Date: 8/14/2022
ba7e

Midnight,
As far as the TV situate goes, we're still dealing with the concept of location, location, location. If it's in the middle of the day, and everyone is pretty much gone, you'll find someone who likes to think he's the boss. However, if someone is serious about watching something different (and is willing to show that there's going to be problems), the boss will usually back down rather than go through the hassle of it all. But when everybody is in the dorm, I've noticed it to be handled with the majority of the vote.

Now, if you're located in an incentivized camp like I am (Sumter C.I.), which consists of mainly open-bay dorms, the dorms have three TVs. The TV in the day room in the middle stays on sports and news channels. Whereas the TVs in the bunk areas on either side are on voted-in channels.

Even though I don't watch much TV, if I'm in the mood and my side is on a boring channel, I can just walk over to the other side and usually come across something that I like. Then find a friend's locker and have a seat to enjoy.

Plus, all the TVs are programmed so you can listen to them with your radio or tablet. So there's clash of noise throughout the dorm. In my 21 years of being down, I've only seen two or three actual fights involving TVs (it doesn't take long to realize just how unimportant the whole matter at hand really is).

Okay, the food situation: Tuesday night is chicken night (leg and thigh), and it is by far the most enjoyed meal by the majority of the prisoners. With it, usually comes rice or pasta or mashed potatoes, beans, mixed veggies, and corn bread. Some camps include barbeque sauce. It all varies around. Please take into consideration that I've spent time in ten different camps.

Many of the horror stories stem from not how lousy DOC is feeding prisoners but rather the prisoners who are working in the kitchen. Look back in my writings around 1-23-19. You should find a one-page paper that goes into explicit details on this subject. Around the tope of the page, you'll see a couple of names and then "WHOOOOOAA YOU TWO." You'll understand if you read some of the messages the people left beforehand.

I don't know if you saw my paper titled "The Only Thing Consistent About Prison Life is the Inconsistency," but that rule holds true in EVERY aspect of prison life. So things like chow time have a LOT of variables.

1.) Time given to eat
2.) Pride of the cooks
3.) How greedy are the kitchen workers?
4.) What company the food is being purchased from
5.) Whether the person in charge cares enough to keep the kitchen workers under control

To name a few.

My weight out in the free world was always 165 lbs. In the 21 years I've been down, my weight has fluctuated between 130 lbs. and 165 lbs. I'm presently at 147 lbs.

As far as money goes... Well, there isn't any. The only time you see actual cash is out at visitation when your family is getting stuff from the canteen. It's all a matter of trading canteen now—in any state.

The library situation is—naturally—a thing of location. However, practically any camp is going to consist mainly of well-used and outdated books. To purchase a new one, you can have someone out on the streets purchase the book from a bookstore, but then the bookstore has to mail it to the prison.

If you have nobody to do that, then your best bet is through a company called Bargain Books. They send catalogs each month with hundreds of choice of interesting and low-priced books. You would then do a money withdrawal from your account and order it by mail. I have used that procedure numerous times.

HOWEVER, take into consideration. DOC has a loooooooong list of books that they do NOT permit to be purchased. I'm quite sure you understand the certain limitations they would be concerned about. They tend to frown upon titles such as How to Build Bombs, Mind Games, How to Erase Your Identity, and other things of that nature.

Well, I believe that covers your questions. I had to kinda make the quick due to your little warning at the end of your message.

Now, if you don't mind me including a little advice—of which I believe I am worthy of giving due to my previous experience—let me just suggest that you sit back and think long and hard at what your actions may cause.

ALWAYS remember: your actions don't just have a negative effect on YOU but on many other people as well. People are going to suffer who had absolutely nothing to do with your situation.

I have had the chance to learn this the hard way. Fortunately, I have also had the chance to do a lot of reading, and have learned that practically any kind of matter can be resolved if we just set our pride aside and stay away from the problem that is igniting our desires to do something wrong.

If you wish to learn more about prison or perhaps discuss the matter that has led to this conversation to begin with, feel free to contact me on again. And take into consideration, you won't have an audience if you become a contact on my tablet. Or just write snail mail. Don't worry, I'm never getting out. So I'll never just suddenly appear at your door. Reread what I just wrote: I'M NEVER GETTING OUT.

Please. Don't do anything stupid, man.