Job hunt

Even though this place is like Paradise compared to prison, it’s still stressful looking for a job. I’ve only been here a week and they’re already acting like it’s my fault I don’t have a job. What makes it even harder is for my first week, I have to work in the kitchen 5 ½ hours a day, plus go find a job. It’s doable, but hard and tiring. Especially when you have to take the bus everywhere. I’m not used to it. I’ve never looked for a job so hard in my life. After this first week, it’ll be a little less tiring since I won’t have to work in the kitchen anymore. That’ll give me more time to find a job.

The best part of being near my house is that I know where everything is, so that’ll help me out a lot too. I won’t have to spend a lot of time looking up directions. A lot of people here aren’t from the same county. They can spend hours looking up directions.

Anyway, speaking of looking for a job, that’s where I’m going now. Wish me luck.

Culture shock

I can’t describe in words how good it feels to only be 10 minutes away from home. Even though I’m still not free, at least there’s no razor wire fences, no guard towers, no truck driving around the compound all day and night, no more prison blues (clothes), no more saying “Braden 131948” before I go to sleep every night, etc. I could go on forever.

Even though I’m allowed to go out by myself and look for a job, I’m still worried. What if I see someone I know? What would I say if they saw me? It’s going to be hard to do the right thing. Hopefully I won’t have to deal with that for a little while. I just want to be able to get used to living a normal life before I have to deal with old friends.

As of now, though, I’m so grateful to be here. It’s kinda weird because hardly anything has changed, yet at the same time, everything is different. I can’t explain it.

Well all I need to do now is find a job.

Photo: Famous painting "The Scream" by Edvard Munch.

Prison in the Bible

The words “prison” or “prisoner” appear 116 times in the Bible. Some notable Biblical characters that have been in prison are Joseph, Jeremiah, Samson, John the Baptist, Peter and Paul. Jesus himself was arrested - John 18:12 “Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him.”

One of the most prominent books of the New Testament is the Revelation of St. John. John wrote this book while in prison on the island of Patmos after God gave him dreams and visions showing him how all things would happen at the end of time.

1. Genesis 39:20

And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.

2. Genesis 39:21

But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

3. Genesis 39:22

And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.

4. Genesis 39:23

The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.

5. Genesis 40:3

And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

6. Genesis 40:5

And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison.

7. Genesis 42:16

Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.

8. Genesis 42:19

If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:

9. Numbers 21:1

And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners.

10. Judges 16:21

But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

11. Judges 16:25

And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.

12. 1 Kings 22:27

And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.

13. 2 Kings 17:4

And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.

14. 2 Kings 25:27

And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison;

15. 2 Kings 25:29

And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life.

16. 2 Chronicles 16:10

Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.

17. 2 Chronicles 18:26

And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.

18. Nehemiah 3:25

Palal the son of Uzai, over against the turning of the wall, and the tower which lieth out from the king's high house, that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh.

19. Nehemiah 12:39

And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, even unto the sheep gate: and they stood still in the prison gate.

20. Job 3:18

There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.

21. Psalm 69:33

For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.

22. Psalm 79:11

Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;

23. Psalm 102:20

To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;

24. Psalm 142:7

Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.

25. Psalm 146:7

Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:

26. Ecclesiastes 4:14

For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.

27. Isaiah 10:4

Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

28. Isaiah 14:17

That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

29. Isaiah 20:4

So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.

30. Isaiah 24:22

And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.

31. Isaiah 42:7

To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

32. Isaiah 42:22

But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.

33. Isaiah 49:9

That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.

34. Isaiah 53:8

He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

35. Isaiah 61:1

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

36. Jeremiah 29:26

The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.

37. Jeremiah 32:2

For then the king of Babylon's army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah's house.

38. Jeremiah 32:8

So Hanameel mine uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.

39. Jeremiah 32:12

And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle's son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.

40. Jeremiah 33:1

Moreover the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying,

41. Jeremiah 37:4

Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people: for they had not put him into prison.

42. Jeremiah 37:15

Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.

43. Jeremiah 37:18

Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?

44. Jeremiah 37:21

Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city were spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

45. Jeremiah 38:6

Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

46. Jeremiah 38:13

So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

47. Jeremiah 38:28

So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.

