22 June 05
An English Test
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Copyright © 2004-2005 Shaun P. Attwood
20 June 05
Violence Inside
Richard asked about prison violence, if I have to watch my step constantly, and whether I put a brave face on things.
When the cell doors are open it is essential to be aware of the surroundings. Fights can erupt at any time, and often over silly things. I’ve seen arguments over fruit, cups of Kool-Aid, candy bars and even over which TV station to watch escalate into bloodshed. Besides the random violence there is also extortion, but the most serious violence seems to occur when people run up drug debts that they are unable to pay. Riots seldom happen, but when they do people can get killed.
I think that inmates constantly watch their steps, but even trying to mind your own business doesn’t always work. Diplomacy works to an extent, but you have to be tough enough to say no to people trying to take advantage of you without being disrespectful, which may lead to further problems.
This unit seems mellow in comparison to the one next to us, Buckley. At Buckley, a high-medium facility, alarms are often going off, shots being fired, and inmates can be seen getting marched to the rec field at gunpoint where loudspeakers order them to lie face down on the ground. Sometimes our guards dash over to Buckley with extra shotguns and rifles. The shankings, murders and the incident of someone recently getting stabbed in the neck whilst in the chow line have earned Buckley the title of "The new gladiator school" by the inmates here.
Thanks for the question, Richard.
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Copyright © 2004-2005 Shaun P. Attwood
Violence Inside
Richard asked about prison violence, if I have to watch my step constantly, and whether I put a brave face on things.
When the cell doors are open it is essential to be aware of the surroundings. Fights can erupt at any time, and often over silly things. I’ve seen arguments over fruit, cups of Kool-Aid, candy bars and even over which TV station to watch escalate into bloodshed. Besides the random violence there is also extortion, but the most serious violence seems to occur when people run up drug debts that they are unable to pay. Riots seldom happen, but when they do people can get killed.
I think that inmates constantly watch their steps, but even trying to mind your own business doesn’t always work. Diplomacy works to an extent, but you have to be tough enough to say no to people trying to take advantage of you without being disrespectful, which may lead to further problems.
This unit seems mellow in comparison to the one next to us, Buckley. At Buckley, a high-medium facility, alarms are often going off, shots being fired, and inmates can be seen getting marched to the rec field at gunpoint where loudspeakers order them to lie face down on the ground. Sometimes our guards dash over to Buckley with extra shotguns and rifles. The shankings, murders and the incident of someone recently getting stabbed in the neck whilst in the chow line have earned Buckley the title of "The new gladiator school" by the inmates here.
Thanks for the question, Richard.
Email comments to writeinside@hotmail.com or post them below
Copyright © 2004-2005 Shaun P. Attwood
18 June 05
Advice
Click here if you would like to see Rick’s prison diary
Email comments to writeinside@hotmail.com or post them below
Copyright © 2004-2005 Shaun P. Attwood
Advice
Click here if you would like to see Rick’s prison diary
Email comments to writeinside@hotmail.com or post them below
Copyright © 2004-2005 Shaun P. Attwood
16 June 05
Druid’s Birthday Card
Druid, who has just turned sixty-eight, looks like a shaggy-faced and toothless Sean Connery. He claims to be a native of the Isle of Man, (a small independent island off the north west coast of England).
For Druid’s birthday, Long Island purchased a Mother’s Day card (this falls on 9th May in the US) in which he taped three homoerotic pics from one of Adam’s gay porno mags. The pics were of musclebound men mounting other men on all fours who were wearing blindfolds. Before the card was given to Druid, various inmates signed it.
“Happy B-Day you dirty old bastard. These pics are from the Isle of Man travel brochure. I always knew you were a freak!”
“Sorry we had to break into your wedding album, but we wanted to give you somethin' personal.”
“Suck an old fat cock.”
“It was interesting to find these pictures of you in your younger years. What a stud!”
“Happy B-Day you fur-faced zipper-sniffer!!!”
“I don’t want you to look at these pictures and wish I'd do you the same way. I just want to spend some time in your crack. Happy B-Day Gramps!” (Written vertically where the card folds i.e. ‘the crack’)
“I see your true side has finally surfaced.”
“Looks like you and Harley are having a good time here (ha!).”
“Happy B-Day. We found some old pictures of you in your younger days. Stay off the ‘Base Ball Field’ you’re too old.”
“Happy B-Day. We thought you'd like pictures of yourself.”
“Hey, you Queen. Here’s hoping that this is absolutely your last B’day.”
