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- Sometimes I generalize, packing all staffers here at (MCC) in the same sardine can… Not fair, I know that… I find some staffers (including C.O.’s) very professional and pleasant! I thought I should note that fact. Even though they be of the P&P persuasion I would not chum with them or hold long conversations with them, but I spare them from my “wish they would die”
- Concerning my “wish they would die” list, I want to express in no uncertain terms, my list is not a bad thing, I am wishing that certain individuals have a chance to meet whatever God they serve (and soon) and for the unbeliever(s) on my list it is simply over, no more knowledge, just like there was no knowledge before life. Hey look at it this way if your on my WTWD list, you were likely a shit-bag to me, yet I wish the most for your visit to the afterlife… [I do not have a WTWD list (or do I?)]
- What causes that little old man with the cane from dorm 5 or 6 nose too run in such long and gooey strains? And why does he wipe it on his jean, walls, railings food serving station?
- Why does that one server in the chow hall always put the oatmeal in the center slot of the food tray? Does he not know that the God-damned oatmeal goes in the FRONT LEFT (circular) SLOT???
- I think the kitchen staff sometimes freezes the fresh fruit? One is never to freeze one’s fresh fruit, because if one does, he winds up with the nasty, wilted, squished fruit we often get.
- The Holy Roman (Catholic) Church declared years ago that the faithful no longer have to eat fish every Friday. If our meal planners happen to be Catholic, could some one pass along the above message to them? If the meal planners happen to be Jewish, perhaps the every Friday fish fest is payback for the Spanish Inquisition.
Bob Wire
“Home.” by Bob Wire
The other night I had the pleasure of watching a show on NBS called “Billions Behind Bars.” As a criminal the preview of the show aroused my curiosity, despite the fact that I am continually dumbfounded that shows like Locked Up and Cops draws such interest from the incarcerated (gluttons for punishment I guess)! Any rate, and with that said there were some very interesting statistics about prisons in the United States. Take for example that the United States has more citizens incarcerated than China and Russia combined. The prison population in the states floats around 2.3 million, give or take the 30,000 or so illegal immigrants incarcerated along the boarder of the U.S. And Mexico.
But that is not what I have come to talk (write) you about, nope! I have come to you about coffee or lack there of at Maine Correctional Center(MCC). It seems that in the “slash and hack” spending cuts imposed by his holiness the Commissioner, that coffee was one of the first items to attack the budget. In Billions Behind Bars it reported that U.S. Prison sell 2.5 Billion dollars worth of products made by inmates. Some of the inmates making these produces made as little as sixty cents a day. Here at MCC, God only knows what industries bring in on annual sales? Got Me!
“Home,” by Bob Wire
But that is not what I have come to talk (write) you about, nope! I have come to you about coffee or lack there of at Maine Correction Center (MCC). There are a fairly substantial number of inmates who work around the prison. Some work for free, others get a stipend (sixty cents an hour to start). Some men work in the laundry room cleaning shitty, pissy, and cummyed clothing for eight hours a day or more. Can’t MCC or the God-damned DOC provide coffee for them?
(I just heard that the laundry found one case of coffee and they are livin’ the good life for a bit)
There are inmates that work in facilities, no coffee for them. What about the guys who work for free in the school or library, helping other inmates, instructing in classes, or tutoring? No More coffee for them. I may not be the brightest inmate in the world, but I bet my formally coffee stained teeth that if the DOC in general or MCC in particular stopped feeding CO’s and other staffers, they could save enough money to let hard-working inmates bath in coffee.
Make no mistake about it inmates save the fucking DOC a shit-loads of money performing tasks that the DOC might otherwise have to pay with real world employment rates… JESUS, will they ever stop screwing the inmates? If you still don’t think inmates should get free coffee, see how many CO’s would work for free (without coffee of course) in the laundry, the school, the library, on the grounds or around the compound FOR FREE of 60 cent and HOUR…Finally, as if that above was enough I will more time dissecting some of Billion Behind Bars for your future reading pleasure…
Bob Wire
Maine Correctional Center is more dysfunction functional then a quadriplegic’s body, and almost as useless. Recently M.C.C. went through accreditation audit, The result aren’t in yet but I’m sure they will pass. Whats fucked up about it is the “leadership” here at M.C.C. was so worried about dust, dirt, and waxed flours that he missed the fact there are bricks with missing mortar and sever cracks lining the top of Dorm 6. Now if that wasn’t noticed by the so-called inspectors they must have has Stevie fucking wonder doing the inspections.
