Saturday, February 15th
Something I read this week struck me about journaling important things, not the mundane. Really resonated with me, so I’m going to try a different approach. Writing about important, interesting, annoying things as well as how I’m tracking toward my goals.
I’ve been torn on how much, even whether to help the illegals now that the BOP issued that memo last week which stops them from going on precustody/halfway house release. Basically means finish sentence in prison then get deported. They’re trapped in the change in immigration policy enforcement, so fighting for precustody release is their right, but a waste of time if they will get deported regardless. As I have come to understand, President Trump’s policy is to capture and avoid the criminal justice system of trial, sentence,and prison time and then deport and now just put them into the immigration justice system. Basically avoiding the criminal system costs and then deport. Definitely saves the taxpayer money, and most of the illegals here wouldn’t mind going home. But those that have been in the US a long time, have lots of family and are illegal, its a much more difficult issue for them. They are between a rock and hard spot- deporting to where they have no family or resources/income.
Turns out those having gone through the criminal system and now in prison are kind of in-between. They have a detainer, but not an order for deportation’s due to lack of enforcement to date. But serving a full sentence only to be deported at the end isn’t so attractive either. So makes sense they would just as soon get deported now, which I kind of expect will happen in the next 3-6 months based on the rumors we hear. Even NYC and California prison systems have committed to cooperate with ICE, which tells me they want them deported to free space and save money as well.
So, given all these new dynamics, its beginning to seem futile for me to assist on losing benefits under the First Step Act when immigration law eventually wins the day at this point. Will be interesting to see how all this evolves.
Achieved one of my goals today, got 3 hours of exercise and workouts, extra nice after past 3 days of stormy weather. I intend to keep that up all week as it looks, like a nice week of 68 each day coming our way!
Finished the evening at the movies, saw “It Ends with Us”, a Blake Lively show. Nice to have a real, recent movie inside here for once! I find it ironic that they fight during the movie, and now are fighting in real life in court as well:)
Sunday, February 16th
Day 2 of President’s Day weekend. Good 3 hours of exercise all morning, church 12:30-2. Good news at church is they announced Bible Study will re start this Wednesday 12-1 with the same local guy, Jay Fisher. He gave the sermon today, so much better than either remaining chaplain. My favorite chaplain left Friday, couldn’t take the leadership style of the head guy who has been here 12 years and is quite the bureaucrat. That’s now 4 new chaplain hires who started and have quit in 2024 since I’ve been here, and we’re down to 2 again:)
Did my quiet reading during the afternoon lockdown today, rather than the morning lockdown. One benefit of 60-90 minute lockdowns is you get lots of quiet time to read during the week, and twice on weekends/holidays. I’ve got quite the routine- 4 daily devotionals by “Daily Bread” a separate devotional by Ken and Gloria Copeland-Faith to Faith, a daily devotional by AA, and then I read a chapter in the AA book. All followed by bible reading. In the Bible, I continue to simultaneously read the book of Psalms and Proverbs right now. Kind of heavy, but my Bible has great explanatory footnotes which helps cut through the complexity and hidden meanings.
Yesterday one of the devotionals told the story of Jesus explaining to his disciples they would have lots of trouble in this world, and trials in life won’t define, limit, or destroy God’s plan for us. As John 16:33 says” In this world you will have trouble. But take heart. I have overcome the world”. Yup, no one said life will be easy, even God! Just hard to remember at times:)
Monday, February 17th
I saw the forecast this morning, 68-74 all week. Not bad for February! Looking like an early spring , hopefully not a late winter:)
Its amazing to me how during the week we can have 4-6 guards in the main hallway and 2-3 for the Yard. Then on long weekends, maybe 1-2 in the hallway and 1 in the Yard. I often wonder if they’re overstaffing during the week, or understaffing during long weekends, and why in either case? Its a big swing in labor cost and extra/reduced security that’s for sure.
There is an interesting new dynamic among the 10 “white guys” in the Unit. Less courtesy, or politeness, even some angry looks. Will be interesting to see how things change as one leaves in 3-4 weeks and one in 7-8 weeks. So much uncertainty right now for them in their lives, plus all the illegals and ICE rumors around what’s happening to them or even us!