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Copyright © 2004-2005 Shaun P. Attwood
Druid’s Birthday Card
Druid, who has just turned sixty-eight, looks like a shaggy-faced and toothless Sean Connery. He claims to be a native of the Isle of Man, (a small independent island off the north west coast of England).
For Druid’s birthday, Long Island purchased a Mother’s Day card (this falls on 9th May in the US) in which he taped three homoerotic pics from one of Adam’s gay porno mags. The pics were of musclebound men mounting other men on all fours who were wearing blindfolds. Before the card was given to Druid, various inmates signed it.
“Happy B-Day you dirty old bastard. These pics are from the Isle of Man travel brochure. I always knew you were a freak!”
“Sorry we had to break into your wedding album, but we wanted to give you somethin' personal.”
“Suck an old fat cock.”
“It was interesting to find these pictures of you in your younger years. What a stud!”
“Happy B-Day you fur-faced zipper-sniffer!!!”
“I don’t want you to look at these pictures and wish I'd do you the same way. I just want to spend some time in your crack. Happy B-Day Gramps!” (Written vertically where the card folds i.e. ‘the crack’)
“I see your true side has finally surfaced.”
“Looks like you and Harley are having a good time here (ha!).”
“Happy B-Day. We found some old pictures of you in your younger days. Stay off the ‘Base Ball Field’ you’re too old.”
“Happy B-Day. We thought you'd like pictures of yourself.”
“Hey, you Queen. Here’s hoping that this is absolutely your last B’day.”
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Copyright © 2004-2005 Shaun P. Attwood
14 June 05
Move
It seems we are going to be transferred to ASPC-Tucson, Santa Rita Unit some time in the next couple of weeks.
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Copyright © 2004-2005 Shaun P. Attwood
Move
It seems we are going to be transferred to ASPC-Tucson, Santa Rita Unit some time in the next couple of weeks.
Email comments to writeinside@hotmail.com or post them below
Copyright © 2004-2005 Shaun P. Attwood
12 June 05
Telephone Swindle
Inmate phone calls generate multi-million dollar profits for the telephone service contractors at the expense of prisoners families and friends who are mostly members of the lower-income groups in society. Here, local calls cost from $2 upwards - at that rate, if the 2 million+ prison population average four calls per week then the contractors would reap approximately half a billion dollars per year. Adding long distance charges to that figure, I estimate that inmate phone calls are a half to one billion dollar a year industry.
The cost of long distance phone calls is particularly high. In 2002 I placed a call to my parents from the Towers Jail that cost $50 for 10 minutes. Using a conservative estimate, that my call cost the phone company 5 cents a minute, implies that the profit to the phone company was in excess of 10,000%! Before my parents disclosed the cost of the call after they had received the bill, I believed that there were laws against such corporate exploitation. Now I am starting to know better, and I recently read about a phone company scam that demonstrates how the companies and State leaders entangle the prison system in their web of corruption.
In California, Proposition 66 aiming to abolish the Three Strikes law, which would have freed thousands of non-violent criminals serving life for trivial crimes, was recently defeated by a slim margin. Arnold Schwartzenegger campaigned against Proposition 66 spooking the public into believing that 26,000 violent criminals would be prowling the streets if it were to be passed. And who was one of the biggest contributers to the opposition campaign? The founder of Broadcom Corporation, which owns MCI, which has the exclusive contract with the State of California, to monopolise prisoner phone calls.
Is the overriding objective of the mass incarceration of non violent offenders the provision of effortless rewards to the prison industry’s top brass and their contractor buddies? Should inmates be serving life sentences to help MCI make more money? How can the leaders of a country based on liberty and the proposition that all men are created equal, be allowing this to happen?
Email comments to writeinside@hotmail.com or post them below
Copyright © 2004-2005 Shaun P. Attwood
Telephone Swindle
Inmate phone calls generate multi-million dollar profits for the telephone service contractors at the expense of prisoners families and friends who are mostly members of the lower-income groups in society. Here, local calls cost from $2 upwards - at that rate, if the 2 million+ prison population average four calls per week then the contractors would reap approximately half a billion dollars per year. Adding long distance charges to that figure, I estimate that inmate phone calls are a half to one billion dollar a year industry.
The cost of long distance phone calls is particularly high. In 2002 I placed a call to my parents from the Towers Jail that cost $50 for 10 minutes. Using a conservative estimate, that my call cost the phone company 5 cents a minute, implies that the profit to the phone company was in excess of 10,000%! Before my parents disclosed the cost of the call after they had received the bill, I believed that there were laws against such corporate exploitation. Now I am starting to know better, and I recently read about a phone company scam that demonstrates how the companies and State leaders entangle the prison system in their web of corruption.
