Wow, I sure have found another way to screw my life up. I never seem cease to amaze myself. Before I tell you all about this crap I've been in, in 2013, I should start this off by saying I'm still happy, smiling and laughing regardless of my situation. I'm also hoping/praying that I can salvage this 2013. It's only Feb. so just hold on and try and enjoy the ride.

Where do I start? Let's start off by explaining how the whole point system in prison works and how that dictates where a California prisoner does his time. The best way to explain it is the more points you have the worst, mostly worst, prison you're at. In California the prisons are in levels/point levels. Max Prison, "Maximum Security" being the most dangerous, are level 4 prisons. Level 3 and 2 and 1 being very mellow lowest security, no electric fences with no gun towers, etc. If you have a violent conviction plus a lot of years to do, you go to a level 4. Less years, level 3-2, and so on. I spent 13 years at Pelican Bay Max Security Level 4 due to my charges and the amount of years I was sentenced to. Right no I was a level 3. CMC is a level 3 medical facility. I have been here for 4 years. When each ear passes by and an inmate is disciplinary free/write-up free, your points drop lower. I haven't had any write-ups here until just recently, so for 4 years my points have decreased. They had decreased lower than I thought and now I'm a level 2 which means I have to be transferred out to a level 2 prison. So look in 2013 I got a write-up and in 2012 Dec. I got a write-up. Due to the fact that I got two of them in a 6 month period the prison has punished me to the fullest and beyond. I'll explain all the different punishments in a minute. Okay, now, when an inmate gets a serious 115 "write-up" the prison adds points to you. As I said, I got two serious 115: in Feb. a few days ago the program called me in for classification. They looked at my points and said I'm a level 2 inmate now, even though I got points for the write-ups. I was write-up free "being good" for so long that even with the 2 write-ups I'm still a level 2.

So do I want to be a level 2? No. First of all, I have lived in a two-man cell for going on 20 years and now that I'm a level 2 they want to transfer me to a level 2 dorm-living setting, which is bunk beds in a shack. It's small. No privacy. It's all short-timer inmates. Always gang-banger youngster/black ghetto and Hispanics. I'm a lifer and I've been in a two-man cell for almost 20 years. I don't and will not be able to do the rest of my life in a dorm with disrespectful youngsters who have no clue about doing time. Who haven't ever been to a real prison, violent prison. All of them are going home. It's a revolving door of short-timer inmates. Who do I have to subject myself to that and everyone knows it's not going to work. I will end up in the hole when they put me in a dorm.

Do I want to be transferred out? No, I want to stay here. I explained to classification that I won't do time in any dorm. Period. It's a wreck waiting to happen. Do they care? Of course not. So, anyway, here is the punishment for the write-ups.
1. I'll be transferred out.
2. No phone calls for 6 months.
3. No "packages-care" from home.
4. No visits 1 year.
5. I was moved away from my cellmate to another cell and a new cellmate.
6. They came and tore up my cell, took my tv/walkman and all my property.
Last but not least I have to be locked into my cell at 1 p.m., Monday through Friday, weekends and holidays all day long. No yard.

So anyhow, they have turned my life upside down. I'm screwed. I live financially off the packages my brother orders me. They packages have all my toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, coffee, etc. Oh, they also fired me from my job. I don't know how I'm going to make ends meet now. I'm very stressed out over all of this. They put me in a position that makes my life very hard to live. I'm in my cell writing this blog. It's very quiet. Is there a positive note to any of this? I don't have any $ so I can't go to the store and purchase anything. I'll have to figure out a hustle to make ends meet. The prison takes 55% of any $ sent to me, so it would take 100 dollars sent to me just to go to the store for 45 dollars. [?] It's such a mess I'm in. I doubt anyone sends me a jaypay to my account due to the 55% restitution they take from me.

Life in 2013 has started out so bad. I might as well be in the hole at this point. What do I have to look forward to? If they transfer me to a dorm when I get there I can't have my flatscreen 13 in color tv. My brother bought it for me 2 years ago. TV's not allowed in a dorm so they will give me the option of paying out of my pocket to have the TV sent somewhere on the streets. It's a $300 TV. Look though, if you don't have $ on your account to mail out the TV, guess what? I have to either donate it or the prison will dispose of it. So last but not least I will no longer have my TV that my family bought me. The prison where I end up will throw my flat-screen away or give it to one of their "inmate rats". Yes, my friends, things have went down-hill 4 me. I didn't deserve this crap they are putting me through. I hadn't had any write-ups for 10 years or so, then I got 2 within 6 months and they victimize me. In all the time I've done this is by far the worst over all that the system has screwed me.

It's almost dinner time now so I guess I'll let you guys go for now. I don't like writing such negative posts but I wanted everyone to know just how bad the CA prison system does us. "Brutal".

Here is the bright part of it all. I'll now have plenty of time to post letters on my blog. Hopefully I get plenty of comments to respond to. I'll be doing plenty of cell time.

By for now,
Donnie

PS I turn 43 on Feb. 28th.