I start work at 0700 hours; my first Adult Basic Education Class begins at 0725. The prisoners attending classes cannot enter the school building until that time. The only prisoners roaming the hallways—and I say, “roaming” because they aren’t always supervised—work for the quartermaster. One such convict passes me in the unlit corridor every morning. We keep our distance, and it’s just as well.
Last year, he wrote a grievance on me for abuse of power and requested my immediate termination. After a full-blown investigation, including videotaped evidence and union representation that I did not request, I was found … I was found … hell, I don’t know what I was found … but I’m obviously still here. And so is he. As far as I’m concerned, the issue was never resolved—that is, unless reassigning him to another teacher and giving him a job was the solution. I’m sure the assistant deputy warden responded to the inmate’s grievance in a polite and timely manner. Perhaps it slipped his mind to inform me of the outcome.
I’m reminded of the time when a different assistant deputy warden assured me that a particular inmate would be transferred out of our facility to ensure my safety. Prisoner Dobbins-Bey had been seething over an “Out of Place” ticket I had written, so he told another teacher, “I’m gonna stick that little mutha!” As he was escorted to a segregation cell, he claimed he’d pay somebody else to do his dirty work.
Two months later, after custody sprung him from the hole, he stood in my classroom doorway. “That’s far enough,” I warned.
“I don’t want no trouble,” he kept repeating.
I approached the ADW at the end of my shift. “Whatever happened to Dobbins-Bey?” I asked.
“We transferred him,” he claimed.
“Then how did he get into my classroom today?” I retorted.
Once again, he assured me that the problem would be resolved.
“Never mind,” I said.
At least my former ADW had an excuse for his lack of follow through: He was too busy campaigning to be the next Mayor of Pontiac. As for the other ADW—I haven’t a clue. Maybe he’s selling Amway.
21 comments:
Writing some pretty snappy anecdotes these days, JR.
Crystal- clear through translucent water.
...Can't tell me those zebra mussels aren't doing some good!
Ivan
Jim, Nice fish you got there! I guess thats why you don't trust anyone there. --Bro, Ron
does this really go on where you work?
Jim, first, for starting work at 0725, you deserve bonus pay.
Second, danger pay.
Third, you are in the midst of composing, brick by brick, the contemporary version of Catch-22.
Love it!
JR, your prison stories are fascinating. Erik is right. Put them together. This is your best seller.
Josie
Also, your posts help fill missing gaps in cultural knowledge. E.G:Amway - I hadn't heard of them nor their impact, but now I'm reading about allegations of unfair play on their part....
Hope the next submission meets success...
DT
That's creepy. I guess I hadn't thought that much about the danger aspect of your job. Or maybe that's just because you look like someone that can take care of themself. (Himself?) Danny Tagalog doesn't know that amway is a cult? I have some funny secondhand amway stories from a former "amway wife." Firsthand would be me, right? So secondhand is her?
I should stop aging, it's killing my brain cells.
Ivan,
You've made schmoozing an art form.
Jim, what (if there is a logic to it) makes the decision to trf an inmate from facility to facility. One guy i know in 15 years hit about 8 different facilities so every time he got trf any program or psych help he was getting was terminated.
Peace
mark
I can't imagine being employed in any way at a prison. You have me beat in the guts category.
I'm afraid my colon is too nervous to ever do your job, Jim.
Seriously. I even quit drinking at bars a few months back. A month or so back, I had a vivid half-dream that you were my teacher, which meant I was bad. The biggest single thing I do that could land me up in there is drinking when I shouldn't be, or driving when I shouldn't. It had to stop; plus I got sick, so it was easy to stop drinking all together for a while.
------
of yeah...
"are you on the 11?"
(I had it all typoed)
That made me think of the nightly news, as well.
Too bad the news never has anything as cheerful as Sing's artwork. It's all murder, molesters, purse snatching and escaped convicts. Nothing of value on TV's eleven. But my eleven has some hippie art, and that's pretty cool.
Thanks, Jim.
Heh heh
Ivan
Josie,
You're quite the schmoozer too!
Jr,
My step-father was a guard at the Virginia state pen. He would talk of how they would throw urine at the guards and fight constantly. I do not know how he managed to retire from that place after he wa attacked. I feel for you guys and those ladies that take it upon them everyday to do their jobs, for that, I give you kudos.
On the flip side, as a teacher there I would hope that there would be one student , well, really, many students that truly want to regain their lives and prove they have more to offer. I mean, they weren't born inmates, something created an inmate inside them and they let it out.
Now that is not an excuse but merely an observation. People are not born mean or violent. Those are taught and apparently taught well.
Love the fish by the way.... save me any?
Okay,
Let's put your stories together now. I can offer to help with the writing, and Josie will edit. :)
Ivan
I second everyone else. Put your prison stories into a bestseller, JR!
My dad was the state physician at the Granite facility when we were kids. One night he didn't go in for his "rounds," and the sub doctor was taken hostage that night.
These words alone would make me shake....
“I don’t want no trouble,” he kept repeating.
Usually, a sure sign of something fixin' to happen......
Peace JR, and empty hallways...
Well, I'm still new. Is this a real story?
E.A. Monroe,
That is one crackerjack of an anecdote.
"The night the cons almost fell on my father"?
Ivan
Nice catch!
Hiya JR...thank you for your visit today at my blog..sorry been missing from you for a while.
Sorry to hear that you are working in such an environment but really a proper system or mechanism of communication really need to be in place.
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