December 4, 2020 @ OSCI

Hey everyone!

Still alive and kicking despite the DOC's best efforts to the contrary. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for all my incarcerated peers. Guys that were alive and healthy just weeks ago are now dead from COVID.

One of these individuals I've known for years. Just learned yesterday that a guy named Shrek for his remarkable resemblance to the cartoon ogre became another pandemic statistic. I'm not saying this guy was a saint or anything but he'd been locked up for decades and was within a few weeks of release. Probably early 40s or so. I'll admit, he could be a bully and my most vivid remembrance of him was during softball practice in 2006 or so.

Shrek was a pretty good softball player and my team was practicing against his (I was coaching that year I believe). He's a big guy and had been picking on my smallest and youngest players. This kid had a waist about as big around as one of Shrek's thighs and was easily a foot-and-a-half shorter. Basically a string bean.

So, practice winds up and my team loses the practice. I guess Shrek talked shit a bit to much to the kid. Next thing I know, the string bean jumps up in the air and clocks Shrek in the face. Extremely brave as he was completely dwarfed by the bigger guy. The look on Shrek's face was priceless. Complete and utter shock. Like a rabbit had pulled a gun on him or something.

Admittedly, this story doesn't paint him in the best light but I can tell you that as far as I know, Shrek didn't bully the little guys after that and actually stuck up for a few. I'm willing to bet that kid did more to rehabilitate that man in the space of 2 seconds than the DOC had done in years. Someway to get rehabilitated huh? It sucks that he'll never get the chance to show that rehabilitation to the free world when he was so close. What a waste.

As for the COVID-19/Overcrowding class action I brought against the DOC they're now trying to stop me from filing the Declarations I've been collecting. The librarian and a corrections program supervisor told me that I could only file my own legal work with the federal court. I've already filed a complaint and will be filing for contempt of court by next week if they don't let me file the paperwork. Complete bullshit if you ask me. However, please don't let this stop you from having your incarcerated friends and loved ones fill out a declaration and sending it to me. All the declarations I receive will be filed one way or another. If you still haven't sent a sample declaration to them, it can be found at the end of my last post.

I'd like to close by thanking all those that have reached out and expressed support for me through this forum and directly. My next post will have the updated timeline of Coronavirus at OSCI.

As always stay safe and sane!

Tony