't because of the pain, but because I thought I didn't have to go back. I thought I had a half day at work. I was told by another inmate at the Power House that once you have obtained a cop out, you don't have to go back that day. More on that inmate in another blog post, but he was dead wrong. Good thing nothing came from it.

My trip to the prison dentist was extremely uncomfortable and painful. It's something that I would never do again. Especially because my teeth bled for about two weeks.

# Health Services Department Operations

Medical offices have a tight ship to run and that's even truer when their office is located within a prison. There are certain rules that each inmate has to follow in order to see a doctor or dentist. A form called an Inmate Request to Staff Member also known as a cop-out form must be filled out before seeing anyone for medical services.

When the office receives and confirms an inmates appointment, the staff receives the schedule and works accordingly. All inmates coming in don't have to knock on the door for that reason. However, they must be properly dressed, following all dress code rules for medical visits. Although the offices are closed on certain days, emergency services are available.

The following memo is about the times and some of the procedures provided at from the Prison Health Service Department. This memo may have been meant for the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) because as I remember the nurse was only available on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Also, the pill line was twice a day: in the afternoon and before 6 pm daily.

# Prison Email

When you have a loved one in prison, one of the most important things to remember is communication. Despite their actions and the fact that they are locked away, they still need to communicate with their family. It's an entirely new and oppressing situation that they are facing and your support is needed. Communication with loved ones adds to the emotional stability of an inmate. Regular communication from family and friends contributes to positive thoughts and a healthy mental status.

The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has made it mandatory that all federal prisons incorporate a system called TRULINCS. This system allows inmates to communicate with loved ones and access BOP news and updates. It's a simple email system.

Here's how to set up the account:

1. Give the inmate a valid email address by way of regular mail or over a telephone.

2. Once the inmate adds the email address to his/her TRULINCS account, you'll get an email requesting he'd add you to his TRULINCS account. (Note: you don't have to be on his visitors' list to send and receive email).

3. Click Register as a new user for the CorrLinks system. You'll sign up with your email address and your current information.

4. The next screen will allow you to add the inmate's registration number, then click accept.

5. Once completed, you'll get a verification email.

According the the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), TRULINCS (also known as Corrlinks) is described as follows:

"The Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System (TRULINCS) is a new program currently being deployed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to provide inmates with some limited computer access, to include the capability to send and receive electronic messages without having access to the Internet. This program is designed in part to assist in the inmate's eventual release to the community. Electronic messaging has now become a standard form of communication within most American homes and businesses, and it can now be used to help inmates stay connected to their families. Strengthening or re-establishing family ties helps inmates improve the likelihood of a successful re-entry into the community, thus reducing the potential for recidivism."

The description states that this email system has limited access to the internet, so this isn't the email that most people think of. The email that an inmate's family member sends goes to a server that's monitored by the BOP. Once it's approved, it goes to the inmate's computer. Since emails have to be monitored and approved, it could take up to two hours for an inmate to receive an email or for the family to receive an inmate's email. For one conversation, the turnaround time is four hours! If you or a loved one would like to sign up for TRULINCS, use the form below. Don't forget, there's a cost for this service, about $0.05 per minute.

Herlong's Prison Camp had two rooms with computers. The main inmate computer room and the Law Library. Inside the Law Library, inmates were allowed to use the two computers free of charge, but only up to two hours at a time. If an inmate logged off, he would have to wait 15 minutes to log back in. However, in the Law Library, inmates had no access to the public messaging system. In the other computer room, inmates had access to everything except the Law Library functions.

During my stay (May 2011 – May 2012), music, request to staff forms, and surveys were unaccessible in either rooms.

Below are pictures from the "Bulletin Board" option of TRULINCS, which is how an inmate might see it at Herlong Federal Prison Camp. To see how TRULINCS looks from the Inmate's family computer, click here:  Corrlinks.

# Visiting the Prison

Is Your Loved One in Prison?

Visiting a love one in prison (camp or otherwise) can be a very rewarding experience. I admit it, I loved seeing my mom during visiting hours. She only came to visit twice during my stay at Herlong Prison Camp, but those times were simply amazing! I have never forgotten how much it meant to me to catch up with family affairs. I loved the fact that I was able to ease my mom's emotions about my safety while behind bars.

In fact, this is a common experience. Talking to a few brothers inside, it was expressed that their most important aspect of visitation was providing relief to their family members. In visitation, family, friends and other loved ones can physically see that you're safe and in good health. A lot of times people only have TV to relate to and knowing you're in a place like TV prison brings a certain fear to mind. It's difficult to provide true relief to someone over the phone, but seeing someone face to face makes the difference.

There is a certain process needed in order to visit a family member or loved one. Below is a visiting form for those who need to visit your loved ones inside a prison camp. Please be sure to contact your loved one to make sure the counselor's name is correct.

Once you fill out this form and send it in, you will be waiting about two weeks until it is approved. The bad part is that you will never receive confirmation of the approval. Instead, you will have to contact your loved one to make sure they received approval and updates. Each night, inmates receive a handout of who is on their approved visiting list. It is important to let your loved one know when you will be arriving. Let them know by phone or email the day and time you expect to visit so they can be ready. If someone visits unexpectedly and an inmate is called three times and misses each call, the visitor will be sent home. I'm unsure if this is just hearsay, but I wouldn't risk it.

At Herlong Prison, inmates are counted at 10:00 am. These counts can last anywhere from fifteen minutes to an hour. It all depends on the CO's and what they are dealing with that morning. If you arrive around 10:00 am you will have to wait until count is complete before your loved one is released to the visiting room. However, if you arrive between 8:00 am and 9:30 am and your loved one is in the visiting room before 10:00 am, then all is well.

Before you visit, make an effort to know the rules as well as your rights as a visitor. The following list is extremely important. Keep these rules in mind while visiting your loved one.

(The following is copied and pasted from the BOP website)

"Visiting is an extremely important family function, and dress code requirements are necessary to maintain the dignity of those involved. All visitors will be properly dressed while at the institution. All visitors must wear a shirt. No shirtless visitors will be allowed. wearing short shorts (with Visitors are prohibited againstthe except of children 12 and under), miniskirts, low cut, (if skin can be seen see-through or transparent blouses or pants through the garment), tube, tank or halter tops, backless clothing, low cut blouses, shirts, dresses, sleeveless shirts or spaghetti straps, swim suits, sweat suits, spandex pants, bodysuits or any other type of form fitting pants or skirts, or excessively tight clothing of any type (e.g., skintight clothing, etc.). If a visitor chooses to wear a dress, the length of the dress will not be shorter than the natural break of the leg at the back of the knee. This requirement includes any type of slit or cut in the dress. Visitors over age ten may not wear miniskirts, halter tops, sleeveless shirts, tank tops, backless outfits, spandex pants or bodysuits or see-through clothing. With the exception of religious headgear, hats may not be worn during visits. Inmates are responsible for advising their visitors of the dress requirements in the Visiting Room, including not wearing clothing which is khaki in color at the FeI, and green in color at the FPC. Visits may be denied by the IDO and/or Operations Lieutenant for noncompliance after review of the situation. Excessively provocative attire is reason to deny and/or preclude visiting.

At the FCI, visitor purses, car keys, cell phones or other electronic devices, coats, jackets, and headgear must be secured in the lockers provided. Camp visitors will leave these items in their vehicles with car keys kept by the Camp Visiting Officer in the key retention box. During cold weather, heavy winter coats may be brought into the Visiting Room. However, these coats must be hung on a coat rack by the officer's station.

Visitors will be authorized to bring the following items into the Visiting Room:

1. Clear change purse (eight inches or less in height and width)

2. Reasonable amount of currency (bills, no larger than five dollar bills) total each day per inmate visit. Coins are preferred in lieu of bills.

3. Comb

4. Prescription medication (to be maintained by the Visiting Officer)

5. Jewelry

6. Clear diaper bag containing up to six of each of the following items: baby food or formula (in a sealed, unopened container), empty plastic baby bottles, diapers and wipes

7. The diaper bag will be supervised by the Visiting Room Officers at their station and accessed by the parent when needed.

