From 80/20 to 20/80
Sticky, of San Diego, California
While
I am not some hard core prison lifer who has been to multitudes of institutions
and possesses fond memories of the yards from yesteryear, I have visited
several places within California's penal system. Each is different
in its own way, yet the same in other respects. After seven-plus
years I have coined my own term which I call, "80/20 Vision."
Each
time I am transferred to new digs, I like to sit back, observe, and get
a feel for the lay of the land. This includes the learning of each
institution's rules and the attitudes of the staff. In those seven
years, I have been assigned to four (4) state facilities. At the
first three (3), I noticed that 80% of the Correctional Officers (c/o's)
are down-to-earth, everyday people, just trying to earn a living like everyone
else. Many I would be happy, if I saw them on the streets outside
these walls, to buy them lunch and a beer, and shoot the shit about days
passed. There is one c/o at the Ione facility who I will, most definitely,
visit upon release simply because he is a straight-up, genuine, nice guy
who helped me tremendously and didn't treat me like some dumbass piece
of shit.
Of
course, there is also the other side of the coin the remaining 20%.
Those are the prick, power trippin', control freaks that everyone in society
despises. You know who they are: the assholes who are assholes
just for the sake of being assholes. They hide behind shiny badges,
only talking shit when they are in numbers or armed with pepper spray.
Catch one split from his posse and all one has to do is look at him twisted
and he'll shit all over himself. Many are dumb as rocks. Obviously,
a college degree is not required for that job. If they learned anything
their IQ levels might increase their smart status to that of a bucket of
hammers. They play devious little childish games, wonder why inmates
don't like them, and occasionally wish to inflict pain or violence.
Don't they realize that, eventually, some inmates will be released to the
very neighborhoods where they reside? I can't imagine being a prick
for the pure sport of it and then having to look over my shoulder ever
after. Life does not have to be that complicated. Being nice
reciprocates!
My
fourth (4th) prison assignment, where I am now, has drastically veered
from 80/20. Instead, this prison yard is the exact opposite;
it is 20/80. Since coming here I have met 20% who are real people
and the other 80% could disappear and not be missed. Those are the
pigs that give my family grief and unwarranted attitudes after they travel
100's of miles to visit me. The same pigs give my vocation instructor
unnecessary crap when he purchases supplies (out of pocket) and tries to
bring them in for his class. I mean, it's a box of fucking carpenters
pencils for Christ's sake! Last time I checked a pencil would not
cut through a fence or pick a lock. This institution is full of dickhead
pigs in dire need of anal stick removal surgeries. They come in our
shop to do surprise "inspections" searching for "contraband", leaving with
a box of pencils or excess sawdust saved for the automotive class to be
used as floor-sweep. Are you kidding me? Really?
Most
(95%) of my peers know they screwed up and have accepted their time.
We have desires to learn a new trade and better ourselves, but constant
c/o harassment is not what we signed on for in a voluntary class.
I know I didn't. Most want to finish our time, get out and move on
with our lives, putting this experience in our rear-view mirrors.
I know I do.
Why
not focus on the gang-banging, mainline yards where guys are killing each
other over skin color or hierarchy status, instead of picking on us?
As usual I am left with more questions than answers, like, why does the
desire to learn have to make things so difficult?
| December 2014 | Frontiersman,0c/o
4984 Peach Mountain Drive, Gainesville, Georgia 30507
http://frontiersman.org.uk/ |
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