48. Jeremiah 39:14

Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people.

49. Jeremiah 39:15

Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,

50. Jeremiah 52:11

Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.

51. Jeremiah 52:31

And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison.

52. Jeremiah 52:33

And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life.

53. Lamentations 3:34

To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth.

54. Zechariah 9:11

As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.

55. Zechariah 9:12

Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;

56. Matthew 4:12

Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;

57. Matthew 5:25

Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

58. Matthew 11:2

Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

59. Matthew 14:3

For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.

60. Matthew 14:10

And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.

61. Matthew 18:30

And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

62. Matthew 25:36

Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

63. Matthew 25:39

Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

64. Matthew 25:43

I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

65. Matthew 25:44

Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

66. Matthew 27:15

Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.

67. Matthew 27:16

And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.

68. Mark 1:14

Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

69. Mark 6:17

For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her.

70. Mark 6:27

And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,

71. Mark 15:6

Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.

72. Luke 3:20

Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

73. Luke 12:58

When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.

74. Luke 21:12

But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.

75. Luke 22:33

And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

76. Luke 23:19

(Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.)

77. Luke 23:25

And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

78. John 3:24

For John was not yet cast into prison.

79. Acts 5:18

And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

80. Acts 5:19

But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,

81. Acts 5:21

And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

82. Acts 5:22

But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned and told,

83. Acts 5:23

Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.

84. Acts 5:25

Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.

85. Acts 8:3

As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

86. Acts 12:4

And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

87. Acts 12:5

Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

88. Acts 12:6

And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

89. Acts 12:7

And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

90. Acts 12:17

But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.

91. Acts 16:23

And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

92. Acts 16:24

Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

93. Acts 16:25

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

94. Acts 16:26

And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

95. Acts 16:27

And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

96. Acts 16:36

And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.

97. Acts 16:37

But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.

98. Acts 16:40

And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

99. Acts 22:4

And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

100. Acts 23:18

So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee.

101. Acts 25:27

For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.

102. Acts 26:10

Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.

103. Acts 27:1

And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band.

104. Acts 27:42

And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.

105. Acts 28:16

And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him.

106. Acts 28:17

And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

107. Romans 16:7

Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

108. 2 Corinthians 11:23

Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

109. Ephesians 3:1

For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

110. Ephesians 4:1

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

111. 2 Timothy 1:8

Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

112. Philemon 1:1

Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,

113. Philemon 1:9

Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

114. 1 Peter 3:19

By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

115. Revelation 2:10

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

116. Revelation 20:7

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

Photo: Samson in chains, knocking down the pillars. (Judges Chapter 16)

Orlando again

This entry was also written over three weeks ago before Ted was transferred to the Largo Residential Reentry Center.

After spending eight days at Lake Butler, I’ve been transferred again. Now I’m at the Orlando Reception Center again. I hate this place the most. So far, it’s not that bad though. Right now, they’ve got me on Wing 3 (or Bay 3, as they call it) with only 18 other people. Plus everybody seems to get along. So far.

It’s a good thing I’m only with 18 other people. That means I’m less likely to have to fight in self defense and ruin my opportunity to go to work release.

At least I don’t feel like I have to watch my back every second of the day like I did last time [I was here]. That’s a big relief.

My roommate was telling me that he’s been here for the last two months and he’s only seen one fight. That means this place calmed down a lot in the last 4 – 6 months.

Well anyway, no matter how this place is, I should be out of here in about a week. Give or take. Man, I can’t wait.

Dangerous contraband

For some reason, last night I couldn’t go to sleep in my cell. I was tossing and turning, but I just couldn’t sleep. Well anyway, at 1 a.m. or so, the guards came walking by searching the halls for contraband. They walked by my cell and kept going. They got to the end of the hall and I heard one of them say, “What’s this?”

I heard more talking, but the only word I could really understand was “shank.” I looked out my cell as they walked back and one of them was holding a prison shank made out of what looked like a piece of metal from a bunk.

It’s a scary thought what some of these guys are planning. It couldn’t have been hidden too long because the guard found it pretty easy. So most likely it belonged to somebody who’s here with me. I’m just glad nobody got stabbed with it, even though it wouldn’t be too hard to make a new one.