A greeting/farewell kiss and embrace of visitors is permissible. All contact must be consistent with proper order and good taste. No physical body contact beyond initial and departing embrace will be tolerated and will result in the immediate termination of the visit. Only 20 visitors, inclusive of immediate family, friends or associates will be authorized on the approved visiting list. No more than 5 adult visitors in the Visiting Room at anyone time. Children under the age of 16 years will not be counted toward this total. There are no limitations on frequency of changes to the inmate's visiting list."

For more on these rules and other please  click here

As you can see, there are many things to keep in mind when visiting a loved one staying at a prison camp. Although the process may seem tedious, it is a rewarding experience to see a family, friend or loved one and know that they are safe and well.

# Inmate Telephone

Staying in touch with loved ones can be challenging when you're away at prison camp or prison. There are no cell phones allowed and if you're caught with one then you most likely will receive a shot (disciplinary action). The phones that are available cost money and inmates aren't the ones that pay the bill. Family members or other loved ones will have to do so, however, the charges vary. Instead of receiving collect calls, loved ones can now prepay to receive a phone call.

Below are the direct and prepaid calling rates for inmates at Herlong Prison. Please note that there is NOWHERE in Herlong Federal Prison Camp or in the Herlong Federal Correctional Institute where you can make a phone call for $.06 a minute. The CHEAPEST you're going to pay is $.23 a minute. Inmates are only allowed 15 minutes per call, so the average 15-minute call is about $3.45.

Also within the image are the prepaid calling directions for those who rather not receive collect calls. Usually, prison inmates could call their loved ones with collect calls, however, some people cannot accept these calls. When I was in prison camp, the prison didn't give collect calls as an option. Instead, they encouraged inmates to tell their families about the Value Added Communications prepaid account. They would have to set up a Value Added Communications by calling 1-800-913-6037.

I had the option to set up this account, but I chose not to because I wasn't going to be there very long. If you have a loved one in prison and cannot accept collect calls, create a prepaid account and make communication between you and your loved one easy.

If you pay your cell phone bill each month then I'm sure you'll understand how the Inmate Minute Revalidation Cycle operates. Every month your cell phone carrier allots you a certain amount of minutes to use each month (unless you have unlimited minutes). When you reach that amount within a month, you cannot make any calls until the next month. The Inmate Minute Revalidation Cycle operates in the same way.

Each month an inmate is given 300 minutes to make phone calls to whomever they choose. The only difference is the amount time an inmate is allowed to talk in one session. Inmates are only allowed fifteen minutes per phone session and then they have to wait about one hour (might be only a fifteen minute wait—I forget) until he could use the phone again. Once the 300 minutes are used up, the inmate must wait until next month to receive his next 300 minutes.

His Trufone or phone minutes reset each month on a certain schedule that's based off of his fifth digit of his inmate register number. The fifth number in my inmate register number was "2", so my Trufone would reset on the seventh of each month. Take a look at the memo below and you will be able to determine the date in which an inmates revalidation cycles resets.

This is a simple and easy system to understand.

#  How To Send Money

How to Send Money to a Federal Inmate via Western Union or MoneyGram

EFFECTIVE MARCH 22, 2004

Being locked away from society doesn't remove the need for having a few dollars for yourself. If you have a loved one behind bars and need help sending them money, here are ways to send money through Western Union and MoneyGram.

INMATE ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER—QUICK COLLECT

An inmate's families and friends may now send them funds through Western Union's Quick Collect Program. All funds sent via Western Union's Quick Collect program will be posted the inmates account within two to four hours, if those funds are sent between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm EST. Money can be sent seven days a week and even on holidays. However, funds that are received after 9:00 pm EST will post the following day by 9:00 am. The program has three options in which money can be sent. The three ways are below.

1. Using An Agent (Multiple Locations Available)

The inmate's family or friends must complete a Blue Quick Collect Send Form. To find the nearest agent they may call 1-800-325-6000 or go to www.westernunion.com.

2. By Phone

By using a credit or debit card, an inmate's family or friends may simply call 1-800-634-3422 and press option 2.

3. Online

Go to www.westernunion.com and select bill payment. Scroll down to Payment Service Quick Connect and click login. You will need an account and the payee information (name). Use your credit or debit card to complete the transaction.

For each Western Union Quick Collect transaction, the following information must be provided:

1) Inmate Register Number

2) Inmate Name

3) City code: FBOP

4) State code: DC

Please note that the inmate name and register number must be entered correctly, if the sender does not provide the correct information, the transaction cannot be completed. The City Code will always be: FBOP and the State Code will always be: DC. Each transaction is accepted or rejected at the point of sale. The sender has the sole responsibility of sending the funds to the correct inmate. If an incorrect register number and/or name are used and accepted and posted to that inmate, funds may not be returned.

*Western Union will charge the public a $9.95 fee for U.S. cash transfers up to $5,000 processed at Western Union agent locations. Transfers via the telephone or internet have higher fees. Non-U.S. money transfers also have higher fees.

Any questions or concerns regarding Western Union transfers should be directed to Western Union.

How to send money to a Federal Inmate via MoneyGram

Another way you can send your loved ones money is through the MoneyGram Express Payment Program.

All funds sent via MoneyGram Express will be posted to an inmate's account within two to four hours. Funds must be sent between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. (EST). You can send money seven days per week, including holidays. If funds are received after 9:00 pm EST, it will be posted by 9:00 am (EST) the following morning. Funds sent to an inmate through MoneyGram Express must be sent through an agent since it only sends out cash. Once with an agent, family or friends must complete a MoneyGram Express Payment Service Form. To find the nearest agent you can call 1-800-926-9400 or go to www.moneygram.com.

For each MoneyGram transaction, the following information must be provided:

Inmate Register Number

Inmate Name

Receive Code: 7932 (The Receive Code will always be: 7932)

Please note that the inmate name and register number must be entered correctly. If the sender does not provide the correct information, the transaction cannot be completed. Each transaction is accepted or rejected at the point of sale. The sender has the sole responsibility of sending the funds to the correct inmate. If an incorrect register number and/or name are used, accepted and posted to the wrong inmate, funds may not be returned.

Money Gram will charge the public up to $9.95 fee for U.S. cash transfers up to $5,000 processed at Money Gram agent locations. Any questions or concerns regarding MoneyGram transfers should be directed to MoneyGram by the sender (general public).

#  Displicine and Punishments

What Are Your Rights and Responsibilities As An Inmate?

Most know that there a lot of liberties and privileges taken away while in jail, but which ones? When you're arrested, the law enforcing personnel is required to "read you your rights". This tells you what you can do and how to protect yourself from further scrutiny. However, did you know that if you are locked up in a federal correctional institution, you must also be notified of your rights as well as the current disciplinary system. This information can be found in document called "Inmates Rights & Responsibilities & Disciplinary Scale". This document is important to read over so that you don't allow yourself to get caught up in a serious offense while inside prison.

Inside you'll find rights such as the right to:

• Shower regularly

• Be respected by personnel

• Religious worship

• Visit and correspond with family members

• Participate in educational & vocational activities

This document also explains that you have the responsibility to:

• Treat personnel and other inmates with respect

• Know and abide by all rules

• Never waste food, follow the shower schedule, etc

• Take advantages of the opportunities that help you live a successful, law-abiding life within the institution

• Conduct yourself properly during visits

The last thing this document details is the disciplinary system. This system consists of a scale going from 100 to 400, with 100 being the most heinous of crimes. Within the classification called Greatest Category Code Prohibited Acts (100's) you will find actions such as killing, rioting, making/possessing tools for harming and/or escaping, possession of narcotics, and sexual assaults (non-consensual) as well as many others. This category will get you a recession of your parole date, disciplinary transfer or segregation, money restitution or more.

The next classification is called High Category Code Prohibited Acts (200"s) and include making threats, bribery, causing other to boycott work, practicing martial arts or wrestling, theft, tattooing and more. This category faces the same discipline as the first category, but also includes the chance of an internal transfer, loss of a job, removal from program, impounding of personal property and more.

The classification in the 300's is called Moderate Category Code Prohibited Acts. This includes refusing to work or obey orders, lying, being in an authorized place, failing to be at count, offering products for money profit, smoking, being untidy and much more. The disciplinary actions are the same as the High Category Code with added sanctions such as restriction to one's quarters or giving an inmate extra duties.

