Prisoners are persons whom most of us would rather not think about. Banished from everyday sight, they exist in a shadow world that only dimly enters our awareness. They are members of a "total institution" that controls their daily existence in a way that few of us can imagine. "[P]rison is a complex of physical arrangements and of measures, all wholly governmental, all wholly performed by agents of government, which determine the total existence of certain human beings (except perhaps in the realm of the spirit, and inevitably there as well) from sundown to sundown, sleeping, walking, speaking, silent, working, playing, viewing, eating, voiding, reading, alone, with others. . . ." It is thus easy to think of prisoners as members of a separate netherworld, driven by its own demands, ordered by its own customs, ruled by those whose claim to power rests on raw necessity. -- Justice William Brennan, dissenting in O’Lone v. Estate of Shabazz, 482 U.S. 342, 354-55 (1987).

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

A Cold Night's Sleep

I expressed in an earlier post my concerns about sleeping well away from home. Fortunately that is another fear that was not realized, except for the first few days.

First of all the twin bunkbeds are about 6 1/2 feet long, enough for my 6' frame. Secondly, they have 9" spring mattresses! I was expecting thin foam camp pads (which is what the inmates say you get elsewhere).

The first night I almost froze. There is an AC vent above the door that blows right across the room to my top bunk. They issue two twin sheets and two cotton blankets which are large enough, but not nearly thick enough.

The recommended bed-making approach is to "fit" the first sheet and blanket and then cover yourself with the second sheet and blanket. I slept in a T-shirt and boxers and froze. The only other clothes I had until Monday were one pair of pants and a shirt - my day clothes.

I later discovered that they keep the room cold to keep the germs down. Does that work? If one guy gets sick, all get sick.

The next night, one roommate lent me an old sweatshirt he no longer uses and I slept in my pants. That did the trick. The following Monday, I worked in the camp laundry and they gave me some long cotton underwear, rather worn and not the best fitting, but warm.

Now I sleep quite well in boxers, long underwear (top and bottom) and a sweatshirt. Sometimes I also pull the covers over my head to keep the air off my face.

Fortunately, there is no spooning here.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

There are children out there that have less than you. you complaining because it's a little cold in your BED is a little trivial. you have a bed which is more the 70% of the world's population can say. get over yourself. you do the crime now do the time. I know it will be really hard for you "poor little thing"

Wayward4now said...

The difference is that another entity has proscribed what you are to have. There is no chance to even scrounge for anything additional. The children you are referring to do not have air conditioning steadily blowing down on them. They can move, an inmate cannot. That's the point. Someone has absolute Power and Authority, and an attempt to escape the discomfort means getting shot. I'd like to see "anonymous" try out his attitude in prison. He'd get busted in the face for sure and probably start crying like a bitch.

Anonymous said...

This guy posted on one of the other blogs made on here, too.. I think he's just being a little bit of a "i'm better than you because i'm free" shit. I think he needs to spend time in a jail cell and see how HE likes it... then we'll see who the "poor little thing" is.

Unknown said...

Are there anymore posts after may 1st? Where are they if there is. LOL.. I have lost the Rabbit Hole Series!

Thanks Renee

NYAWWK4LYFE said...

I truly became tiresome of the "anonymous" commenter who has nothing but negativity. Were they one of the victims that fell to the wrath of this evil, evil man? I went to Attica for a day, under the scared straight program. Now I'm making over $40,000 a year. I am sure if he wasn't anonymous he would have been shut up by now. I know my attitude 180'd itself after my field trip to my local prison.

Anonymous said...

I chuckled at the refraining sentence, "Fortunately, there is no spooning here." Glad to hear it. ;)