This post was also written about three weeks ago at RMC-Main in Lake Butler

Waiting

Today is Thursday here at Lake Butler. My roommate who came from Lancaster C.I. with me (and who’s also going to work release) left this morning. From what he said, he’s going to a work release somewhere way down south. He left on his third day here. I hope the work release I go to will come and get me soon.

There’s one more person here from Lancaster that I know and he arrived here a week before me. If he doesn’t leave tomorrow, he’ll have been here two weeks. I hope it doesn’t take me that long to go. I know two weeks isn’t that long, but in here it feels like forever.

Now I’m in a two-man cell all by myself with people walking bay my cell who have life sentences. Of course, I talk to some of them, but when you talk to somebody with so much time, you’re never really sure what to say.

Well hopefully I’ll leave soon. At least everybody seems to get along with me.

Big fight

Last night as my roommate and I were waiting for master count, we heard a person (or people) running. We ran to the bars to see what was going on. At first we thought it was a guard coming after someone, but when we looked out, we saw two older guys fighting. There was a white guy and a black guy. They were hitting each other blow for blow.

It seemed like they were fighting forever, when suddenly the white guy turned to run. A mistake. When he turned to run, the black guy grabbed him by his shirt and literally threw him down the stairs face first. I couldn’t believe the white guy was alive.

Before the white guy even had time to stop falling, the black guy was on top of him beating his face in. It looked to me like the black guy was trying to kill him. This whole time the guards were nowhere to be found. I felt sorry for the guy getting beat up.

Anyway, the black dude must have hit him in the face like 8-10 times. I was sure the white guy was dead or at the least, unconscious.

Finally after what seemed like a lifetime, the guard came in. To my surprise, he didn’t break it up. He simply asked the guy to stop. The black guy hit him good one more time and stopped. He was put in handcuffs and lead away.

Amazingly, the white guy got up. I couldn’t believe he was standing. He was actually pretty big. I’m surprised he lost. The black guy had some size on him, but wasn’t as big as the white guy.
As it turns out, somebody stole a necklace with a cross on it from the black guy and I guess he thought it was him.

As the guard was leading the black guy away, I could hear him yelling, “You might as well put me on death row because if I see him again, I’ll kill him.” I believe it too. My roommate told me that the black guy told him he’d been in prison for 27 years.

This blog entry was written at RMC-Main in Lake Butler at the end of March.

Caught with coke

It’s been a pretty eventful week so far here at Lake Butler. Today I was sitting in my cell and the guard was walking around and he caught someone upstairs with cocaine. At first I thought it was just a joke, but then I saw the guard lead someone away in handcuffs.

I couldn’t believe somebody actually had that stuff. You would think that if you’re smart enough to figure out how to smuggle it in here, then you would be smart enough not to get caught. Well I guess it’s the curse of a drug addict.

I never saw anyone with cocaine at Brevard or Lancaster. I’ve seen marijuana, but never coke.

Even though I’m in a cell all day, it’s crazy what kind of stuff you hear going on if you just sit back and listen.

This post was also written over two weeks ago.

Wasted lives

Ted also wrote this entry over two weeks ago.

Like I said before, I’m at Lake Butler now. They’ve got me on Wing 3 in I block, which is where all the adults are. So far, some of the people I’ve been talking to have been in prison since before I was born.

One guy has been in prison for 37 years (since 1973). He’s getting ready to be released in 2012.

Another guy I was talking to has a life sentence. He got into an argument with somebody and shot him. He has been in prison a long time, but just knowing you’re never going to get out must be the worst feeling a person can have. He seemed to feel really guilty about what he did, but he said that he deserves what he got. I guess, but I still wouldn’t want to be in his shoes. Your whole life thrown away for one bad decision. A life for a life.

When I get out I don’t even want a gun within a mile of me. I’m scared it might go off and hit somebody and someone else will blame it on me. I don’t need that pressure in my life.

Can you imagine the culture shock of getting out of prison after 40 years?

