Pricey Reader,
It has been some time since we final spoke. My final letter was written on the anniversary of my first month of incarceration at FPC Morgantown, the second month of being right here has now come and gone. Reality be instructed I’ve struggled to consider what I might write to you all.
To make sure, there are some issues and matters I want to discover however I merely can’t with out breaking guidelines or getting myself or another person into hassle, so these tales should wait I’m afraid. My spouse means that I let you know all about a few of varied characters I’ve had the pleasure (and displeasure) of encountering right here. I’m not positive it will make for a great letter however she definitely appears to benefit from the tales I inform once we meet every weekend.
Another person I respect instructed I write about my emotions, which is a mortifying proposition. ‘Feelings’ so far as I’m involved are like recounting the earlier nights desires or sharing vacation pictures, greatest stored to your self. I’ve additionally had suggestions that these letters have been useful for individuals who have family members incarcerated in Federal custody to assist them perceive what it’s they’re going by means of. So, what is going to this letter be? I’m nonetheless uncertain, I’m simply going to put in writing and see what comes out. Allow us to start with an replace since I final wrote.
On February 18th, the day earlier than the 2 month anniversary of my keep right here at FPC Morgantown I used to be woken up for the ultimate time that evening at 3:30 AM. The primary time I used to be woken up was on the 12:00 AM depend by the prick guard that insists on shining his flashlight immediately into your sleeping face letting it linger there till your sleep is disturbed.
This repeated on the 3:00AM depend and woke me up for a second time that evening. In opposition to all odds I managed to fall again asleep, although that mercy was to be brief lived. At 3:30 AM I used to be woken up by the one factor extra grating than the prick guard and his flashlight, the sound of “slides” (a sort of sandal that you just slide your ft into) lazily shuffling down the concrete flooring of the open dormitory. Swishhhh Swoooosh Swishhhh Swoooosh the sound provokes a visceral response deep in my psyche that makes me need to shout “Pick your damn feet up when you walk!”. As a substitute I sigh and suppose to myself “the Skinwalker is off to bed finally”.
Now I owe you a proof in fact, ‘The Skinwalker’ just isn’t his Christian identify, quite that’s what I’ve named him since I first obtained right here and observed his downright odd look. The one manner I can actually clarify his look to myself is by imagining a race of hostile reptilian aliens who upon arrival to Earth kidnapped and gutted a number of people and are utilizing their our bodies as some type of pores and skin swimsuit.
His pores and skin is so tight and taught throughout his face it actually seems that there’s an 8 foot tall alien physique tightly confined within a 6 foot tall human body. Mixed together with his obvious case of alopecia (not a single strand of hair on him, head, eyebrows, arms, legs, nothing) and a purple giant birthmark on the again of his cranium – the place I presume the alien inserted the vacuum tube that sucked his innards out leaving nothing however an empty husk of pores and skin – his look is downright unsettling.
Whereas his off placing look was the preliminary inspiration for the moniker, his off kilter conduct appeared to play proper in to the backstory I created for him. Primary human courtesy and respect is one thing the Skinwalker by no means mastered. Shouting throughout the open dormitory in the course of the evening, standing on the foot of your bunk having full quantity conversations previous midnight, very unusually prowling the hallways of the housing unit at 4:00AM silently altering each TV to the identical ESPN channel utilizing a distant management that he stole and now considers his personal property. However his most egregiously odd conduct is definitely his lavatory habits.
In the event you learn my final letter you realize I’m a toilet janitor, as such I take a eager curiosity within the habits of the individuals who use the toilet I clear. I do know who’s a disgusting soiled pig and who has fundamental life expertise and might handle to wash up after themselves. Let me say, I might write a guide on the downright baffling lavatory habits of purportedly grownup males. I’ve seen stunning issues that I’m nonetheless making an attempt to return to phrases with.
The Skinwalker nonetheless, whereas not disgusting, completely illustrates his lack of fundamental human cognition. Round midnight or so the Skinwalker will shuffle slowly and loudly to the toilet. He’ll activate each single bathe on full blast as scorching as doable to create some type of steam room impact. He then shuffles again out of the toilet for about half an hour, actually letting the steam construct up – by the best way, there isn’t a air flow in any respect in these bogs, so sure, mildew is an issue, and sure, this conduct definitely doesn’t assist issues – when he lastly shuffles again to the steamroom he spends properly over an hour in there.
What he does for an hour in there I’m uncertain. Regenerating his skinsuit? Speaking with the mothership? Who is aware of. Probably the most baffling a part of this complete ritual, probably the most inhumane half, he finishes no matter it’s he’s doing in there, and simply shuffles out with out turning any of the showers off. After I get up round 4:00 AM and use the bathroom I’m typically the one who shuts the showers off, hours after he has shuffled himself again down the hallway to sleep. Some might say he clearly suffers from some type of narcissistic character dysfunction of some type, however I’m fairly positive he’s simply an alien in an ill-fitting pores and skin swimsuit.
Now, I anticipate lots of you’ll marvel why I don’t simply say one thing to the man? Communicate to him man-to-man (or man to Skinwalker). Beneath regular circumstances that definitely could be acceptable, however in right here that might be interpreted because the opening salvo in what might flip right into a bodily altercation. On the camp stage – minimal safety – disrespect is rampant as a result of nobody needs to say something that places them liable to having to battle which has critical knock on results corresponding to 1) dropping good time credit score which extends your keep right here, and a couple of) being categorized as increased threat needing to be moved to a better safety establishment.
So that you simply grit your enamel and naked the disrespect. So, as I lay there silently seething I instructed myself I wanted to get moved. I couldn’t dwell subsequent to the Skinwalker anymore, I couldn’t dwell in the identical dormitory because the man. I wanted to be moved and it wanted to occur at present. In reality, I knew I wanted to maneuver from the second I obtained right here.