The lowest classification is the Low Category Code Prohibited Acts (400's) and includes visitation violations, using obscene language, unauthorized physical contact and feigning illnesses. You can expect the same sanctions as the categories above and add warnings and reprimands.

Please note that there are several punishments for one offense. Depending on the severity of the crime (or the CO's opinion of the offense) an inmate could get a 400 series shot (sanction) or a 100 series shot. To find out the details of the document, you can read it below. See anything you think is unfair, write it in the comments.

# Suicide Prevention

Suicide prevention is one of the most important aspects of prison control. Males have a higher rate of suicide, not just in prison, but in general. Prison can make a person even more susceptible to depression and other mental health disorders. It is up to the prison staff to be aware of the signs and symptoms of suicidal inmates and to keep the prison safe for everyone.

Every so often, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) gave out memos to the prison population via  Trulincs. A lot of those memos were geared towards the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI). A good amount of them were for both the Federal Prison Camp (FCP) and the FCI. The memo below is a reminder to inmates at both the camp and the FCI that the prison will assist inmates with any mental problems and will help them to deal with depression. This is all in an attempt to prevent suicide.

Luckily for me, I never had to use the services they mentioned below. Most inmates I saw use these services received counseling and medication for their problems. If you know that someone is having an issue finding solutions to their problems, reach out to a suicide prevention hotline and notify someone right away.

# Post Prison Transfer

All inmates are waiting for the day that they can leave the prison or prison camp. Some of them, like myself, transferred to a halfway house, but the others transferred from prison to their own residences. This could be that they have completed their sentence or that they are on parole. I never had to fill this out, but this is also used for several different furloughs such as:

• To and from an inmate's home residence

• To the halfway house

When completing this form, be sure to have the VEHICLE'S INFORMATION fully filled out. The camp administrators are going to check out the vehicle and the driver. If the driver has a felony, that person cannot pick up an inmate. You can read the form below for more information.

# Laundry

Laundry can seem like a chore if you're not in the comfort of your own home. It can be a hassle to lug your clothing around the corner, even if you live at an apartment complex where a laundry room is provided. Of course, in prison you don't have a choice but to take your clothing to the laundry room. With overcrowded prisons, one would think that this was a tricky task, but at Herlong Prison Camp it was easy, affordable, and even a side hustle for some inmates.

The laundry room contained six dryers and six washers lined up against one of the walls. The other wall had an ice machine, a large window and a place to put torn clothing. The wall that faced the dryers had a hot water machine and everything you needed for ironing. The thing I liked about the machines is that it had its own soap and it was free. If someone wanted a different type of soap, then inmates could purchase theirs from the  commissary. The machines had all of the standard settings you'd have in your home machines.

At first, I was doing laundry twice a week, but then once I began working out more, I did it daily (might as well, it's all free—the soap, the water, the dryer, everything). The trick with doing your laundry is to go when most people are at work or are sleep. When they're sleeping, you can use multiple machines because no one is there using them. Usually, most inmates sleep immediately after 10 pm count, but it's bad to interrupt your bunky.

I usually waited until most inmates were at work. This worked well for me because my bunky went to work. It was the perfect time to get whatever I needed to get done. I could clean, wash, dry and fold clothes and even get a midday nap. I started my laundry after my morning workout at 9:30 am (this was after I quit working for Power House).

Some inmates used laundry time as a way to make extra money. They usually charged around ten dollars per inmate. I think it was a waste of money to pay someone else to wash your clothes. However, for the inmate washing clothes, they were making damn good money. Some of them washed clothes for fifteen inmates. That's $150 per month. Most inmates didn't even make that much when working at their prison jobs. The most I ever made working was eighty-three dollar in one month. Others have made $110, but it's pretty rare to make more than forty dollars a month, unless you know someone.

If prison is soon to be your fate, you can rest knowing laundry won't be a challenging task. In fact, you can make laundry a side hustle and make more than you could working inside the prison. Make the most of your time and you will see it go by quickly.

# The Expectations of Herlong Prison Camp

My thought process when entering prison camp was to make sure that this experience was a positive one. Although I was locked up in a place filled with rumors of gangs, sexual assaults, and a major loss of freedom, I did my best to stay on a positive path. As you read this memo, you will see that I was not alone in my thinking. The staff and their supervisors desired a safe and positive environment as well. They have put in place various rules in order to keep things safe for everyone.

However, I didn't need their help since I found the library which was filled with books that enabled me to further develop myself as a person and a writer. I took advantage of the quiet time and wrote pieces that contributed to my novel as well as this blog. I encourage everyone that has to go to prison to stay encouraged and find a way to use the time to further develop yourself.

The Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) sent this memo to all the inmates via Trulincs. This memo explains the rules and the BOP's core values, which relate to what I was able to accomplish; and to what you can also accomplish.

# Job Fair

Prisons are supposed to be about reforming individuals to become better citizens in society. That's supposedly why they offer GED classes, lucrative hobbies, and prison jobs. The prison I attended had an idea to host a voluntary job fair. The only odd thing about it being voluntary was that it wasn't; it was mandatory for all prison camp inmates to attend.

Herlong Prison Camp's "voluntary" job fair was held in the visitor's room. It was the biggest joke of job fair I had ever seen. The purpose of this job fair was to teach inmates how to conduct themselves during a job fair. They were also supposed to teach inmates how to get the most out of attending a job fair. Normally, if you're teaching someone this there are some things that they should be given in advance or should have been prepared prior to the job fair. These things include:

• Interview skills

• What to wear

• What questions to ask employers and how to ask those questions

• What to bring (resume, ID, proof of accomplishments, etc)

However, this job fair was nothing like a real job fair. The prison gave us a list of questions to look over (see the questions below), but the job fair wasn't set up to test them. We couldn't learn how to use them because the job fair was just an advertisement of halfway houses, schools, and job placement services. I know, job placement services sound like there's some hope, but they were located in Nevada and we were in Sacramento. The halfway houses were located in Southern California. The schools were all over starting from Southern California to Nevada. The only thing that seemed good was the probation officer from Sacramento, but I never got a chance to meet him.

The inmates walked around for a bit and talked to the people who were advertising their halfway house's information or school's information. I was so upset that I left after five minutes—the time they mandated that we had to spend in there. You know you're really upset when you fill out the survey, well I voiced my opinion on the survey sheet and turned it in.

I believe job fairs are a good idea to help inmates re-establish themselves in the outside community, but it has to be done correctly. I'm not against having the halfway houses or schools at the job fair, but maybe they should have focused on what was best for the inmates.

# Pay Scale

One of the most important details when looking for a job is the amount of money being offered for the position. As inmates, one of the privileges lost is job hunting by salary. In fact at Herlong Prison Camp, the amount of money given to a working inmate is just about the same given to a third world country sweatshop employee. However minimal the earnings were, workers were still encouraged to work their way to the top.

The department I was hired at was called Power House or GM6 and had a payscale with levels called grades. The leader or foreman was in Grade 1. They were responsible for managing projects. The number ones, as we called them, discussed project assignments with the COs (correctional officers) and determined the best way to manage it all. Those in Grade 2 (number twos) were the assistants to the number ones. They would get instructions from them and also were next in line if Grade 1 was unavailable. Inmates in Grade 3 and Grade 4 (number threes and number fours) would help wherever they were needed.

I experienced all of the grades when I worked at Power House. My shift started at 7:30 am and usually ended at 2:00 pm. The COs could have kept me and the other workers longer because they paid us for seven hours of work, however we only worked six hours with an hour break.

As a Grade 4, I made about seventeen dollars a month. Once I was able to show proof of my GED (or high school diploma), I became a Grade 3 and I made twenty-four dollars a month. When I was promoted to a Grade 2, I earned about forty dollars a month. When I finally made it to Grade 1, I worked hard. If I pleased the CO, I would get bonuses up to fifty percent of my base pay. Sometimes I could get double my pay because I worked several hours over my normal hours. I would work until seven at night or just after dinner. The most I made in any one month was eighty-three dollars.

I know it doesn't sound like much, but in prison camp, good money is when an inmate made more than $40 a month. The pay can be hard to determine based off of my earning, so here are the pay rates for each grade.