Events in 1973:

- World Trade Center in New York City, is dedicated.
- Burglars are caught breaking into Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate Complex.
- Skylab is launched.
- The Sydney Opera House opens.
- US and Vietnam sign cease-fire, ending longest US war and military draft
- George Steinbrenner III buys Yankees from CBS for $12 million
- With Roe vs. Wade, the US Supreme Court legalizes abortion
- Bahamas gain independence after 300 years of British rule
- Comic strip "Hagar the Horrible" debuts
- Good Morning America premiers on ABC

In 1973:

Average cost of new house - $32,500
Average house price - $9,942
Average income per year - $12,900
Average monthly rent - $175
Cost of a gallon of gas - 40 cents

Thirty-seven years ago (in 1973), there were no:

- ATM machines
- VCRs in the average home (never mind DVD players, video games, iPods or even Walkmans)
- Personal computers
- Cordless phones, cell phones or Caller ID
- Microwave ovens
- Digital cameras
- TV remotes

One step closer

This entry arrived in the mail on Friday, but was written over two weeks ago.

Finally. I’m one step closer to home. I’ve been transferred from Lancaster C.I. to Lake Butler Reception and Medical Center (RMC). I’ll wait here for about a week or so until either I go straight to work release or I go to the Orlando Reception Center for a few days. I’m not really sure which, but either way, I’ll be at a work release in two weeks at the most.

It almost doesn’t seem real. I’ll get to work a real job on the streets! Also when I leave the gates, I can wear my own clothes. Best of all though is after I’ve held a job for a month, I’ll start getting eight-hour home passes on the weekend! This will help me get readjusted to the outside. That’ll be a big help.

If I would’ve just got out from a normal prison, everything would be overwhelming and make me more likely to relapse, but now that I’m going to a work release center, I can get used to it a little bit at a time. Plus it’ll get me in the habit of holding a job.

Sure, I’ll still be incarcerated, but at least it’s one step closer to home.

Residents at the Largo Residential Reentry Center

Ted thought he might be the youngest resident living at the Largo Residential Reentry Center. According to the Inmate Population Information Search, there are two residents who are younger. (Ted's 21st birthday will be on June 13, 2010. His release date is now in August due to accumulated gain time.)

The oldest resident of the Center was born in 1944.

To view the current residents at the Largo Residential Reentry Center, go to the Inmate Population Information Search site and on the lower right of the page, under Current Location, highlight "Largo Res. Re-entry C" and click on Submit Request.

Photo: The front entrance of the Largo Residential Reentry Center

More about the Largo Residential Reentry Center

The Largo Residential Reentry Center web site describes the program as a facility which serves nonviolent male offenders transitioning from Florida correctional facilities, assisting them with their re-entry into society.

Participants live at the Goodwill corrections facility in Largo for three to nine months while working at least 35 hours per week. Participants receive assistance finding employment and attend counseling sessions and life skills classes.

Ted’s name was on a sign-up sheet for a Substance Abuse class in the lobby. The only substance abuse classes that Ted ever attended were when he was 16 at PAR and at age 17 at Avon Park Youth Academy.

The sign on the front of the Center says Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc. There is another Goodwill work release center on Gandy Blvd. in St. Petersburg. The Largo Center residents were taken to the St. Petersburg Center to purchase their used clothing items with their $20 vouchers. There is no thrift shop located at the Largo Center. Goodwill does have an Online Store with collectibles, clothing, electronics, jewelry and more.

According to the FL DOC site that lists Inmate Programs, the Largo Residential Re-entry Center does not have chaplain services. Ted thought that there might be transportation offered to a local church however.

Ted was called into the office last week for not attending GED classes. Ted told them he already had his GED and they apologized and removed him from the class list.

During our visitation today, Ted said the residents get excellent free meals – items such as pot roast, macaroni and cheese, and fish. He said the food is much better than the food in the prisons. There is a soda machine that offers lemonade, grape soda and more. In addition, residents can elect to buy deluxe food items such as strip steak, fried shrimp, and Oreo cookie cake. Ted informed me that he did not intend to use his job earnings to buy the deluxe food – the everyday free food items were quite good enough. I’m sure he’ll get the Oreo cake once in a while though!

