Life in the hole (shu)...

I'll tell you about a few of my experiences in the shu (special housing unit), it's where the worst of the worst do their time. I was housed in the shu one time for almost a year, while housed at Florence Colorado. Let me tell you just a lil bit about this prison, it's the worst one I've been in, while housed in the Federal system. It's located in the middle of the mountains, and it's the coldest weather I've ever experienced, it's very dangerous and it has a lot of inmates dying in this place and not from natural causes. There was a racial riot there so bad that it lasted for about five (5) hours, I was there. The staff was 98% white males, so it was hell for a young black male, such as myself. I was not going for nothing that's why I stayed in the shu most of my stay there.

I was placed in the shu under some kind of investigation, that's what they always say when they don't have nothing on you. You are locked in the cell 24 straight hours, due to there being a shower conveniently being in the cell with you, sometimes they give you an hour of recreation, but most of the time they will take our rec from us, due to any excuse, but when they had it I would go out and work out in the cage. I worked out in my small cell, but it was much better in the fresh air. Just the simple thing of fresh air was very big for us. The food was so nasty, and you can not bring any canteen and you can't buy any food, only thing they let you buy is some peanuts. But, we had our ways of getting any and everything, so I was alright. We get to use the phone every 30 days, that was crazy, but if you had a good enough excuse you could use the phone in the LT's office, I keep an excuse, but I only called my family. We all had a way to communicate with each other without speaking, because the shu is full of snitches that can not walk the line, we call them "Check-In's", because they have to check in to the shu, or else... So you had to always watch what you said over the tier, so we had to make a fishing line, it's not that hard to make, soon as you get in the shu you have to make one, that's the only way you will get any thing you need. We call it "Fishing" because, you have to shoot your line out and you have to catch and/or snag the other persons line, you have to watch out and make sure you don't get the wrong kite, because it will be a little note (kite) attached to the line.