The pay scale for inmate workers at Herlong Prison Camp is as followed:

Maintenance: $5.00/month

Grade 4: $0.12 an hour

Grade 3: $0.17 an hour

Grade 2: $0.24 an hour

Grade 1: $0.40 an hour plus a 50% bonus for being the "lead."

Some departments, like the Power House, tried to keep a small group of inmate workers. This enabled them to give the inmates the best possible learning experience and it also increased their pay. There was only a small amount of money approved for inmate pay. There was no way to go over budget until the COs had talked to their superiors to increase inmate pay.

Inmates don't have the luxury of searching for better paying jobs and every cent in prison is helpful for a number of reasons. If you find yourself or your loved one entering into a federal institution, don't become outraged over the pay. Stay positive and remember to be diligent in your work ethic. Even though it's a low paying job, the same work ethic is required if you want to get and keep a job.

# Work Detail

There's a saying:

"The early bird gets the worm."

Well, not in this case. I've always been taught that to be early is to be on time, but at Herlong Prison, the earliest you could leave to get to work was at 6:45 am. All inmates had to stay within their housing areas unless they worked in the kitchen. If they worked in the kitchen, they had to leave early so that they could prepare breakfast for the entire facility.

I worked at the Powerhouse, so I couldn't leave before 6:45 am. Instead I worked out until it was time for me to go. I'd take a quick shower and then go to work. I'm not saying I was late every day or that anyone else was. However, this memo was just a reminder to the camp population that they cannot leave the housing area until 6:45 at the earliest.

Here is the original copy of the memo.

#  First Day At The Power House

Realizing My Potential and Passion

Finding your passion is sometimes hard to do. Most people don't wake up knowing exactly they want and how they can fulfill their lives. Often people have to go through life's ups and downs before they realize what they want to do. Others have to experience something they completely dislike before their passions are ignited. The latter is what happened to me. America's housing crisis landed me in prison camp, but I decided I would make the best of the situation and learn as much as I could. I jumped at the opportunity to take a job in HVAC and sewage systems, however, I quickly realized that my passion was writing.

I found a job that I truly wanted and it was at a prison department called the Power House. It was located in a plaza like area where other department jobs were, such as the inventory garage, General Maintenance Six (GM6), and UNICOR, which was recently shut down. There I learned about heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. They were also in charge of the sewage system, which was called the grinding area and was about one mile from the Power House. The grinding area was also the point where the sewage system for the neighboring building, the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI), linked up. The plaza was also next to the back entrance of the FCI.

My first day there went by fast. I had breakfast and then after 6:30 am, I walked about a mile to the Power House. When I arrived, I was driven to the sewage area, and entered through the garage door on the top floor. The sewage area was divided into two floors, the upper and the lower. I put on a mask (similar to a painter's mask) and some gloves and walked downstairs to where the actual sewer was located. On the lower level there were tunnels that carried the water down to the grinder. The grinder was connected to a massive metal tube that dumped the remains into garbage bags upstairs.

All the stuff from the toilet went down this massive tube; and by stuff I mean everything you can imagine:

• Poop

• Drugs

• Weapons

• Other contrabands

• Bedding

• Clothing

• Food

• Other general garbage

Anything that was too large for the grinder was taken out and put into a garbage bag and carried upstairs. Meanwhile, all water sewage and waste would go to the Herlong "City" sewer system. Herlong isn't an actual city or town, it's a  Census-designated place. Afterward, I'd clean the grinder with a huge white nozzled water hose. The nozzle was made by inmates specifically for the Grinding Station. Once the garbage was full, we tied them up and put them on a cart. We drove to a dumpster and dumped them there.

When I returned, I had to blow all the excess sand from around the main Power House building with a leaf blower. There was a mini sandstorm that night, so to stay busy, I had to clean it. As the sand hardened, I had to use a shovel instead of the leaf blower. I couldn't shovel alone, so the other inmates helped out. They were upset because I was working too hard. I personally didn't mind. It was better than them getting mad at me for being lazy.

After lunch, I learned a little about the boilers, how to read gauges, and how to take water samples. They also showed me where all the tools and supplies were located. That day flew by and I was glad. I was also glad to work there. I thought this would help me create better opportunities for future jobs.

However, I quickly learned that was a mistake. As I began to write in my journal and the pages of my first novel, I realized HVAC wasn't what I wanted to do. In about five months, I realized that I was putting too much time and energy into working and studying HVAC. I started to hate it and my job at the Power House. It wasn't because of money or drama, but once I found my passion, nothing else seemed important. I wanted to blog, write novels and poetry. I wanted to find ways to make money from my writing skills. I desired to create businesses and see them become successful. I no longer wanted to spend time working at a place I hated; nor did I want to give my time to something I wasn't completely enjoying.

I definitely don't regret working at the Power House. As you'll see in future blog posts, the Power House was a great experience, a needed experience. It helped me to see what I truly wanted in life. It was that experience—those five months—that I realized I have to focus more on living a thriving life and not just getting through it. My previous jobs were busing tables and I didn't like my life. I felt like a "slave" working my butt off for a master. It's true I chose to work at restaurants, so I'm not accusing anyone of racism, however, in my heart, I never wanted to bus tables. The same is true for working at the Power House since I chose to work there. In prison I couldn't just quit, in fact, I tried and my plans went south and I felt like I was stuck there. It was a horrible feeling. I felt like the hardest person in the city with nothing to show for it. I know I have so much potential, but I can't be content working at a job I don't care for or one that makes me feel like a slave. I decided I wanted to be an entrepreneur. That's why, as you'll see in the future post, I quit the Power House. I was spending my time learning to be a slave when I should have been learning to be a master.

I entered into prison with the mindset of making my "punishment" the best experience it could be. I wanted it to make me a better person. This is proof that I did that. Although I feel that the Power House was a mistake, it was really just the pathway for me to realize my potential and entrepreneur and writing skills.

# UNICOR Was Down

Inmates are required to get jobs while in prison. They are paid various and competitive wages just as if they are in the real world. The only difference is that the wages are significantly lower, so when a good job goes out of business, it's a lot more detrimental to inmates.

One business in particular that was already shut down before I arrived was UNICOR. UNICOR was a department where inmates built chairs, household furniture, and office furniture for other companies. The furniture was sold in department stores in and outside the US. However, I heard the furniture of UNICOR was poorly built. Several inmates, most likely the lowest paid inmates, used too many shortcuts when building the furniture. There experienced a high amount of returns, which cut into the company's profits. I've also heard rumors that the COs didn't have proper bookkeeping skills and were terrible when managing the inmates. Due to the errors, there wasn't enough to fund the department. UNICOR was also closed inside the FCI as well.

A lot of inmates didn't like that UNICOR was closed. The company paid some of the best wages in the camp. The top inmate workers made well over a dollar per hour. I know it doesn't sound like much, but in prison camp, good money is when an inmate made more than $40 a month. At UNICOR, inmates made upwards of a hundred dollars a month or more.

The furniture the inmates made where used within the prison and the camp. I remember all the Power House desk and chairs were created from inmates working at Unicor. However, I have no way of knowing if the respected department had to pay to get those furniture or chairs.

When I arrived at prison camp, the department used for UNICOR was used as a storage area for supplies from the Power House and GM6. In fact, I would get ten to fifteen ten-pound bags of salt from that storage area to apply to the hard water at the Power House. Just before I transferred to the halfway house, the part of the building used for UNICOR was no longer accessible to inmates. We never received a reason as to why.

I've heard many express their disappointment when UNICOR closed. It's just like when a business in the outside world closes; there are lost jobs, wages, and financial hardship. Inmates suffer economic depression just as those in the outside suffer. It's truly a double penalty for the inmate.

# Recreation Procedures

Prison inmates are kept to strict standards when it comes to dress codes and recreation. However, from time to time, inmates can get off track from the guidelines and will have to be reminded of the rules. Some of the following rules are common sense. For example, if the prison staff is tasked with keeping recreation safe, then any type of martial art practice is prohibited. If they didn't, what would happen when someone gets angry when they lose a match? As you read below, inmates aren't allowed to bring unsafe items like cans and razors.