In California, Proposition 66 aiming to abolish the Three Strikes law, which would have freed thousands of non-violent criminals serving life for trivial crimes, was recently defeated by a slim margin. Arnold Schwartzenegger campaigned against Proposition 66 spooking the public into believing that 26,000 violent criminals would be prowling the streets if it were to be passed. And who was one of the biggest contributers to the opposition campaign? The founder of Broadcom Corporation, which owns MCI, which has the exclusive contract with the State of California, to monopolise prisoner phone calls.
Is the overriding objective of the mass incarceration of non violent offenders the provision of effortless rewards to the prison industry’s top brass and their contractor buddies? Should inmates be serving life sentences to help MCI make more money? How can the leaders of a country based on liberty and the proposition that all men are created equal, be allowing this to happen?
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Copyright © 2004-2005 Shaun P. Attwood
10 June 05
Gone With
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Copyright © 2004-2005 Shaun P. Attwood
Gone With
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Copyright © 2004-2005 Shaun P. Attwood
08 June 05
Heat
On my radio, I’ve been hearing Excessive Heat Warnings issued by the National Weather Service. Outdoor high temperatures recently rocketed from 90° to 110° without stopping at 100°.
We no longer have a rec field: we have scorched earth.
The swamp cooler and fan are keeping the cell temperature tolerable - an improvement from this time last year. Soon, the heat is expected to rise above 120°, so I’ve not yet experienced peak summer temperatures in Buckeye.
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Copyright © 2004-2005 Shaun P. Attwood
Heat
On my radio, I’ve been hearing Excessive Heat Warnings issued by the National Weather Service. Outdoor high temperatures recently rocketed from 90° to 110° without stopping at 100°.
We no longer have a rec field: we have scorched earth.
The swamp cooler and fan are keeping the cell temperature tolerable - an improvement from this time last year. Soon, the heat is expected to rise above 120°, so I’ve not yet experienced peak summer temperatures in Buckeye.
Email comments to writeinside@hotmail.com or post them below
Copyright © 2004-2005 Shaun P. Attwood
20 May 05
Latent Talents
Long Island has been studying hard. I've been sharing some of my books with him including R. Kolb’s The International Finance Reader, Graham & Dodd’s Security Analysis and S. Natenberg’s Option Volatility & Pricing (kindly provided by Guy Goo. Thanks!)
He has become so enthused about the financial markets that he has begun charting stocks and indexes. We are trading (on paper) options and tallying our imaginary profits, so that he can get a feel for market movements.
There are probably many talented people in the prison system, who, if given an education could become productive members of society. Sadly, other than a few token programs and GED schooling (high-school level education) I am unaware of any other classes. Four times I have applied for college correspondence courses, and each time I’ve been denied. Until there is an emphasis on education and rehabilitation, the growing prison population will continue to be a
problem.
Email comments to writeinside@hotmail.com or post them below
Latent Talents
Long Island has been studying hard. I've been sharing some of my books with him including R. Kolb’s The International Finance Reader, Graham & Dodd’s Security Analysis and S. Natenberg’s Option Volatility & Pricing (kindly provided by Guy Goo. Thanks!)
He has become so enthused about the financial markets that he has begun charting stocks and indexes. We are trading (on paper) options and tallying our imaginary profits, so that he can get a feel for market movements.
There are probably many talented people in the prison system, who, if given an education could become productive members of society. Sadly, other than a few token programs and GED schooling (high-school level education) I am unaware of any other classes. Four times I have applied for college correspondence courses, and each time I’ve been denied. Until there is an emphasis on education and rehabilitation, the growing prison population will continue to be a
problem.
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18 May 05
Orangemen Are Not the Only Fruits
Email Jon at writeinside@hotmail.com or post comments below
Orangemen Are Not the Only Fruits
Email Jon at writeinside@hotmail.com or post comments below
14 May 05
Frankie Is Here
I was returning to my cell from the chow hall when a stocky Chicano requested my presence at the poker table.
“I’ve been asked to tell you that Frankie is here,” he whispered in my ear. He also divulged that Frankie is housed on the other side of Building 2, thus, I shall not be going to rec or chow with him.
Through some mutual friends I’m going to arrange a meeting with Frankie. I intend to maintain our friendship, but also to make it clear that the prison marriage he desires is not an option. Out of all the thousands of men I met in the jail system, isn’t it odd that I am now sharing a roof with Frankie?
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Frankie Is Here
I was returning to my cell from the chow hall when a stocky Chicano requested my presence at the poker table.