Ted will be taken to get a Florida photo ID this week and he thinks he can start applying for jobs after he gets this ID. He was told that some businesses actually prefer to hire residents from the Largo Residential Reentry Center. The businesses know that the residents will be at their jobs on time and be there every day.

Photos: The Largo Residential Reentry Center. Behind the bike rack is the parking lot with the basketball hoop and picnic table. To the right of that lot is a large field with a track around it. Click photos to enlarge.

Largo Residential Reentry Center

I had my first visit with Ted today at the work release center. The name of the Center is the Largo Residential Reentry Center, but it’s actually in Clearwater.

Ted arrived on Wednesday. Housed in a renovated motel, the Center has two stories. Ted stays with 13 other residents in a room on the second floor. The walls between three average-sized motel rooms were knocked out to form their large room and seven bunk beds were installed. Ted has a top bunk three feet from a window. There are three showers and three windows in their room and each resident has their own large locker (with lock) in which to keep their belongings. The floor is not carpeted, but is blue.

Ted said the Center has 296 residents. (The FL DOC site lists 265 residents.) It is the largest residential reentry center in Florida and Ted said it opened around 2008. The rooms have all been remodeled and look new. A basketball court and picnic table are in what used to be a parking lot. Trees line a field and track next door. A chain-link fence surrounds the whole residence.

I brought Ted some new clothes and apparently two of the pairs of pants don’t fit and his old shoes which I brought from home are too small. They will let me switch out those clothes for others.

He left the visit early today to go with five other residents to a Goodwill store to buy other items he might need in the way of clothing. He was given a $20 voucher, but he will need to reimburse that out of his future earnings. (He just called and told me that the $20 bought two pairs of jeans and one pair of dress pants that were a little too long, but they didn’t have anything else.)

They also charged him $25 for a new ID and $55 for a bus pass, which he will need to pay back. The total amount he needs repay is $114. That amount includes charges for laundry costs. Ted is responsible for washing his own clothes.

Ted has only one month to find a job, not three months as another inmate told him at Orlando. Many of the residents work at telemarketing jobs and there is a business just down the road that sells magazine subscriptions. A little farther south within walking distance is a large shopping center with a grocery store, several restaurants, office supply store, video rental store, theater and several small shops. Many of the residents have bikes to get to their jobs, others take the bus. Residents are not allowed to have cars.

Ted told me that two of the Center’s residents were returned to prison and two were returned to jail yesterday for escaping. He was supposed to go to the thrift shop last night, but all the vans were out looking for these residents. Apparently, when a couple of the residents were supposed to go to their jobs, they were sent home, and instead of returning to the Center, they went out with their girlfriends. If the residents aren’t at work, they need to be at the Center - otherwise it’s considered an escape attempt.

When residents begin to build money in their accounts, they can buy extra food – even steak. Ted ate breakfast and lunch (steak!) during the visit – a steak costs only $4. It was the first time in two years he ate bacon and steak. Ted said the food is much better at the Center than in prison. For breakfast (for both residents and visitors) this morning, they served scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, breakfast potatoes, [what looked like] corned beef hash, biscuits and gravy. The food definitely tasted better than some local restaurants.

Residents have one large common room (off of the cafeteria at the front of the Center) that has one TV. They can watch news in the morning and rented movies in the evening. Several shelves in the room contain many books for the residents to read. There is one computer off to the side for residents to play Solitaire or another computer game.

There are many phones which the residents can use – some are free and some are payphones. Ted said the lines for the free phones are usually pretty long. He has access to a phone book and Help Wanted ads in the newspaper that he can call for job openings.
Ted can begin to apply for jobs once he has his new ID. He thinks he will get the ID on Monday.

I finally received a letter from Ted on Friday with several blog entries so I’ll have plenty of upcoming posts. He told me he mailed the letter back when he first arrived at the CFRC in Orlando.

Photo: Google Earth photo of the Largo Residential Reentry Center. A mobile home park is behind the Center and not part of the residence. Click photo to enlarge.

Transfer to the work release center

When I visited Ted on Sunday, he told me that he spoke with another young man at the CFRC in Orlando who had been to the Largo Re-entry Work Release Center in Clearwater. The young man had been returned to the CFRC because he was given a DR (a write-up for a serious infraction) for lying to a CO.