Unknown to the outside population, inmates are allowed to do more than just sit on the "playground" and shoot hoops. There are other hobbies available such as instruments, crafts, and photography. The problem, as cited in this memo, is that inmates are lingering in those spots, giving out massages, and otherwise not partaking in the hobby that's in the room. Maybe it's because they were done already, but whatever their reason, let's not make it unfair for everyone else.

# Community Based Program Agreement

It's a great feeling to be released from prison, even if you are going into a halfway house program. The rules are different, but there is more freedom for inmates. In fact, there's so much freedom, that there's an agreement that each transitioning inmate must sign before being released.

The agreement outlines restrictions and gives guidelines to transitioning inmates on the new program's policies and procedures. It informs them that the department of justice still has the right to release their files to potential employers, social agencies, educational facilities, etc, while they reside in the program. Inmates also have to find a job since they are required to pay for their stay and failure to pay could result in them being removed from the program. This agreement also says that drug testing will occur and that inmates shouldn't even consume poppy seeds or they'll risk a false positive. In order to encourage inmates to build up their after prison life skills, they'll be required to pay for medical insurance. Their medical treatment, once they reside in the halfway house, will be monitored. They aren't allowed any non-emergency medical treatment unless it's first approved.

There are many more things the halfway house oversees and requires from an inmate. They are all outlined in the form below. If you or a loved one will be entering a halfway house soon, read over the agreement and make sure it's something that you're both willing to do. There's no point in getting this far, just to mess up and go back to prison.

# Unit Rules

Prison is full of rules and regulations, something everyone already knows. However, you would think that strict adherence to these policies would be maintained. From time to time, a memo must be sent out to all the inmates regarding those rules that have not been followed. Of course, there is disciplinary action for those inmates who choose not to follow them. Before I came, I figured there'd be one strike and you're in trouble, even if it was an accident.

According to this memo, you can see that the administration wasn't as strict as I thought. Here they reiterate how important it is to keep your lockers, bunks, and personal bulletin boards neat and clean. You may also notice the strict rules for how to organize and clean things. The camp administrator re-posted this memo to remind the campers of their behavior and how they need to keep their areas clean.

Below that is a copy of the actual memo.

# SSI Payments To Inmates

I understand and respect it when people say prison camp was comfortable and not a real prison. The longer I stayed there, the more I understood the statement. However, some things made it more difficult to stay there. One of those things were false hopes and in this case, it was the false hope of Social Security Income payments for inmates, as well as a few others.

There was a rumor going around the prison camp that inmates could get up to $300 per month from SSI. In fact, there was a paper handed out that said federally incarcerated inmates (whether in prison, good time or halfway house) could receive money for all of the time spent in incarceration. It also claimed that any federal inmates could become bonded felons, receive disability, various cash awards, or loans.

Sounds amazing right? I was only in prison for two weeks and suddenly my current imprisonment was the best thing that ever happened to me. I was excited because that meant I could get about $5,100 since my sentence was seventeen months. I thought about starting a business with that money. I had also heard that there was a possibility that the Small Business Administration would give federal inmates a loan for up to $50,000 and would be bonded by the Federal Government. I honestly tried to take it with a grain of salt, but I couldn't because it sounded like such a good way to get up on my feet after prison.

However, it turned out to be a complete lie.

None of the prison administrators knew of either program. I even had a family member call the 1-800 number, but it never worked. When I got home, I found this on the SSI website:

"Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments generally are not payable for months that you are confined to a jail, prison or certain other public institutions for commission of a crime. You are not automatically eligible for Social Security or SSI payments when you are released."

Essentially, the only way I could get $300 per month for being incarcerated was if I was deemed medically insane and if my condition was permanent, meaning I couldn't obtain a job or maintain my living status. On top of that, a licensed doctor would have to prove my case. Of course if I had that problem, then I wouldn't be able to  write a book or even wash dishes. I did find out that some inmates received their $300, but it wasn't for the amount of time they'd spent in prison. They were receiving it every month for the rest of their lives. I also found out that the Small Business Administration wouldn't fund inmates any amount of money.

Some people that are in prison firmly believe those papers circulating around the prison. They create imaginary lives around the idea of all of that money, just like I did. Inmates who are bound for ten years believe they are going to receive a large check when they get home.

The idea of receiving money was a major false hope. Other false hopes included early releases. At the time of my imprisonment, inmates believed President Obama, or whoever the current president was, would work with Congress to shorten prison sentences. Shorter prison sentences would free up space in the prisons so that they weren't overcrowded. However, inmates from higher institutions have told me that this was a lie that they've been hearing since President Clinton was in office.

Another rumor and false hope was about reducing the 89% mandatory serving time to 50% for non-violent inmates. The only rumor that turned out to be true was the reduction of the crack law from 100:1 to 18:1. That law reduced a few inmates sentences as much as half or to time served. I've seen some inmates who had five more years to go, go home before I did.

Although prison camp isn't the same as prison, it's still takes away freedoms and privileges from people. False hopes only add insult to injury and unfortunately, while in prison, it seems to be just a part of the sentence.

For more got to SSI for inmates.

# Can A Convicted Felon Vote In California?

It is well known that anyone with a felony conviction cannot vote in elections. It's been an issue for many years. Some think it's wrong, some think it's right, and others are indifferent. It's a big issue in the Black community since most of us make up the majority of inmates.

Once I served my time at Herlong Prison Camp, I just assumed that since I was a felon that I wasn't allowed to vote. It dawned on me that I couldn't vote for the rest of my life. Honestly, that didn't bother me. To be transparent, I have never voted. I know that may make my Black "brothas" and "sistahs" cringe considering our history concerning voting, but I have never believed in the political process of determining America's leaders. I don't believe my vote truly makes a difference. This argument is a subject for another day and another post, so let me get back to voting with a felony.

After doing some research and reading, I found out that I could have voted in the November 2012 election. According to  ProCon.org

"Felon voting has not been regulated federally although some argue that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act can be applied to felon disenfranchisement and that Congress has the authority to legislate felon voting in federal elections."

This means that states currently have the right to restrict your voting privilege. However most states only restrict you for a certain period of time. It is usually until after your prison sentence, parole, or probation is complete. Once you're done with that you can most likely vote. There have only been a small number of people that have completely lost their voting privilege. You can find a lot more information on ProCon.org. Also,  click here to view a chart by state that tells you when you can vote.

# Leisure Library

If you're on your way to prison and want to know how to stay out of of trouble or away from drama, then the library is the best place to be. It's filled with informative books, televisions, cds and dvds, and more. It's where I wrote my daily journal entries which turned into this blog as well as my novel,  Subprime Felon.

At Herlong Prison Camp, I spent most of my time in a room called "the Leisure Library." This room had five large desks with very comfortable red chairs. There was a bookshelf against the wall with tons of religious material. Every religion from Witchcraft, various forms of paganism, Egyptology, Islam, Judaism and of course Christianity was in there. I even looked at a few Eastern religious books such as Buddhism and Hinduism.

Next to that bookshelf was another shelf that had self help books and more religious books. There was another shelf close by that had three desks and two had thirteen inch television/DVD combos locked in cages and on with nothing on it. (Sometimes the COs would unlock the cages to allow inmates to watch television in other rooms).

On the opposite wall were two more desks with television/DVD combos in cages and a shelf with DVDs. Most of the DVDs were educational, religious, or PG-13 movies or lesser. We were never allowed to watch R rated movies or porn in prison. Although I did hear rumors that people were watching them in the equipment room—again that's just a rumor. On the back wall, the administrators and COs put up their advertisements and announcements. There was also a schedule of events for the day as well as the month.

I tried to get there at about 6:30 am if I wasn't working at the Power House. When I finally quit the Power House, I would go into the library after my morning workout or after lunch. I would usually be in there seven days a week.

I have to admit, sometimes the library would get crazy because people wanted to come to watch movies and talk loud. However, for the most part, my time FLEW in the library. Maybe it was because I was away from the inmate population, thus away from all the drama. It also could have been because I was so busy doing my own thing that I lost track of time, probably both. if you're going to prison camp, I recommend you keep yourself in the library. It would keep you out of a lot of trouble.

Although there is a classroom where inmates can use and achieve the same purpose, it is also a room with television in it. This means that other inmates may come in and watch it since it had a very nice tv and also had cable. This would sometimes cause problems if I was in there writing or reading. The inmates felt that I could write or read literally anywhere else. However, you can just say that you are studying for some religious purpose and they would have to leave.

