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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781504355292 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Balboa Press |
| Publication date: | 05/27/2016 |
| Pages: | 108 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.26(d) |
Read an Excerpt
Letters from Camp Prisona
Son's Letters to his Mother
By Phyllis Gold
Balboa Press
Copyright © 2016 Phyllis GoldAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-5043-5529-2
CHAPTER 1
August 20, 1999
Dear Mom,
I'm so sorry. I just got your letter today stating that Grammy had passed away. I love you so much Mom, please don't be mad with me that I couldn't be there for the funeral. I'm so sorry that I missed it. Mom, when I get out things are going to be different, I'm going to change things around so that you'll be proud of me once again. Please don't leave me, Mom & don't forget about me out here.
August 25, 1999
On Sat. 21st they moved me because I have to wait for bed space to open up in another pod. 1A is like the intake pod. Well, the officers here are not as pleasant as those anywhere else.
Anyways, we're locked down most of the time here also, with ½ hour dayroom in the AM and usually no dayroom in the PM.
February 28, 2000
Well, I'm finally at a yard! They classified me which qualified me for a minimum security facility. It's not as bad as I thought it was going to be, but it's definitely different. Since it's a minimum yard, there's no lockdown in cells. They start you out in the "Tents" And what they are, are a bunch of Army type tents that have 12 bunks in them, actually just 12 beds not bunk beds. And it's literally a big khaki tent. It gets a little nippy at night, but the sun has been strong and I'm out in the yard all day long. They feed you 3 hot meals a day and it's a good amount of food. For lunch and dinner they have a salad or pasta bar. So I'm definitely full after each meal and because of the amount of food, I've started to work out regularly.
Prison is political in that you generally have to stay with your kind. Since I'm not Mexican, but I'm not white, I generally have to stick with the Chicanos or Latinos. I know a couple of them from County Jail and I've simply explained to them that I'm Colombian by birth, but was raised in a white family so I don't speak fluent Spanish. Basically, they've been cool, no initiation type stuff or anything like that, we all eat together at chow time and I just hang out with them during the day. You don't have to avoid everyone else, but if there's ever a time you need something (like this paper, envelopes, stamps) and you don't have money, they help you out. Also, if anything takes place, that's when the races stick together. I made it very clear when I got here that I was a Christian and a recovering addict. I was offered stoke stuff a couple of times, but I said no, explained why and they accepted that. So praise God, He gave me the strength to say no.
Since being moved from County Jail to prison they don't let you take anything with you except all your legal work and addresses. They gave me a bar of soap (miniature), 2 oz. bottle of shampoo, and a 4oz. bottle of toothpaste. I really need to get some more hygiene supplies 'cause I'm about to run out. We wear jeans and T-shirts and boots which is okay, it's better than the flimsy stuff of jump suits from County. They issue you all of that, but we have to do our own laundry. They give you 2 little pouches of laundry soap to start, each pouch is good for one load, but after that you have to buy your own. The only other habit that I picked back up is smoking cigarettes, so I got hooked up with a pouch of rolling tobacco. It's cheaper than the generic cigarettes. Also I was thinking about seeing the doctor for my eyes to get a new prescription for glasses and I think it will cost me $3 for that. So if at all possible I could really use about 20-30$ just to get some basic essentials. They also sell sneakers here for about 20$ and they say that's usually a good thing to get because these boots are pretty worn out and they're tough on my feet and knees. But I was thinking I could write to Dad and ask him if he'd help out with that. I don't want to be asking you for too much.
January 14, 2001
Well, we're winding down our softball season and our team is on top. I spend time in the afternoons working on my hitting with another guy from my run. My fielding was always okay, I've even made some diving catches in the outfield. Do you remember who my favorite player on the Red Sox used to be? Dwight Evans #24 – right field. We'll take a break from softball after the end of the month. I'm setting up volleyball & basketball teams for February and March. Another guy that works Rec. will be officiating those games; I'll just help keep score & the bookkeeping.
June 25, 2001
I go to sentencing on July 23rd. If you could write a letter for me, of support for me. Basically what we'll be asking the judge is for the minimum amount of time. Essentially the angle I'll be coming from is that my depression led to heavier drug use thus the crimes I committed I was "under the influence." The first crime was Feb. 18 and the second was 3 weeks after that. Neither of them were considered "dangerous", there were no weapons involved.
Well, thanks for being patient. I love you and miss you very much. Oh, don't worry, the tattoos I have are not noticeable with even short sleeve shirts, so they won't affect any future jobs in restaurant mgmt. And I didn't have to pay for them, not one penny, no debt because of them, so please don't worry. And it wasn't something I "had" to do. I knew this guy that did them, so he did them for me for free.
July 9, 2001
I got your July 4th letter today and it really lifted my spirits. Believe me your letters are always an encouragement, even when you're angry and preaching at me. I know that all this is tough on you, it's tough on me. But I can't change the past.
