Woke up early this morning, 6ish, and took a shower. Was able to go to chow and have some oatmeal. It seems that nothing around here happens fast except eating. Guys wolf down their food in less than five minutes, on average. I can’t eat nearly that fast, and my penalty for that is that the guards kick us out of the chow hall. I end up throwing away most meals due to lack of time and taste.
After breakfast I headed over to the laundry to see if I could get a winter jacket. JT, who runs that area, lives next door to me and told me that if I showed up early enough, he’d secure one for me. Success! It’s 3 times too big for me, but it’s really warm. I guess that mattress swap was worth it after all.
I tried to hand out in the area next to the laundry where the commissary is located. This would be the first time I’ve shopped, so it was a big day for me. I stayed there for almost two hours whil a line formed to the left side of the commissary window. There was a lot of commission because they were working on restocking the inventory. This system is so broken! You have to find someone who has an extra commissary list if you’re a first time shopper. Then you have to figure out what you can afford to buy (maximum $180 on the 1st and 15th of the month). All you can do is fill out the paperwork and hope you get everything you ask for, which apparently never happens. I don’t understand why this process is not in an Electronic Inventory System, which would allow inmates to utilize a computerized system that lets them know what is, and is not, available. After the inmates submit the request, the commissary fills the order and calls the inmate to the window to pick up their goods. Seems simple enough, and who am I to complain?
The current system has people fighting in line to submit their paperwork at the window. Then you stand around and wait to hear your name. You get items thrown out a small opening in the window, about the size of a pharmacy pickup window, and hope you get at least some of what you ordered. All that mattered today was that I got a size 10 sneaker. Yea! I picked up some medications as well, even though I don’t need them yet. Appears that there’s a COVID outbreak and everyone was issued masks. I believe that they are WWII masks, like a heavy canvas cloth. Anyway, a lot of people are very sick right now. Seems that one of the guards had it and came to work and infected everyone. It’s pretty bad now, but for now, God has protected me from contracting this virus.
It’s cold and cloudy outside, and it feels like a good time to take a nap. I took a small walk/run around the track awhile ago. This afternoon I met with my counselor for the first time. He’s trying to help me get phone access, with which to-date, I’ve been unsuccessful. He gave me the lowdown on some of the rules and informed me that unless I obtain receipts from my lawyers, I’ll have to pat restitution of $2200. I told him that I’ve paid this fine, but he said that the BOP system does not interface with the Federal Courts System. Shocker! They can’t even get an intercom system, let alone a computer system. I swear I’m back in the ‘80s.
I just received two letters in the mail. One of the letters was from someone I’ve never met before. They introduced themselves, Ansley and Sheryl Grow. It was a beautiful letter about their outreach program for the imprisoned J6ers. They apparently are tracking the whereabouts of over 200 J6 inmates. Additionally, they are funding their commissary accounts and other prison needs. It’s so great that we’re not forgotten and people are praying for us and our families. I also received a letter from Robin Itzler who publishes a weekly newsletter. She gave me a snippet of the weekly report, and also gave me a glimpse of her life in CA, which made it seem very personal. I’m so thankful for her support and her weekly newsletter. I believe that Ansley and Sheryl read her newsletter a couple of weeks ago, asking people to write to me. It’s a very warm feeling to know that I have people who Know what I’m going through and why I was there that day.