The “Leadership” at M.C.C. have had three long years to get this facility into shape, all the painting, waxing, cleaning, and half-ass repairing was all attempted at the eleventh hour. Inmates had their Rec. cancelled and were forced to strip and wax floors without enough improper tools and materials to do the job adequately. Some inmates stayed up all night trying to complete tasks that were ordered at 11:00 p.m. the night before inspection and in the process keeping other inmates awake by being loud and running equipment. (Great Idea By The Way)
Who in the hell would keep administrators in their positions who cannot do an adequate job. I think the MDOC needs a super douching of staff before anything else. Mr. Commissioner should start cleaning house, starting at the top (himself), and work his way down. Corrupt leadership and lazy assistants is a great way to piss away money, and get your privatization agenda completed and that Mr. Commissioner is a Big Fucking Mistake!!
Bob Wire
I know that I complain a lot about life here at MCC and the fact of the matter is there is much to complain about. It does not take long for a host of issues to come flooding to the fore of my mind including things such as the piss-poor medical care and staff. The constant jerking of the inmate chain by CO’s for their humor comes to mind as well. The thing is this: I really don’t give a rats-ass myself about much that goes on around here.
It may come as a surprise that I am not a complainer by nature; I am not. What I have here, what I do here is bring the voice of the inmates (and others; including dirty laundry) to a blogging audience and presence. I am for good and bad, really nothing more than an ear. I listen to what is being said about campus. I listen to the inmates bitch and moan. I listen to the CO’s piss and moan. I listen to everything I can possibly listen to then turn in into a short blog; hopefullly with a witty and cutting edge.
So here comes one little piece of listening; with comment of course!
The other day at chow; I overheard a few guys bitching about the prospect that they may get stripped searched everytime when leaving an industry job (in this case the wood shop) including strip searches before lunches. To say these men were less than happy campers is an understatement. The thing is: these men were inclined to bitch as opposed to act. One thing that is perfectly clear to me is how much un-tapped power inmates have over the system. Too power to affect change here at MCC by the inmates is never used. It is not used because the Inmates (as I see it)are too god-damned busy using all their energy and resources eating their own. I am not a career criminal and am not fully aware of all the rules of “inmatehood;” but it seems to me that if the inmates turned their focus on the system rather than each other change would come howbeit slowly. Inmates here, and I suspect across our nation are so worried about the skinner or ripper, or the guy who cuts in line at chow; the guy who got the bigger piece; the guy who does’t look right; the guy who doesn’t shower everyday, they have no energy left or desire left to affect change. They would rather piss and moan just as I am doing now.
But, I have an idea though:
I think if the inmates stood up and said we don’t want to be stripped search 2 or 3 times a day and walked off the job… Done…! FINISHED…! Things would change! If all the inmates walked out of all the industries jobs that cash cow would dry up over night. If all the inmates supported those in the industries by walking away from their jobs in the kitchen or pods things would change even if the inmates went hungry for a few days… I the fore mentioned, men walked away from the work crews? What if they walked away from the school syste? What if they just said in one big 600-700 man voice; “We are as mad as hell and we are not going to take it anymore?” What if they said this across the coreec tions nation?
In my opinion inmates need a loose-knit trade union, just like the CO’s and other have. I think they need men chosen from amongst themselves to represent them, just like the CO’ and others have. The inmates have the numbers, they could hve the voice too if they wanted it… They just have to stop eating their own long enough to see if they wanted to, change could come to MCC and to like institutions across the nation.
Let me make one thing perfectly clear, I am not advocating this position amongst the inmates (but I will write about it;) the inmates need to wake up and see this on their own…
Zachary Titus
WARREN, MAINE (AP) — An inmate has pleaded not guilty to killing his cellmate at a minimum security prison in Maine.