You wrote about the "snow-ball" affect that takes place in my life. Well, that's what it is. There's always a Building up process that takes place. Like for the "recovering alcoholic" who one day decides he is going to pick up a drink. He doesn't just think of it, or do it "out of the blue." There's a built up process that #1 opens up to the temptation more severely and #2 encourages him to do this by rationalizing why he's doing it. And that's been so in my life. Believe me in no way are you, dad to blame for any of the poor choices I've made in my life.
September 2, 2001
Sorry this has taken so long to get to you. I'm still waiting for bed space on a permanent yard.
The good thing is that since I've been here almost a month now I was able to get "indigent" supplies. They gave me 12 envelopes (average 3 letters a week), a couple bars of generic soap, a pen, and writing paper, since my account balance has been under 12.00 since I've been here. The bad part about being here is that we don't work. At least once I get to the yard I'll be able to get a job for 50cents/hour. Once I get money on my books, they only deduct $2.50 for the indigent package. All in all things have been okay. They have a library here that we can request books from. We have to write an Inmate Letter to the librarian and have it submitted by Wednesday in order to receive our books by Friday. I just finished Debt of Honor by Tom Clancy and now I'm reading Executive Orders. Both books are close to 1,000 pages. So needless to say they keep me occupied. Also, this past week I got my hands on a current USA Today only to find out that the Red Sox were 5 games out of first place behind the Yanks. Oh well, same old story every year around this time.
I went to the doctor the other day for two things, the eczema on my leg has flared back up, probably due to stress and all and they gave me a TB test. A day after the TB test my left arm began to blow up like a balloon from an allergic reaction to the test. So immediately I got nervous. I've never had TB and from what I know it's nothing nice. So they took x-rays of my chest which came out negative, thank God. So I'm okay, nothing to worry about, and my arm has returned to normal. As for the eczema they simply gave me a hydrocortisone prescription. Since I requested to be seen for the eczema they charged me $3.00 for the visit to be deducted once I get money on my books.
Sept. 24, 2001
I just wanted to drop you a short note to let you know that I did receive your letter with the 10$ m.o. Thank you, it helped me to get a few things.
Well, as you know I'm on my permanent yard. It's not too bad here. So far, they haven't given me a job yet, but I've been keeping myself to a normal routine. During our rec. time I work out with a couple of guys which has been good. I was pretty sore last week, but I'm getting the hang of it. On the weekends we'll be playing softball, so hopefully it will help my batting, maybe even hit a couple of home runs this season.
You also mentioned in your letter that you would like to come out and visit. Of course, that would be great, I'd love for that. I know it will be tough having to see me this way, but at least they are contact visits so I'll be able to hug you! And we won't be behind glass, and I won't be chained up. I've enclosed a visitation application form for you to fill out and send back.
Oct. 6, 2001
I got your letters (25th & 29th of Sept.) the other day. They finally gave me a job here for 25 cents/hour, but once I show them proof of my GED they should pay me 50 cents/hour. Right now I'm on the landscaping crew. So I wake up at 4:30 am, eat breakfast at 5:15 and start work around 6am. We get breaks every half hour or so, lunch around 10:30 and we're usually finished around 12 or 12:30. More than anything else I like that it keeps me busy.
Dec. 12, 2001
Hi there! How are you? I got your letter yesterday with the picture of you singing. I think that's wonderful. It always reminds me of when papa used to sing and I would be there to watch and press play on the tape recorder for him. Music is such a wonderful means of expression, it really helps me at times to just think of nice tunes in my head and try to put words to them. I really wish that I would have continued with the piano or clarinet, but I guess I wasn't ready then to fully appreciate it enough. Maybe when I get out I'll pick something up, guitar or I'd even like to play the drums. A lot of guys in here have guitars, maybe I can find someone who will be willing to teach me at a beginner's level.
This past weekend we had a group come in from Prison Fellowship and they conducted a 2 day Christian Seminars. I think there were about 50 of us that attended both days. It was really good, informative and encouraging. I will be receiving a certificate and a copy of their study booklet entitled Victorious Christian Living which is a $30 text book, for free. All the costs were underwritten by a local church who sponsored the volunteers to come in and teach us.
Tonite I watched a really good program on the Public Television Station. It was about a journalist who met the kids in Israel. I think they were Jews, Arabs, and Palestinians, 3 or 4 groups of them. And he spent time with them discussing their lifestyles, thoughts, and views of whom they were, where they lived and what they thought about what was going on around them. It was interesting, because a few of the kids had friends and loved ones killed or murdered in terrorist attacks, uprisings and the fighting over there. They showed where these groups of kids lived and how they were segregated from one another. They talked about their religious views as to who really owns what land and so on. Then at the end he was able to bring them all together and it was the first time they made friends with each other. They were all around the age of 12 or so, they simply played together and had fun, then there was a really touching part when they were all talking about their desire to overcome the obstacles of hate and anger, frustration and pain. I really enjoyed it. It made me think how grateful I was/am for my upbringing that it didn't include that kind of hate and rejection of others because of race, color, or religion. But these kids, it's all they know, because that's all they are taught. But the end of the show was good and one of the kids got emotional. I think one of them said something like this meeting is what's needed to really begin a "peace process."