# How To Make Friends In Prison

Everyone needs a friend sometimes, even when you're behind bars. It can be lonely in prison whether you're in a camp or a higher security area. Day to day struggles require someone's help to overcome negative emotions. If you're new to prison or haven't many friends while locked up, here's how to make friends.

• Be Yourself

Don't try to make people like you by imitating other people. You might find that inmates and CO's will like you because you seem different and unique. They've seen it all and are sick of fake people.

• Don't Be Afraid of Your Own Personality

You may be goofy, funny or strange, but honestly expressing your personality will bring you respect, thus more friends. Keeping it real really means be yourself. If you try to act hard or better than others, time will tell the truth. You'll be looked at as a scum and this could make you prison camp stay worse than what it already is.

• Have Something to Offer

Drinks, smokes, food, advice, or even something intelligent advice are great ways to make friends and keep them. Don't be afraid to use your knowledge from the outside to help make their lives better. You can use it as a means to bartering. You will expose them to business opportunities that most inmates would never receive.

• Be Positive

Prison is negative enough. Don't add to it by making people depressed about your problems. When you talk, develop a conversation about the best times of your life or something funny that will make people laugh. Talk about a funny news article you found or something your loved one sent you. If you feel yourself breaking down and on the verge of crying, remove yourself from the group and have a private moment to yourself. This behavior should only be done alone or in front of inmates you can trust.

• Stay Busy

When in prison you have to have your own life and schedule. You can't get attached to a person or a crowd. You don't want people to think you're clingy and needy. When other inmates saw me reading and writing daily, they were more confident about being my friend. They were also confident that I wouldn't get them into any trouble. I was too busy to be a snitch or to spread any drama. This will also prevent you from being a bug-a-boo; someone who's around all the time bugging people.

# Beware Of Snitches

"Snitches get stitches" is a powerful statement that implies that tattle tales or snitches deserve the consequence of being beat up various people. The outside community never favors a snitch and neither does the prison community. I spent a little time in Herlong Prison Camp and encountered snitches. Here's a little story about why you have to be aware of snitches in prison camp and why you need to stay away from them.

One day, my friend and I were in the library. We watched a correctional officer (CO) on the baseball diamond open a garbage bag and put in some type of container, then tossed it out. He also looked through a box, pulled out clothes and something else that looked like clothes. Then he began digging with a shovel. I remember hearing that some inmates hide their phones in the dirt around the baseball diamond or the track. Seeing him with a shovel told me he was looking for phones or other contraband. My friend said, "That had to be a snitch." He knew that the CO wouldn't come out of his office unless he had a good reason to do so.

Snitches are the cheapest way to govern and regulate the system. Snitching provides a passive way to get revenge or power over someone else. The government officials and CO's encourage snitching (or at least they did at Herlong) because it helps them save money on cameras and other security equipment. I've heard of some snitches turn in their own people for the smallest rewards. The threat of snitching makes inmates more discreet with their activities. They only disclose their activities around the people they trust. I believe this is part of the reason inmates can be antisocial or form cliques.

However, I feel snitching is a cowardly way to solve a problem. People are so quick to tell on someone else because they can't fight. I ran into two people that told me straight up—they have no problem snitching. They felt that they were empowered by their lack of fear of snitching. If it was me, then I would try to talk it out or have another inmate that we both trust help us work it out. We couldn't talk to a CO because they could have their own agenda that would ultimately benefit them instead of us.

However, snitching only made inmates look like bitches to other inmates and the authorities. Although snitching made a CO's job easier, the CO didn't respect a snitch because he saw him as someone who couldn't fight for himself or who didn't have problem-solving skills. They knew that the only reason they were snitching was to get someone else in trouble or to kiss the CO's ass to get some perks that made their prison experience easier. For whatever reason, the snitch thinks it gives them power. However, a CO could change his mind, put the snitch in the hole or SHU and no one, not even the CO would remember him.

Remember, "snitches get stitches". They aren't respected by anyone even though the governmental system uses it to control security. Never be part of that system.

# Furlough Application

Community service allows an inmate to leave the prison or prison camp in order to serve the community in various capacities such as cleaning up public areas. The National Crime Prevention Council believes it is a way to reduce crime and encourage public spaces to be properly used again. In order for an inmate to be accepted for the community service projects, a furlough form has to be completed. A furlough is an authorized absence from prison in which an inmate's confinement has been extended to a specified destination. According to the Bureau of Prison's website, prisoners who violate the conditions of the furlough can be considered an escapee and subject to more criminal charges and disciplinary actions.

When I was approved for the community service, this was the approval from the Warden and Camp Secretary. These were the conditions of the community service project. It's basic stuff.

Don't escape

Don't leave the site without permission

Don't talk to the media

Don't drive cars or vehicles

# You Were ALWAYS A Strong Person

While I was in camp, I learned that if you became a strong person because of being in prison camp, then you were already a strong person before you got to camp. Prison camp isn't really about rehabilitation, it's more about being restricted or like being in detention. When I did wrong at home, my parents would say, "You did something wrong, now go to your room." While in there I would just sit down or lay in my bed. Instead of playing with my toys, I would read or write. Then I'd eat and If allowed, I'd go to the bathroom.

The difference between prison camp and my home restrictions is determined by the desired outcome. My parents tried to better me with the tool of restrictions. It proved that I could lose everything including my world and my family because of my actions. However, my parents taught me HOW to prevent that type of restriction from happening again. They taught me lessons about how to be a better man and to give people respect. Prison camp was more about someone locking you in a cage until the judge says the inmate can go free, at least that's how I experienced it.

Yes, the camp counselors, administrators and correctional officers who are told to help an inmate as much as possible. However, I've seen too many times where inmates are told "suck it up" or "it's not my problem" when they approach these individuals for help. Our response to that was to stay away from the 'suits' and CO's until they called for you. Then when they called for you, do whatever it is that they've said to avoid a confrontation. It seems as though they had a list of things from their superiors that proved they were doing their job. Then of course, their superiors have to impress the politicians and the politician's boss are technically the American people who wind up paying the bill.

Say for instance, an inmate wanted a Master's degree, but his BOP (Bureau of Prison) record showed his Bachelor's but not a high school degree. Technically, the administrator doesn't have to help the inmate receive his Master's degree, instead their job is to sign up the inmate for a GED. The administrators go by the BOP's database only. Although the inmate has proof of his Bachelor's degree, it is not sufficient or a suitable substitute for a GED. I can only theorize as to why that's the case, but in order for the inmate to receive his Master's degree, he'd have to get help from his family.

The prison camps responsibility is to give you the opportunity to gain a new skill or learn work-related habits. As long as there's written evidence of this, which is in the inmate's reports and in his progress reports, they are not responsible to help you with anything else. The administrators have demanding superiors and stressful, tattletale coworkers who make their lives worse if things aren't done as they've asked. This can hurt the administrator's future goals. The CO's, administrators and other 'suits' are just following their career goals. In order to achieve their goals, they must please their superiors to get the necessary approvals and recommendations needed to move to the next level.

I say all this to say that if an inmate finds God, a career path, or does any self-improvement, it will largely be because of their strong will and desire. As for me, prison camp improved my writing career, but the spirit of a writer was in me the whole time. I made time to be a writer because I really wanted to be one. The administrators and CO's only focused on making sure I had a GED and life skills needed to maintain a job and keep my apartment. That was their minimum requirement. In fact, the camp adviser told me writing was not a good choice for a career, even though she knew I had a degree in creative writing.

I'm sure there's a conspiracy theory as to why the prison camp administrators only focus on doing the minimum as opposed to going above and beyond. Those theories are not the point of this post, so I'll discuss that in future posts.

I believe the reason prison camp was a great experience for me is because I wanted it to be an amazing experience. I believe it made me better because I wanted prison camp to make me better. I believe that prison camp made me a better man because it was the one experience that made me see who I really was inside and it helped me become comfortable with that man.

Now, there was a CO that gave me some advice on these issues. However, it was through kind and friendly conversations, not a regulated program, and thus unofficial. Some people learned a little from the developmental classes offered, but then quickly forgot it. What they did seem to remember was the developmental concepts and ideas they researched and studied. That is how these inmates improved themselves, so I've been told.