I feel in my first letter I discussed the B-Wing (the place I used to be put) as being full of younger rowdy reprobates, and turned out to be a fairly apt description. Most of the guys in B-Wing are younger, rowdy, and seemingly fairly comfortable to be in jail. The A-Wing however is far quieter, full of older and extra mature residents, males who wished to get residence, again to their lives and their households. I knew I wanted to get myself to A-Wing someway, and the above described shuffling incident on February 18th was the straw that broke the camels again.
You all know that I’m the toilet janitor in B-Wing. I didn’t take that job for my well being. I knew fairly early on I wanted to get out of B-Wing and I deduced from conversations with prisoners who appeared ‘in the know’ that taking a much less fascinating job inside the housing unit – a job that required precise work and energy – versus a “paper job” (a job that solely exists on paper, like vacuuming a carpet as soon as a month) was one of the simplest ways to reveal to your counselor that you just had been a critical particular person worthy of transferring bunks. After a month of devoted and dirty work I made my request to maneuver in writing – in BOP parlance that is known as a “cop out” – In response I acquired no response, radio silence.
I figured possibly it was too early to ask, possibly I had not but confirmed myself as A-Wing materials. I continued the gritty and dirty work for one more month, not receiving a restful evening of sleep as soon as since arriving right here, I used to be reaching my wits finish.
On February 18th I instructed myself I might submit one other “cop out”, asking as soon as once more to be moved. If this request was denied or ignored I resolved to give up the toilet job and quit making an attempt. I will need to have caught my counsellor on a great day, or possibly my desperation was readily obvious and he took pity on me. Regardless of the cause, inside the hour of creating my request I used to be known as to his workplace and instructed my request was accredited, I used to be to maneuver out of B-Wing instantly.
I didn’t should be instructed twice. I thanked him, grabbed a hand cart, and commenced the method of transferring out. My neighbors had been curious as to the place I used to be going. After I instructed them I had been moved to A-Wing there was loads of good natured jeering and ribbing. “Oh you’re too good for us over here in the hood” one neighbor stated with mock indignation and a mischievous smile on his face. “Oh you’re moving to the suburbs huh?”.
Largely my neighbors had been comfortable for me, they acknowledged that I used to be in mattress each evening at 9:00 PM making an attempt to sleep, and that my new residence was extra acceptable for me. My instant neighbor, the Skinwalker stated nothing and made no additional acknowledgement of my existence. With some assist from a good friend my belongings had been packed, my mattress and pillow secured, and I used to be lastly out of the B-Wing.
I had rigorously chosen the cell I wished in A-Wing. Earlier than submitting my “cop-out” I had walked the halls inspecting the completely different empty areas like I used to be an annoyingly choosy home hunter on a HGTV present making an attempt to decide on a brand new residence.
I lastly settled on an area that was barely bigger than regular and importantly had a window with a view. In B-Wing my cell was within the middle of the dormitory, so there was no window. Even higher, this window was east dealing with so I might be capable to catch the dawn because it peeks over the mountain high. I particularly requested this cell in my “cop-out” and it was granted. After transferring in I cleaned each floor completely (jail is soiled), swept and mopped the ground a number of occasions, laundered my sheets, and at last made the mattress.
The distinction in A-Wing was stark and instantly obvious. My new neighbors all got here to welcome me, everybody spoke in hushed tones as to not disturb anybody else. One man got here by with a welcome reward of a Zinger (a type of chocolate cake Twinkie) which was fortunately accepted. It actually was the suburbs, and no I didn’t miss the inside metropolis.
The true take a look at in fact was the evening. Would I lastly get some restful sleep? The night got here, the 9:00PM depend was concluded, the lights had been shut off. The silence was deafening and superb. Within the B-Wing when the lights went out, the get together started. The Skinwalker and his crew would play their crappy mumble rap on a jury-rigged speaker as loudly as doable in order that the already mumbled lyrics had been additional distorted and sounded as if it was recorded in a tin can. In response to this cultural onslaught the neighboring Puerto Ricans would play their crappy mumble rap on an equally tinny speaker system as loudly as they might.
As a result of two completely different speaker techniques had been taking part in two completely different musical preparations as loudly as doable everybody round must shout much more loudly to be heard. It was an ideal storm of noise. Within the A-Wing the one noise was the nice hum of a close-by industrial fan blowing. I used to be instructed later the fan was introduced in as a result of it was too quiet at evening and a few white noise was wanted.
I used to be apprehensive that maybe it will be too quiet and I wouldn’t be capable to sleep with out the cacophony of chaos that had inundated my senses each evening for two months. That fear was rapidly settled, I fell asleep inside minutes, I slept the entire evening with out interruption. I awoke at my ordinary and most popular time of 4:00 AM, I made my “prison latte” and sat at my desk searching of my window.
I watched a household of deer foraging peacefully round a babbling stream. I do know I don’t belong right here, I do know I shouldn’t be right here, and I have to preserve combating to get out of right here. I have to get again residence and restart my life. However not less than now I’m extra snug, I’ll now be capable to get respectable sleep, surrounded by individuals who perceive fundamental human courtesy. That is now a a lot completely different strategy to serve my time. A small victory. The whole lot right here is about securing small victories, recognizing them, and celebrating them.
Thanks for studying,
Keonne Rodriguez
Write to Keonne:
Keonne Rodriguez
11404-511
FPC Morgantown
FEDERAL PRISON CAMP
P.O. BOX 1000
MORGANTOWN, WV 26507
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It is a visitor publish by Keonne Rodriguez. Opinions expressed are solely their very own and don’t essentially replicate these of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Journal.