Zachary Titus made a brief appearance in court on Monday. A separate hearing will be held within five days to determine whether Titus will be eligible for bail in 18 months when he completes his current prison term for theft.
Dana Bartlett died June 24 at the Bolduc Correctional Facility, a minimum security facility in Warren. His fiancée says he was having issues with another inmate and had asked to be moved.
Defense lawyer Jeremy Pratt said Monday that he couldn’t comment because the state had provided no information about the killing, including the autopsy or affidavits.
Watch Full ShowMore than 1,600 prisoners at a Brooklyn federal detention center were forced to endure freezing temperatures during last week’s polar vortex, with no heat, no light, no hot water for showers and no hot meals. Demonstrators rallied throughout the weekend to protest the conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center, which is run by the Bureau of Prisons. Prisoners communicated with protesters by banging on the jail windows. On Sunday afternoon, some of the protesters, including family members of those incarcerated, were pepper-sprayed by guards. Democracy Now! was there on the ground. By 6:30 p.m., officials said electricity was restored. We speak with Brad Lander, a New York city councilmember who spoke with prisoners and prison officials this weekend.
Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman. We end today’s show here in New York, where more than 1,600 prisoners at a Brooklyn federal detention center were forced to endure freezing temperatures during last week’s polar vortex, with no heat, no light, no water for showers, no hot meals.
Demonstrators rallied throughout the weekend to protest the conditions at Metropolitan Detention Center, which is run by the Bureau of Prisons. Heat issues at the facility have been ongoing. Officials said the electricity problem was caused in part by a fire the previous week and that the jail had switched over to emergency power. Legal Aid Society said it wrote to the jail’s warden as early as January 22nd to demand heat be restored, before temperatures arrive that were, quote, “dangerous to human life.”
As the news of the conditions spread, crowds of protesters gathered outside the prison, known as MDC. Prisoners communicated with them by banging on the jail windows. On Sunday afternoon, some of the protesters, including family members of those incarcerated, were pepper-sprayed by guards. Democracy Now! was there and spoke to family members, activists, including Women’s March co-chair Linda Sarsour.
PROTESTER: Let them know that you are happy that we are here for you. Bang on those windows!
LINDA SARSOUR: A group of activists, organizers and family members have actually been out here since yesterday. Many of us slept overnight here, on the ground here in front of MDC.
We have been figuring out a communication system that works really well with the incarcerated brothers that are inside. And we ask them questions, and they answer by banging on the windows. And it’s been in unison, literally. Like, yes, yes, everybody’s yes. If it’s no, no. And the fact that they’re not in the same cells together and can answer questions makes us believe that what they are telling us is to be true. We just watched some incarcerated folks actually recognize their families’ voices and started talking to us through a different area up here. We have videos of people talking to their moms: “I hear you, Mom. I see you, Mom.” It was really heartbreaking to watch people have to talk to their family members. They were not wearing shirts. It’s cold. And we know they don’t have heat inside.
One of the mothers went to confirm that that was her son who was talking to her in there without a shirt. She went inside with some folks. Next thing you know, the CO started beating people up and throwing people on the floor, pepper-spraying the mom and all the people, the media. They were—picked up cameras, and they were throwing them out, people falling down the stairs. It was really horrible to watch it happen. And all the mom wanted to do is go in and to confirm if that was her son speaking to her from this other undesignated area that we don’t even know what this area is. He was climbing up on the gate of the window. It’s horrible.
The warden has been not responsive. Yesterday, the Mayor’s Office delivered trucks of blankets for everyone, generators. And they—lawyers from Federal Defenders went inside to see their clients, and asked them, “Did you get blankets?” No blankets. None of these people have gotten blankets. Yesterday, they told us, at 6:00 is when they got their first meal of the day. They’re not getting hot meals. They don’t have hot water. I mean, this is inhumane. It’s cruel. There are people in there who have asthma, who are not able to have use nebulizers, people who have sleep apnea machines, who are not able to have those apnea machines during the night, which means that they are at high risk of stroke. There are people with diabetes that are in there. There are older folks in there, people who need medication, who have not had any access to medical care. I mean, this is outrageous. And the issues with the families is, you don’t even know if your family member is alive. I mean, that’s the issue here.