Also, the inmates who had strong families to go home too grew as well. Knowing that I could quickly readjust with the help of my family was the most important thing to me in prison. In fact, knowing how much support I had from family gave me the extra motivation to keep developing myself because I knew it would all be worth it in the end.

Again, if anyone obtained anything from out of prison, at least based on my experience, I believe it was already within the person the entire time. If you're a better man because of prison, the better man was already in you. It wasn't because of the programs, the inmates or anything else. You somehow obtained the confidence in yourself and God to be that man.

# Self-Development

I found this journal entry in my prison camp journal at home. I wrote it because I was working on some self-development ideas about getting over procrastination and accomplishing my goals. Once I found it, I gave it a quick edit and decided to post it.

Self-development was extremely important for me in prison camp because it was the best place for me to really figure out everything I was doing wrong. I was in a place where I could really analyze and be honest with myself. There was no hurry for me to find a solution quickly, so I allowed myself to focus on the past, figure out what I was doing wrong, and then come up with a plan of action to figure it out.

When I came home, I found that I still had a long way to go. However, I believe I'm making strides to better myself.

Here is my insert:

I should be aware of my want and need to slack off. I must also promise myself that true enjoyment is around the corner. Maybe I just need a break from everything. Instead of getting mad at myself, I need to find the type of enjoyment were I can let my hair down and laugh. This will give me the best type of "break" away from my work.

If I get tired and do less work, and if less isn't a possibility, then I should GET HELP even if I have to pay money. I must stay focused on my wants and desires. As I complete things, I must remember that it is just the beginning to the journey to better life. Maintenance is more important than the action or creation stage. Here are some ways to improve it.

1. Pinpoint the Specific Action

I'm going to focus on the first thing and then break it down into smaller tasks (or take a walk).

2. Ask Questions

I'll ask myself "why am I putting this off?" I'll be specific. If I need a break, I'll take one, or if something is more important—I'll do that instead.

1. Putting off something such as myself, I'll have to wonder if it is worth it and why? What are the payoffs?

2. Would I lose anything by putting it off? Or should I hurry and get it over wit? Don't minimize the consequences.

3. Visualize Goals

What are the benefits of reaching your goals? Visualize them and feel the success and appreciate it.

4. Repeat

Repeat the preparation or decision stage if I'm still having trouble.

Self development is an important topic for everyone, or at least it should be. We should all want better for ourselves and our loved ones. I encourage you to find what works for you and begin the journey to enrich your life.

# Hitting A Ceiling

Prison isn't a place of positive enlightenment. It's full of strict rules and regulations, required forms and paperwork, and negative attitudes from staff and inmates. However, I wanted a positive experience. I was determined to make my stay there a beneficial one, even though I knew it wouldn't be easy.

As I entered the prison camp, I did my best to keep my mind in the realm of positive thoughts. I knew it was going to be difficult and I had mixed emotions. I knew that I would be able to read and write all day and really get a lot done, but there was a part of me that was like, "It's prison, only God knows what will happen." Still, I was determined to make my sentence at prison a positive experience. I didn't know how, but I was sure that I was going to do it. I knew that my mind would began to listen to negative thoughts, but I decided that I would ignore it and stay out of my own way. However, I did think about the times that I did wrong. I know I'm not a bad person, but I wondered if what I did would prevent me from being a great person who could shape the world.

When I was in Herlong Camp, I had a desire to leave Sacramento. I guess it was due to my previous success. I had lots of it. Then all of a sudden, I started failing and falling. After falling so far, I didn't want to come back to Sacramento. I began noticing other talented artists, business professionals, and other intellects leave the area and do very well for themselves. Once I came home, staying in Sacramento made me feel like I hit a ceiling, thus one of my many reasons I had failed and kept failing. I thought my lack of resources would also contribute to it. I was fearful of failing again.

Looking back, I realize had the wrong perception about things, about life and friends, and people about writing. I understand now that my key to success is knowing that I have no boundaries or ceilings except the ones I create for myself. Truth is, are were no boundaries if I don't limit myself, only bumps, bruises, and hurdles, which only hold me back if I allow them to do so. For instance, the internet is a great resource that I can use to reach millions of African Americans with my humorous stories, I just needed a way to access it. I also realize that I should appreciate the relationships I have. They could have helped me access the internet. However, I recognize that I created those ceilings and the walls that limited my success. It was me, no one else.

I accepted my wrong thinking and I decided to stay in Sacramento. I knew that I needed to reestablish and re-root myself, Sacramento was the best place for me to do so. It was where most of my family lived. In fact, all the family I was close to lived in Sacramento. It only made sense to come back and remember how I achieved my success. It was important for me to come back, face my fears and come to terms with the choices I'd made. I believe understanding where my problems originated will help me to become better suited for success in other cities. Plus, it's always nice to have a home to come home to.

In the end, I kept my mind on things that were positive, even when I returned home. By doing so, I was able grasp the concept of removing limiting thoughts and actions. I was also able to become secure in my home town and continue doing business in a place that I love. Being positive has so many benefits, I urge you to try it and see what it can do for you.

# Don't Be A Victim

Prison stories are often filled with memories of inmates being victimized by the staff, the overall system or even other inmates. It's hard to protect yourself from this type of harassment while you are under someone else's authority. While trying to protect yourself you run the risk of bringing harsher or unnecessary punishment to yourself.

I tried to avoid victimization while in prison camp. Every time I started feeling like a victim of the system or of some grand conspiracy theory, I would start asking myself questions as to why I was there. I would ask questions like, "Was I there because of money? Political reasons? Was I here because John Q. Public feels like I needed to be punished? Did they want to punish me because I was a greedy black man or subprime borrower that advanced the system, and fucked them over their homes (which they feel they obtained honestly and legally)?"

I really started to always feel this way. However, I then began to feel like I was there because the politician's voters wanted to feel safe (whether it's an illusion or not) and didn't care if I was right or wrong.

I don't want to sound like a victim, so I'll let you decide if I am or if I'm not. Personally, I really don't think of myself as a victim. At the end of the day, I'm still a felon who did the time based on my actions. I guess the fact I served my time made someone feel safer and happier. Maybe someone got a promotion because of my time in camp, however, I wasn't going to let all of that make me a bitter person. Instead I would say to myself, "I have an opportunity here. Let's take advantage of it because I'll never get it again."

I've read two books about the prison system, the New Jim Crow and Lockdown America. I plan on doing blog posts on both of these books. However, I tried not to allow the information in these books affect me. Every time these books would give me a negative feeling, I'd put the book down and tell myself that it's an advantage and a blessing being here. It's not that I was trying to hide the fact the prison camp was a horrible place to be, it was because I really believed it was an opportunity to get ahead in my life. All I did was read, sleep, workout, and write. It reminded me of college without the teachers and alcohol, so why view this place negatively? Plus with me having such a short time, I couldn't allow that to get to my head because I was too close to going home.

Though I write these posts and my future book with limited knowledge of what I will be writing about—I can honestly say, I'm going to avoid the "God put me here for a reason" saying. Yes, I strongly believe in a higher power, though I follow no religious faiths. My issue with that statement is how could I be at a place like this while the "devil," if you will, has all of the advantages? Or maybe the god within me put me there in a pre-destined state and knew exactly what was going to happen to me and how I was going to get out of it. I don't know.

I think you're starting to see why I never questioned too much about why I went to a prison camp. The questions created more questions. Before long, I was drowning in questions and became angry and hateful. Once I get like that, I can't make any situation positive or fruitful. Maybe I was a scapegoat, a patsy, a causality of war on the middle class, or it was just my time in life to have bad things happened to me. That doesn't matter because if I was, let's say a scapegoat, I'd still have to get out of the situation in one piece. If I was a patsy or some causality of war on the middle class, I'm still responsible for turning my life around. Maybe one day, if someone tells me exactly as it was I'll care, until then I'll stick to "I committed a crime on my own free will and accord and I've accepted all blame and responsibility for the event leading to and following the crime".

# Homesick

Anytime you go away on a long trip, you may feel homesick. This is true for prison inmates as well. My first few weeks and especially during the holidays, I felt extremely homesick. I wasn't sure what to do, but later on I did figure out some methods to ease it.

