(Written on July 11, 2018)
Locked up 24 hours a day almost 6 months a year
I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and he made mention of the fact the we are locked up 24 hours a day almost 6 months out of the year. So I got to thinking about it and realized: “Damn, he is right”.
If you take into account the fact that 12 building is on lockdown 4 times a year, every 90 days, and add the days up, it adds up to give or take 58 days.
- 7 to 10 days
- 21 to 25 days
- 7 to 10 days
- 21 to 25 days
The 7 to 10 day lock downs are just for Ad seg, (Administrative segregation) for every unit that has an Ad seg program, but for us here on Polunsky unit it is 12 building where I am housed at.
The 21 to 25 days lock downs are for the whole unit, and since this is a maximum high security unit, they must lock it down twice a year, while minimum security units are only locked down once a year.
But still 50 to 60 days a year being forced to stay in this cell is a lot of days. Being fed nothing but sandwiches, no rec, and shower every other day.
No recreation on weekends
Now take into account that 12 building Ad seg doesn’t rec at all on the weekends.I think that totals up to around something like 104 days. But since I don’t have enough fingers and toes to correctly add that up … you may want to double check that number. I could be wrong… .just like I am likely wrong on this number if I add it up that is something totaling in the range of 154 days to 160 days a year I am locked in this cell. Just about 6 months of being locked up, I never really gave it much thought before … but that does put everything into perspective. Humans aren’t made to be locked up like that.
The ‘we are short staffed today’ card
And then, here lately they have been pulling the ol’: “We are short staffed today, so no rec or showers” card out on us. So depending on just how many days they are ‘short staffed’ the number of days goes up. And I question the whole short staffed card they wave at us, considering it takes 3 guards to run a pod/cell block on 12 building and when I walk to my door and see 2 guards standing around the control picket with one in the picket … a total of three … the required number to run a pod. Yeah, I question it.
Thanks to my friends I am only half crazy
But still, 150 to 160 days stuck in a cell, I never really gave It much thought before. But now that I have, wow! It is a wonder I am only half crazy and not full blown stark raving mad insane.But I think I have my wonderful friends to thank for that. They allow me to write to them and they care about me, so thank you!
But damn … 150 days … think you could do that? I’m sure you could, but 150 day times the 18 years I have been here on Polunsky unit house in Ad seg special housing 12 building.
Then add into the equation that I have been in some type of ‘special housing’ since the day I was arrested, not counting the 6 months or so I was in general population in the Harris county jail, but was soon back in special housing due to one too many fights. Long time. Makes me wonder just how many days I have actually been in a cell by myself all these past 25 years. Too many however many it is.
But it does make me wonder, what state of mind would I be in if it wasn’t for those of you who have written me over the years. That I have no doubt to be the reason I am not insane.
I went a little over a week without doing anything a couple of weeks ago. No writing, very little reading, no drawing, nothing but just thinking. If I had to do that every day all day… I question if I could handle it. Makes me wonder.