JUMAANE WILLIAMS: What surprised me the most in there—
AMY GOODMAN: New York City Councilmember Jumaane Williams.
JUMAANE WILLIAMS: —was the blatant disregard of urgency of anything that was going on. Things happen. Emergencies happen. But you have a plan. They had no plan and didn’t seem to care. We asked them about what’s going on to get the heat properly regulated. The warden said the contractor left and went home. What are you talking about? Get another contractor and get this fixed like it was your house. We asked the warden why he would not receive the blankets and the generator that the Office of Emergency Management in the city was not accepting. He had no excuse. He said, “We didn’t. Maybe we will now,” because it was an emergency. It was an emergency on Sunday when it happened. What are you talking about?
What’s happening there is a microcosm of this country. That man in the White House and the people who continue to support him, all of them, don’t even know where the kids are that they separated from the border. Those are melanated children. That’s why they lost them. The majority of people here are melanated, so they don’t care. Even the ones that aren’t are from the poorer communities, so they don’t care. But we care. And we are going to stay here until this gets resolved. And if we’ve got to shut some stuff down, we’re going to shut it down.
ELIZABETH: Name is Elizabeth. I’m here for my brother Jason, who has been here at MDC for the past five years. This condition with the heat is not new. It happened last year. But fortunately for Jason, he has family that sends him money, and he can buy what he needs to layer up and have blankets and food and resources.
I’m here because, one, I want my brother to know I love him; two, I do not want this problem to keep going on. God forbid if the temperatures plummet again. You know, I’m really worried about his health. We contacted his attorney and demanded that he find out what’s going on.
You know, this has been an ongoing issue, that the power went out last year for like three, four days and that the heat went out three, four days last year. You know, so—and it’s disgusting. And when Nydia Velázquez came out, she was saying that there were wet mattresses from leaks in the ceiling and crumbling conditions in ceilings and things like that. It’s just—it’s disgusting. And we can only imagine the vermin and the rodents and everything else. You know, so, again, it’s disgusting.
But, you know, this has restored my faith in humanity. It’s really made me very proud to be a New Yorker. No one wants to see any human beings suffer, especially knowing what we know about sentencing, extreme sentences and mistreatment of people, you know, especially when so many of these people here haven’t even really been convicted of anything, not that that makes a difference, but they’re just waiting because they’re poor, you know, and they can’t afford bail. So, it’s unfortunate, but it is what it is. So, thankfully, everybody showed up for them.
AMY GOODMAN: Voices from the protest outside MDC, Metropolitan Detention Center. Special thanks to Tey-Marie Astudillo and Ariel Boone for that report.
Around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, officials said electricity restored, but many cells still lack heat. As protesters gathered outside, many lawmakers toured the Metropolitan Detention Center. One of them, who was standing next to Jumaane Williams, the city councilman who was speaking outside, was Brad Lander, a New York city councilmember. He’s with us now.
We have very little time. Has the electricity been restored?
BRAD LANDER: The electricity was restored last night at 6:30, about one full week after it had gone off.
AMY GOODMAN: But people are still reporting they’re freezing.
BRAD LANDER: It’s cold in that facility. It’s going to take more changes to make it warm enough on the coldest days.
AMY GOODMAN: How could there have been no plan, with this polar vortex this week, with people freezing inside?
BRAD LANDER: The whole thing, no plan for an emergency provision. And when the power went off a week ago, last Sunday, they did not act with any urgency. They could have had an emergency plan. If there had been a round-the-clock contractor in there, power could have been back on by Tuesday.
AMY GOODMAN: This is a federal prison. Mayor de Blasio sent in hundreds of blankets. They didn’t distribute them?
BRAD LANDER: There was just, from the staff, from the prison officials, from the facilities manager, no sense of urgency, no sense that there were human beings in those cells who had the right to talk to their families, who needed light. You know, they were eating in the dark. You know, their toilets are in their cells. They were in there. They couldn’t shower for 48 hours. It was really a nightmare.
AMY GOODMAN: Who is responsible for this?
BRAD LANDER: Federal Bureau of Prisons. Federal Bureau of Prisons.
AMY GOODMAN: Now, Jerry Nadler is head of House Judiciary Committee.