First you have to realize what is the cause behind the feeling. Of course you're in prison, but what triggers the feeling is what we are looking for. For instance, I remember this one Friday movie night at prison camp where we watched the movie Tron Legacy. It was my second time watching it, but it became my worst viewing in my opinion. During the movie I felt as if I was at home watching the movie or that I was in a theater with a cousin. When the movie ended, I realized I was in prison. It was a depressing moment.

Another time I felt homesick was on my birthday. I hated that day, at least I did while in prison. I only told one person it was my birthday and I only did that so that I didn't have to go to work at the Power House. When I sat down to write in my journal, I felt an overwhelming sadness. I don't usually make a big deal about my birthday, but that day it depressed me because I was sitting in prison camp. I usually get a few "Happy Birthdays" and maybe some gifts from my mom, but that's usually it. I know it was the fact that I was in prison camp that made me feel homesick that day especially because I didn't get a visit from anyone (I'll talk about that in another blog post).

To avoid times like this, I created some boundaries in my prison life. I decided not to listen to Prince, not that I really could since they only played him once my entire stay. I used to listen to Prince five hours a week, if not more! I also didn't listen to any other music I liked, mostly because they didn't have any music I liked. Other solutions to overcome being homesick are:

• Stay Busy

I wrote as much as I could write. I suggest figuring out a project that you can do with pen and paper. Maybe outline some ideas for a project you can do at home.

• Forget Home

Don't worry about what's happening at home. I know this is easier said than done, but you can't worry about what's happening at home because it's only making you more stressed out. You can't solve your home problems while you're away at prison. Just trust and have faith that the people at home will be able to figure things out.

• Create Advantages

Try to turn the prison experience into an advantage by working on some self-improvements. You could do some light workouts, educational studying, or become more spiritual. I chose to work on my novels and my people skills, even though I managed to stay by myself in prison.

• Eliminate the Feeling of Entitlement

Don't feel as if you're entitled to be home. Realize that you will get home sooner than later as each day goes by. You can't rush the process so don't feel as if you need to be home now or that you should be back by now. Take things slow and accept them for what they are. If you don't, then you'll also become concerned with other inmate's sentences, especially if they have a shorter sentence than you.

Now that you know what to do while you're away, don't think that this will completely eliminate your feeling of being homesick. It will definitely come, but at least you know what to do or even how to avoid it. If you have any methods for getting over being homesick, let me know in the comments below.

#  Homosexual Sex In Prison Camp

Rumor Has It

Sexual desire is normally very strong in males to begin with and everyone knows the urge for sex doesn't relinquish its grip when you're in prison. In fact, the desire increases with every hour that it's unfulfilled. The media has brainwashed society to thinking that every prison is filled with stories of heterosexual men changing their sexual orientation merely because of their thirst. However, I believe it would be a good TV show or at least an interesting part of the script if some of the rumors I have heard were dramatized.

Let me make myself clear and say that these are just rumors and I cannot prove nor disprove them, but I can say that the inmates that told me were used to bullshitting and joking around. These stories have been told to me while I was locked up at Herlong Prison between May 2011 and May 2012. I take no faith in these rumors, but if you want great entertainment, read below because I have heard a ton of rumors!

CO's and Inmates

A correctional officer and an inmate were caught having sex while the inmate was in a security housing unit or SHU, which is slang for a type of solitary confinement. The CO was in her early twenties and the inmate was serving a multi-year sentence, but I'm unaware of his charges. When they were caught, the CO lost her job and was charged. The inmate received additional time on his sentence.

At Herlong Prison, there was another CO who charged $500 for sex with inmates. The inmate would wire the money to her account and once it was there, they would proceed. Then the CO would take the inmate to a place where they wouldn't get caught and neither could get into trouble.

Inmates also took advantage of lazy and/or routined correctional officers. They would wait until after the final count at 10 pm was complete. The CO wouldn't be supervising and would go into the back room. Then, inmates would somehow sneak out of the back door and a girl would be waiting for them in the parking lot, track or at the baseball diamond.

Community Service Opportunities

There is a rumor that multiple inmates received blow jobs or sex while serving community service. Since I have worked community service projects, I could actually see this one play out. A lot of times, there was no one supervising us and we were left alone. The only issue would be keeping your fellow inmates quiet about where you were. It's possible with bribes, I guess.

Inside Prison Facilities

Inside the prison is a library that we called Leisure Library. This is where I did most of my writing and studying. I was constantly made fun of due to the library's reputation. This library would have paid prostitutes waiting for inmates to have sex with them. Inmates would also watch a lot porn here. This was considered the whore house of the prison.

While a certain wife visited her husband in prison, they somehow were able to sneak off to the women's restroom. Once inside she gave him a blow job—and they both got away with it. You know that only added fuel to their fire, so the next time she visited, they did it again. This time they were both caught in the restroom. As punishment, the inmate was moved to a different federal correctional institution (FCI) and received an additional year on his sentence. His wife was banned from seeing him, charged with rape and sentenced to one year in prison.

I was told in my A&O ( Admission & Orientation) Meeting that regardless of an inmates voluntary actions to participate in sex, they are legally considered to lack the ability to mentally consent. This inability to consent means that any sex (regardless of sexual orientation) with an inmate is considered rape.

As you can see, there weren't homosexual stories here. Sorry if that disappoints you, but I've seen no evidence that there were any homosexuals in Herlong Prison Camp when I was there (May 2011 – May 2012). As for the rest of the stories, if you are planning a wild heist such as exploiting loopholes for sex while in prison, let me know how that turns out for you. Even if you've only heard rumors, let me know—you can write your story down in the comments below.

# Another Prison Camp Book

Subprime Felon: Inside Federal Prison Camp is based on my prison camp journal. It follows my thoughts and experiences while inside Herlong Federal Prison Camp.

Reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars This story would make a great sitcom.

February 26, 2016

Format: Ebook Verified Purchase

This book is an insight memoir that gives the reader a glimpse of a world known only to a subset of the population. While reading the book, I got the feel of "Orange is the New Black". This story would make a great sitcom.

4.0 out of 5 stars A very detailed account of one man's experiences in federal...

February 25, 2016

Format: Ebook Verified Purchase

A very detailed account of one man's experiences in federal prison camp and his brief time afterward in a halfway house. If you're looking for gritty, violent stories of life behind bars you won't find it in this book. Instead, the author turns a specific eye to day-to-day living in a prison camp—lodging, food, education programs or the lack thereof, dealing with prison staff, etc.- and the process of managing his emotions while incarcerated then in a halfway house.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!!!

April 2, 2016

Format: Paperback

I have just finished reading the book Subprime Felon: Inside Federal Prison Camp by Pyerse Dandridge, and I have to tell you, my first thought was, "wow." I want to start my review by stating I'm a university professor at California State University in Sacramento, which is where Pyerse received his bachelors degree in English. Although I never had the opportunity to meet Pyerse while he was a student, I will be asking him to visit my classes as a guest speaker because of how impressed I was with his book.

Pyerse's story of being incarcerated at a federal prison camp has captured the heart and soul of what it's like to be a prisoner, however, Pyerse wasn't your "typical" violent prisoner with a long criminal history, which was one of the reasons I was looking forward to reading his book with anticipation.

Pyerse's book is written from the first-person perspective, which gives the reader an opportunity to join him on his federal prison journey, from day one to his time of reintegration to society. The way Pyerse wrote his book was like a "soup to nuts" on the day-in and day-out of prison life from the inmate's perspective in a gritty reality, to include not only what he did to pass time in prison, but how prison took it's toll on him psychologically as well.

In reading Pyerse's book, a reader is likely to take away the fact that not everyone is the "typical" violent prisoner, good people can make poor decisions, and if sentenced to prison, it doesn't have to be the "end" of your life.

Pyerse decided to approach being incarcerated in federal prison in a positive manner, thus he emerged back into society able to function, whereas so many people fail and fall back into the system again and again. Pyerse did a great job of telling his story, and not only will the general public be interested in reading about his time in prison, but students will as well. I highly recommend Pyerse's book to anyone curious about life inside a federal prison camp. You won't be disappointed.

Avaliable for $2.99 ebook  at your favorite retailer.