The young man told Ted that residents of the work release center could wear their own clothes and make calls from payphones. The residents had three months to find jobs. If they held a job for one month, they were given a home pass to go home for eight hours. He also told Ted that inmates were transferred to the Largo Re-entry Work Release Center on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Monday came and went, and I saw on the FL DOC site that Ted had not been transferred. On Wednesday morning, I checked the FL DOC site at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and noon, and it still showed Ted as being at the CFRC in Orlando. I promptly fell into a bad mood. I thought Ted would have to wait until the following Monday for his transfer to Clearwater or Tarpon Springs.

At 1:47 p.m., I received an email from VineLink.com that said Ted had been transferred to another facility. I immediately called the CFRC and found out Ted had been transferred to the Largo Re-entry Work Release Center in Clearwater – exactly eight miles from his home.

I called the Center to find out what I should bring to him and they told me to wait for his call. Two minutes later, I received the first of three phone calls from Ted. I was to bring him shoes, clothing, hygiene products, laundry detergent, a Social Security card and his birth certificate in a 12” X 12” X 24” box. I had bought new clothes for him on Tuesday. He’s grown several inches since he was home a year and a half ago and most of his old clothes were gangsta-type clothing.

The problem, I discovered, was in finding the appropriate-sized box. I found one that was 13” X 13” X 18” at a storage facility. I called the center to find out if this sized box was acceptable. No. It wasn’t. It was one inch too big on two sides. I called post offices, storage facilities, office supply stores, and walked into drug stores. No luck. I finally went into my garage and found a box that was smaller than the required dimensions.

Now to fit everything I had purchased into the tiny box. It wasn’t doable. I managed to fit packages of socks, undershirts, boxers, two pairs of pants, a pair of jeans, two polo shirts, a dress shirt, two plain white tee shirts, a package of hygiene products (shampoo, two bars of soap, soap dish, deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrush), a leather belt, a watch, and a pair of black tennis shoes into the small box. I was allowed to tape the laundry detergent to the outside of the box.

I put his Social Security card, certified copy of his birth certificate and five copies of his resume in an envelope. Usually residents had to wait two weeks to even start their job search as the management personnel sent away for Social Security cards and birth certificates. Hopefully already having these items gave Ted a jumpstart on the job hunt.

I had also searched job boards for open job postings. I found two listings within two blocks of the Center and told Ted about them. There were several other job listings within a mile or two. Residents were provided with bus passes to get to and from their job interviews and a $20 voucher for a thrift shop for used clothing items.

I was instructed to drop the box off between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. I drove to the center and discovered a sign on the building that said Goodwill Industries. Young men dressed in shorts were playing basketball behind a fence on the tarmac. A huge rack of bicycles lined the side of the parking lot. I was only allowed in the foyer, but I could see a cafeteria-style room through big glass windows and residents walking around. I dropped the box in the foyer and handed the envelope through a cashier slot to an employee.

As I got back in my car, I saw Ted through the large front window. We waved at each other and he was smiling broadly.

I’m still waiting on new blog entries to arrive from him. I’m sure he has a lot of stories to tell.

The view from Ted's cell

Above on the left is a photo I took of the trees on the road leading toward the Central Florida Reception Center in Orlando. The next photo shows the view from Ted's cell. He told me his cell window was blacked out on the top and on the bottom - leaving only a tiny strip to view the trees outside. (Click photos to enlarge.)

The Central Florida Reception Center in Orlando

The CFRC resides in the middle of Florida scrubland in the middle of a large expanse of trees and not much else. During the two-hour drive to visit Ted, I passed exits for the Orlando Airport and the Disney amusement parks. Driving down the winding road to the Reception Center, I drove by two groupings of mobile homes (presumably housing for the COs), three small lakes and lots and lots of trees.

Signs pointed different ways to CFRC-East and CFRC-West, but my destination was CFRC-Main.

I noted several fences around the complex including one with electrical wires and one covered from top to bottom in rolls of barbed wire.