Anyways, I just wanted to share that with you. Was it tough growing up Jewish for you? Did you ever have hassles as a kid, or in school? I don't know why I'm bringing this all up, I guess I'm just curious.
Well, I hope and pray always that you are well, and I hope to hear from you soon. Guess what? I got my teeth cleaned the other day!
Dec. 27, 2001
Hi there! How are you? I'm okay here. It was a quiet Christmas here. We had a roast beef dinner around noon on Christmas Day.
Thank you for your encouraging letter and the 15$ you sent. I will definitely begin to save some money because I got a new job this past week – yeah! No more landscape! I am now an official Rec. Dept. Aide. And with the new job I get a guaranteed 40 hrs/week at 45 cents/hour. My first pay won't show for a couple of weeks, but that comes out to 36$ every 2 weeks. Now this is the good part, what exactly do I do? Well, we have 2 rec. periods every day – 8-10 am & 1-3 pm. Normally each building only gets out for one of them each day on a rotating basis – so what I do is I'm responsible for all the equipment that gets checked out during those time frames. Like the softballs, gloves, horseshoes, etc. There are four of us who are Rec. Aids and we have our own little "office." So in the morning I stay in there either by myself or with one of the other "aides" and then in the afternoon I practice softball, or walk the track or just hang out outside. One of the other benefits is that I get to help organize different events, like tournaments (basketball, cards, they even have bocce ball). And I'm still on a softball team and the games that I don't play I umpire them, so I have an official rule book that I'm studying. So this is the most perfect job, blessing, I could have asked for here. I'll be able to really begin saving some money. As a landscaper, we were down to only working 3 days a week, so I was only getting about 10-12 $ every 2 weeks.
Feb, 6, 2002
I've been doing okay here. The biggest excitement for me lately was watching the Patriots win the Super Bowl. It's about time. It was a great game.
You've already been approved for visit, so I'm sending all that info along. You'll be able to come for the regular weekend visitation, but we'll be allowed 2 all day (8am-3pm) during the week. Also, remember that you have to follow the dress code, otherwise they won't let you in. You are allowed to bring 20$ in quarters for the vending machines, so that we can eat during our visit, and one un-opened pack of cigarettes (Camels). Hope to hear from you soon.
P.S. so far I have saved 51$ for a tv!
Feb. 27, 2002
Hi there, how are you doing? Things here are pretty good. I've still got my job with the Rec. Dept. Right now we're heading into our fast-pitch softball league. I'm going to be the coach of my own team, and I'll be playing probably at short stop or even as a catcher.
I've got $89.95 saved for a tv so far – not bad, huh. All that money is what I've saved since Dec. I haven't gotten anything from the outside (except what you sent a while ago). I've just been biting the bullet & really haven't been spending but $9.00 every 2 weeks.
March 11, 2002
Hi there! How are you? Thank you very much for the wonderful birthday card that you sent. It was a beautiful card, and in all honesty, it brought a few tears to my eyes. It reminded me once again that despite where I'm at, I'm grateful to be alive and to have you as my mother. There are times when I feel that I'm not worthy of that kind of love. But God has shown me that while trust is something which must be earned, love comes from others because of who we are & we give love to others because of who they are. So even in my old stubbornness, wisdom continues to break through my hardhead. Thank you for loving me, mom!
The guys on the run gave me a card also and we had a little party. It was actually pretty cool-no singing Happy Birthday – instead they all ransacked me on my bed, held me down & gave me 29 good ones on my rear – that's prison. And each one that got their licks in, I have them numbered for their B-day.
April 3, 2002
Dear mom,
Wow what a visit! That's what immediately comes to mind when I look back on this past weekend. You looked wonderful and healthy. It was a blessing to just sit and talk, and most of all hug you and spend time in person.
April 10, 2002
Dear mom,
Hi there! I'm writing to you around 10am while I'm watching the news on my brand new tv! It got here real fast! Normally it takes over 2 weeks for them to deduct the money from your books and then bring the tv over from the warehouse. But I guess I was just blessed by it taking 8 days. I also ordered some new headphones because all the tv comes with are ear buds and I can't use them 'cause they hurt my ears.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Letters from Camp Prisona by Phyllis Gold. Copyright © 2016 Phyllis Gold. Excerpted by permission of Balboa Press.
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