I guess I’ll tell it like it is: State employees coming through the prison’s front gates, whether they deal with inmates directly or indirectly, are subjected to harassment. The same rings true for inmates entering my classroom. We’re all just bags of meat walking through a door, or gate, or whatever—take your pick.
Yesterday, while checking attendance, an inmate whispered to me (if you can do such a thing from arms length away) that he would not be able to attend class any longer today because of a physical ailment. Keep in mind: he's a weightlifter (aren't they all?) chisled out of granite. I, in turn, asked him if he had a medical detail excusing himself from class? I know not to pry into an inmate’s private health matters, none of my business, unless I’m spit on or bit. He blurted out, "I have colitis."
Let me reinterpret this for you: The young man did not want to shit behind the half-wall in our school hallway. No privacy there. He wanted to crap back in his unit. And of course, this is based on the assumption that he really had to go at all. He claimed to have forgotten his medical detail back at his "house." (Last week he demanded a cane from healthcare for his ailing back.)
Since he put his business out there, I had to give him an opportunity to "save face." He already started warning his classmates, "Stay out of my video!"
"I’ll tell you what," I said, "if you can spell it, then you can leave."
Unfortunately, he went into a tirade about our student-teacher relationship becoming irreparably harmed due to my callous insinuation regarding the credibility of his health problem. I said, "I’m not questioning your health. I’m not a doctor, I’m a teacher. What I’m questioning is your ability to spell."
"Oh, you got jokes, huh?" he replied. He started mean-mugging me.
I paused, took my time, then continued, "For instance, if you had the flu, you’d probably spell it f-l-e-w."
Not only is physical pain a good way to learn, so is a heightened sense of arousal, i.e. through embarrassment. Remember, our prisons are full of bad spellers.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
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9 comments:
Sound like a job for Jack Brandenburg. At least he gets op-eds published.
The sad thing there is they are not even embarassed. Prison culture, as described by one of our retired deputies, "it is their job as prisoners to ask, and our job as staff to say no."
Saying yes could land you on the wall of shame. By the way, it's passed the fourteenth. Has a stop order been placed on you yet? MW
Wow. I feel bad for him but at the same time I don't weird how that happens. I guess it's the medical chick coming out in me. Unfortunately lots of people today in America can't spell for shit. Liked the post today.
Hey Jim,
Man, I don't envy you your job, or the inmates' lot. Talk about hearts of darkness. Good details, though. Cheers, E'
Like the way you're able to turn things around through your sarcastic humor...keep 'em on their toes! Bet you're exhausted by the time you get home, though! Took me a minute to get the title! lol --R
Mr. MW: No, I am not on the "wall of shame" because they keep pushing the date further into the future. I did get searched today for drugs. You know the routine, "shoes and socks off please." They told me not to punch in until I had been thoroughly searched. I, in turn, said, "There's nothing on me, so please let me be searched on state time." Punch in I did.
And Robin, yeah there's days where I grab the bottle to relax. Not many, but it does happen. In fact, I was told that my annual leave days, which had to be turned in back in November, will not be honored until I'm "preapproved." Huh, what the hell does that mean? Am I taking out a loan? So I submitted my annual leave slips for the next 4 months, and my only concern is: "Do I have tomorrow off?" And Sheila, these guys prey on sympathetic people, even get them fired and laugh about it later. Thanks everyone for your comments. --Jim
well, are you working tomorrow?
Am I working tomorrow? Let's put it this way: it's easier to call in sick than to get a scheduled day off. --Jim
This site is one of the best I have ever seen, wish I had one like this.
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