Entry to visitation was pretty straightforward. A patting down in a side room and walking through a security metal detector. A visitor needs a pin number - proof that they've passed the background check and are approved for visitation. I entered my pin number, hit Enter, and placed my hand in the slots for verification of my ID - but I definitely wasn't going into Disney World.

Two sliding electronic doors provided access to the large visitation room. A colorful mural of a Florida lake complete with a flying bald eagle and alligator was painted on the wall as a background for photos. Two canteens were positioned at opposite ends of the room – one for COs and one for inmates and visitors. A padlocked door housed a CO barber shop according to the painted sign above it. Children’s books, Bibles, jigsaw puzzles and games were displayed on a long table. Another small table had microwave ovens for the frozen pizzas and sandwiches. Twenty-nine tables and chairs were lined up in neat rows inside the room.

Another door led outside to a small covered area with cement picnic tables and benches – not enough outdoor seating for the group that was visiting the 28 inmates there that day.

No inmates in wheelchairs were in sight. Evidently the CFRC was just a reception center - not a medical center - although I did spy one young man with an ace bandage around his wrist.

Through the fence, I could see a large group of blue-clad inmates with red hats marching in formation – the youthful offenders. They were heading back to their cellblock from the dining hall and sounding off. I asked Ted what they were saying. “Barumph,” he said. Just noises like that. The adult inmates just walked normally to their destinations – no marching. Also in view – a basketball court and a blue mailbox. Ted said they mailed their letters there – there were no blue mailboxes at the other facilities where he’s been.

One building had windows covered in horizontal slats. You probably couldn’t see much out of them, I thought, and asked Ted if his cell’s window was the same. He laughed. His cellblock building was different. He had a large window, but the top was blacked out and the bottom was blacked out. The viewing area was about 1mm high, maybe not even that. He described it as the width of the side of a playing card – just a line. He was able to see that trees were outside his cell though.

He also said the lighting in his cell did not work – that’s why he couldn’t read after the sun set.

The food was the same as at all of the other facilities, but he said there seemed to be more of it at the CFRC. They provided an iced tea dispenser in the dining hall.

As for the canteen – the youthful offenders visited the canteen only once a week. Ted had requested I come on Sunday so he would not miss the canteen. Naturally, his cellblock went to the canteen while I visited him. We saw through the fence what appeared to be a group leaving the canteen. I told him I would leave early and left an hour before the visit was to end. The COs took awhile to let him back into the compound – and naturally he missed the canteen visit. No extra food for him this week.

Ted did tell me that Martin was transferred to Brevard on Friday.

Photos: Google Earth aerial of the entire CFRC complex and CFRC-Main. Click photos to enlarge.

Ted and Martin

Last Tuesday, Ted called me and told me he had been transferred to the Central Florida Reception Center in Orlando.

Ted phoned again tonight. Ted told me that literally right after he got off the phone with me on Tuesday, he met Martin. Ted has never seen Martin, but Martin read Ted’s blog for months while he was on the run from authorities. Martin is also writing blog posts from prison and I post them on his site “Notes from Prison”. (Click on the green banner ad on the right side to go straight to Martin’s blog.)

Ted and Martin are in the same dorm, but are housed in different wings. Ted has run into Martin two different times and they talked for about 30 minutes each time. Martin recognized Ted right away.

The CFRC is also an adult facility, but has some youthful offenders. The YOs cannot use the phones every day. They can call home only when the COs feel like letting them use the phones. The inmates can only visit the canteen once a week in Orlando. I was going to visit Ted on both Saturday and Sunday this weekend, but Ted asked that I only visit him on one of those days so that he might stock up on some extra food from the canteen. He’s pretty hungry since he’s no longer getting any extra food working in a kitchen.

I asked Ted if he had any books left to read and he said he couldn’t read at night in Orlando because there is no lighting in the cells in the evening. He does read a bit during the day and has half of a book left.

Apparently Ted was moved to the CFRC in Orlando before being transferred because Orlando is closer to the work release center. Orlando is still about two hours from Ted’s home. Ted is hoping that he will be transferred to the center this week.

It’s actually a miracle that Ted and Martin even met in Orlando, as both are on their way to other destinations within the vast Florida prison system.