BRAD LANDER: Yes, he is.
AMY GOODMAN: He was in there both days this weekend.
BRAD LANDER: And he was in there with me on Saturday and Sunday. And he says he is going to have hearings and make sure this gets fixed.
AMY GOODMAN: New York City Councilmember Brad Lander, thanks so much. I’m Amy Goodman. Thanks for joining us.
“Deep speaks to deep.”
– Psalms 42:7
The chapter I’m reading at the moment is the best one yet – seeing your speech as your life. This, in retrospect, isn’t that big a deal, as I said this the last time. The three principles of pubic speaking “Spoke” to me. Ha ha ha! I find that these three principles can and should be applied to everyday life.
I need to focus more on” putting the audience first.” I’m in the habit of doing many of the things which this book advises us to avoid: worrying how I will sound, how I will come across and what the audience is thinking. I find that when I get into my speech or my talk or whatever it is I stop worrying so much about self and more about making sure the audience gets my message.
Make sense?
“Deep speaks to deep.” I love that; it means so much to me. I found that part of the book where it talks about issues that move the heart and challenge the mind to call to my soul.
As I am,
Prince
Hey, Circle,
How is everyone? I could be better for hell, I don’t know just how this will ll end. As for Lori and I, we are good from what I know.
If you guys could send me a copy of the Prisoner Free List, that would be great, for yes, it was just thinking of it the other day. And of course, you could say ULC of CC would be great working hard with a few good brothers here. As of right now, I am at work for, fuck man, I got a job here. I work in the school here, yeah, as of now I am out of here, 08/09/2019, for fuck, who knows, I am still working my appeal.
God, I could go for a smoke if they let me I would smoke on (LOL) sorry, my writing sucks. Been up for three days working on lesion plans (LOL.) As you guys found out, I am in New York for now. I should be back in Maine in no time. Yes, of course now I need to fight for it. I need to put the true perp away for this crap.
God bless,
Father Dudley
Ordained Minister and Universal Priest, ULC
What’s really good?
Things have been kinda hectic here lately. Long story short: people don’t realize that “real” muhfuckers live and die behind/over words. Somebody said something and it had to be dealt with. The person who said it was not prepared for the level of violence that the words caused. So their friends stepped in so I stepped in for my man. It was a bad situation for a while. God forgive me but the adrenaline made me feel so alive. Everything seems so much, well, “more: when you’re on that tightrope between life and peace on one side, and bloodshed and pain on the other.
Racial tensions here are sky-high. I imagine it’s only a matter of time before there’s a race riot. There is so much ignorance and prejudice here. There’s prejudice on both sides, but in defense of the brothers, most of the whites they come in contact with are either outright racist or so ignorant of black culture that their comments and actions seem racist. I have been blessed to have met so many amazing white people that I have been unpleasantly surprised about half the population up here. Anyway, that’s neither here not there, just the events of the past week have brought it all back into the spotlight.
As I am,
Prince
Well, I thought I would take this Sunday afternoon and write to you all. Well, this week we had some pretty good weather, but this coming Monday, it’s going to be kind of rainy.
Well, this week we had a little excitement in the pod. One of the guys who was on reception got caught trying to cut himself up and got hauled out of here, and another new guy in here is walking around with two black eyes. (he got disrespectful to one of the longtimers in her and got corrected real fast!) At least we all found out that he is not a rat.
Yes, they did away with the protective custody pod and sent the p.c.s to Windham, behind the wall. They still have seg, but I guess they don’t like keeping people in there for any length of time. They hate doing paperwork in here.
Got a rew new people in here and some old faces have returned. One guy came back and is doing 2 and 1/2 years for drunk driving. He’s a good guy to hang out with and talk with. There are a rew people in the pod that I talk to, I keep the number of people I hang out with small.
Well, right now I’m watching “Dukes of Hazard,” but I’m wondering why they picked Willie Nelson to play Uncle Jessie and Burt Reynolds to play Boss Hogg. Don’t know if you get the Science Fiction Channel, yet, but if you’re not you are missing some good shows.
Kenneth “Malibu Owl” McDonald
The Political Prisoner Blog 
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