Life itself can be a contradiction. Double standards, judging someone’s motives or setting a policy then
imposing rules that are directly the opposite is common place among justice impacted people and within the system itself. The Bureau of prisons has a policy to keep communication with family and ties to your community strong. It is written as part of their mission statement and advocates this as part of “rehabilitation”. They encourage regular visits from family and friends and allow for secure emails and monitored phone calls. In spite of the fact that a Federal Judge at my sentencing stated that I should be assigned to a facility that is “closest to my community” I was placed over 500 miles from home. This all but eliminates regular visits from my young adult children and my friends. The 11 plus hour drive makes it
a multi day commitment and visitation is limited to weekends and Federal holidays. This “Fly’s in the Face” of the stated BOP policy. There are other camps that are within a couple hours drive from my community.
Because of a conduct issue with a few others for the past few days the laundry room & TV room were locked and we were confined to the dorms for a day. Whenever that happens there is a chance that visitations will be cancelled and phone calls will be temporally suspended. The phone system is set up for out calls only to pre approved numbers. I was planning for my first visit and my son was to leave Friday afternoon. The two day “lock out” ended Friday night but it could have gone the other way. Rather than risking him making the trip and unable to visit combined with the possibility I would not be able to contact him with updates when he was on the road we decided not to take that chance and the visit was postponed.
When a situation like this happens and you are only a few hours away, its not a big deal. I was penalized because of the poor decisions of other campers. The draconian federal policy of allowing only weekend visits once again creates a contradiction of keeping strong family ties. My son plays drums in very popular New England rock band and has gigs most weekends. My daughter also has a small business and works weekends bartending. By simply following the recommendation of a Federal Judge and placing me closer to my base having visits would be a non issue not a major upset that needs to be planned weeks in advance.
When a camper breaks the rules, like having a cell phone they are removed from the camp and are sent to the SHU (special housing unit) which is a 23 hour a day lock up in an off campus holding cell. A far cry from the no bars, no fence, free movement environment of a camp. They are usually held in the SHU for 30 to 60 days. This punishment alone could be considered a violation of the 8th amendment by imposing cruel and unusual punishment. Upon returning the person will not be permitted to make phone calls or send emails for 6 months cutting off all communication with family. They also lose good time credits which could extend their stay for up to a year. I know a camper who was 1 month to the door and was caught with a cell phone. He spent 2 months in the SHU and they took away a year of time served. He has small children and from what I know of him he is a good Dad. Clearly there should be consequences for not playing by the rules. In his case he had a phone so he could Facetime his kids. It was not a gun or knife, it was a phone. Does this level of punishment sound like it is in harmony with the policy statement of maintaining ties and communication with your family? Maybe if they allowed campers to use Zoom in the same manner and under the same guidelines as how we are allowed calls, there would be minimal cell phone violations. Maybe that would make the jobs easier for those who work here. Maybe this would better support and affirm the policy of keeping close ties with family and community. Maybe I’m just thinking practical.
Here is poem I wrote its called “The SHU”:
A Steel Cage Secure and Tight.
Separate from others, Not much light.
What Did I do? Was it something I said?
Why am I here? I’d rather be dead.
We are not on the outside it different in here.
There are rules to be followed, it’s perfectly clear.
A cell phone, a vape pen are both contraband.
Liquor and weed, not hard to understand.
Get caught with these things and this is what they’ll do.
Send you to Hell and they call it the SHU.