“I’ve been asked to tell you that Frankie is here,” he whispered in my ear. He also divulged that Frankie is housed on the other side of Building 2, thus, I shall not be going to rec or chow with him.
Through some mutual friends I’m going to arrange a meeting with Frankie. I intend to maintain our friendship, but also to make it clear that the prison marriage he desires is not an option. Out of all the thousands of men I met in the jail system, isn’t it odd that I am now sharing a roof with Frankie?
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12 May 05
The Howard League For Penal Reform
I would like to thank Finola Farrant, the Project Manager at the Howard League For Penal Reform for requesting and publishing a written piece about my time spent on remand.
The HLFPR is an organisation that works tirelessly for humane and rational reform of the penal system.
Keep up the good work Finola!
In solidarity,
Jon
The Howard League For Penal Reform
I would like to thank Finola Farrant, the Project Manager at the Howard League For Penal Reform for requesting and publishing a written piece about my time spent on remand.
The HLFPR is an organisation that works tirelessly for humane and rational reform of the penal system.
Keep up the good work Finola!
In solidarity,
Jon
08 May 05
Prison Lingo
Jarod in San Francisco has asked me to translate a passage from the Bible into prison lingo. So, as I enjoy the clash between David and Goliath, I have chosen 1 Samuel 17 (45-50).
1 Samuel 17
45 Then David said to the Philistines, “ You come to me with a sword, with a spear and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of the hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
46 “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you…”
47 “Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.”
48 So it was, when the Philistine arose and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
49 Then David put his hand into his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.
1 Sammy 17
45 David called out the dude who looked like he could crank a whole lotta iron on the weight pile, “It’s lookin’ like you’re strapped with a shank and a shiv, but I’m not stressin’ cos the Big Homey Upstairs has got my back.”
46 “Punk Philistine, today your ass is out.”
47 “Bitch, all the homies on the rec field are gunna see that you’re a take-it- in-the-ass sissy boy.”
48 The puffed up Philistine moved on David, and David was squared up to handle business.
49 David broke out with his own shit; the Philistine was smashed in the head with a battery, and fell tits down on the rec field.
50 Without a shank, David had taken the Philistine out with a battery in a sock.
email comments to writeinside@hotmail.com or post them below
Prison Lingo
Jarod in San Francisco has asked me to translate a passage from the Bible into prison lingo. So, as I enjoy the clash between David and Goliath, I have chosen 1 Samuel 17 (45-50).
1 Samuel 17
45 Then David said to the Philistines, “ You come to me with a sword, with a spear and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of the hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
46 “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you…”
47 “Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.”
48 So it was, when the Philistine arose and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
49 Then David put his hand into his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.
1 Sammy 17
45 David called out the dude who looked like he could crank a whole lotta iron on the weight pile, “It’s lookin’ like you’re strapped with a shank and a shiv, but I’m not stressin’ cos the Big Homey Upstairs has got my back.”
46 “Punk Philistine, today your ass is out.”
47 “Bitch, all the homies on the rec field are gunna see that you’re a take-it- in-the-ass sissy boy.”
48 The puffed up Philistine moved on David, and David was squared up to handle business.
49 David broke out with his own shit; the Philistine was smashed in the head with a battery, and fell tits down on the rec field.
50 Without a shank, David had taken the Philistine out with a battery in a sock.
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03 May 05
Xena Responds
After reading the comments posted to the blog Bon Voyage Balls, Xena responded:
Anatomy check for those who do not know what a vas deferens is: the extension of the epididymis of the testis that ascends from the scrotum and joins the seminal vesicle to form the ejaculatory duct. It is enclosed by fibrous connective tissue with blood vessels, nerves and lymphatics, and passes through the inguinal canal as part of the spermatic cord.
The operation was not done because Gina hated herself or wanted to cause any self-harm. She truly feels at peace, having performed her makeshift surgery, as I would considering her personality.
Yours truly, Xena
Comments can be posted below or emailed to: writeinside@hotmail.com
Xena Responds
After reading the comments posted to the blog Bon Voyage Balls, Xena responded:
Anatomy check for those who do not know what a vas deferens is: the extension of the epididymis of the testis that ascends from the scrotum and joins the seminal vesicle to form the ejaculatory duct. It is enclosed by fibrous connective tissue with blood vessels, nerves and lymphatics, and passes through the inguinal canal as part of the spermatic cord.
The operation was not done because Gina hated herself or wanted to cause any self-harm. She truly feels at peace, having performed her makeshift surgery, as I would considering her personality.
Yours truly, Xena
Comments can be posted below or emailed to: writeinside@hotmail.com
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