In 45 days I’ll be all over my case manager to put me in for transfer to camp as well. While a cell gives some privacy during lockdowns and at night, I’m ready to move on and be in a more open environment and not be trapped with someone in such close quarters with all their idiosyncrasies. After 12-14 months, I don’t care who they are, it gets old:)
Tuesday, February 18th
Well three day weekend is over, back to work:) I can’t over state how nice it is not to be going outside , makes our daily life and schedule so much more relaxed. Hadn’t realized how much it wore on me until it’s over. Best news is that I was expecting the construction to last all February and we finished up a couple weeks early, so 6 weeks total with several 3 or 4 day work weeks. Probably 4 weeks of workdays. Last summer when they started with other Units, the crew was taking 3-4 months as they learned what to do. Guess one benefit for going almost last!
Even though I had to drop out of my AA/Psych class due to conflicting with my Threshold class, I read part of their blue book daily with my other quiet reading. Setting aside the addiction content, their stories and action plans to live your life are quite spiritual based and really the same as Christianity. And in a practical and useful way. I never appreciated that. They also have a daily devotional(not named that by the way) with useful advice and anecdotes as well.
Met with my counselor today at 2 to arrange active visitor names. I have 21 names on my list now approved, but only 10 can visit at any one time, so I have to make some inactive. Next few weekends have 3 visits, so got all that buttoned up. Don’t want to be wrong and have someone show up and not be able to get in:) He mentioned I have a legal call set for next Wednesday the 25th at 9 am which was surprising and great to hear. I was so tempted to ask him about what changes he’s expecting, but decided to wait until the legal call, a more 1-1 quiet time so he might open up more:)
I still haven’t received my legal mail from January 13th or February 3rd, really frustrating as my final response is due next week. On the evening callouts for the next day, I noticed several people were scheduled to go get legal mail at 10, so I decided to join them tomorrow ,even without an invite:)
Wednesday, February 19th
After last week’s rain storm, this week has been as forecast, just beautiful, and now this weekend should be 80! Definitely getting outside morning/afternoon to workout while we can. Today I did 8-9, then showered so I could go to legal mail. Got down there and the guard said I wasn’t on the list so I might have fibbed and mentioned I missed last weeks callout(never know:)) as I was in medical. After helping the other 4 guys, she searched the room and didn’t find anything. So annoying. She suggested I email the mail room.
At noon we had bible study for an hour. Jay is such a good teacher, he jumps around the bible typing together scripture in the book of Hebrews with the book of Leviticus and other books, makes it really informative. I saw on the callout that AA/Psych was Wednesday, not Thursday , so it doesn’t overlap with Threshold class. But I still dropped it as the group discussions are pretty weak and ineffective and not beneficial for me.
So later that evening I emailed the mailroom about legal mail and copied the Assistant Warden. Guess we’ll see what happens.
Thursday, February 20th
Was sitting downstairs at 7 am in my Unit writing this daily journal when the case manager hollered my name( nope, no paging system) and I saw he had mail in his hands. Sure enough, he took a couple of us down to the legal mail room and I received both packages finally! I think copying the Assistant Warden helped:) So that set the tone for my day and repositioned my schedule as well:)
In my legal mail package, I had requested a copy of a recently filed ACLU class action lawsuit against the BOP for not promptly releasing inmates to precustody release under the First Step Act, something AG Pam Bondi has also vowed to focus on. Having read it, I am going to write them and see if they will add a couple additional claims around “projected credits” and Second chance Act credits. If they would and win, it would save a lot of 2241 Habeus Corpus court filings by inmates, including by me:)
Had my Threshold class from 12-2, basically just reading out loud as a group in class from the workbook and sharing thoughts. Today was about SMART goals and benefits of spirituality. I kind of like taking time to think about these things once in awhile. Then went to library 2-3 to help redo Jorge’s BP-9, get some books for the weekend, and print stuff.
Skipped dinner and worked out 5-6:30 on a gorgeous 65 degree evening with no wind. Bummer that 4 machines are broken on the weight pile. Two are ones I use regularly…. Guess there is a big argument between the inmates in maintenance and the guards over letting sex offenders start using the weight pile in their own dedicated hour which is why they’re not fixed. They don’t want to help the offenders in any way. I could write a small book on the whole screwed up dynamic around sex offenders, inconsistent guard treatment, inmate views, and the impact on rehabilitation on everyone, and not in a good way.
Friday, February 21st
Skipped for some reason:)
Praying for Freedom and Liberty and to see my Family and Friends soon! BJ
