Tuesday, January 17, 2006

ANOTHER DAY....

WELL, HERE IT IS ANOTHER DAY...JIMMY MADE HIS USUAL 2, 15 MINUTE COLLECT CALLS FROM PRISON.  PAROLE BROUGHT HIM SOME PAPERS TODAY, THAT HE HAD TO SIGN...ALL THE RULES AND REGULATIONS.  JIMMY IS ALWAYS HAPPY AND UPBEAT ABOUT EVERYTHING, BUT AS FOR ME, I'M NOT EXACTLY THRILLED WHAT HE TOLD ME WHAT WILL TAKE PLACE WHEN HE IS PAROLLED.  PAROLE WANTS HIM TO STAY IN A HALF-WAY HOUSE A FEW DAYS A WEEK, WHICH IS SOMEWHERE AROUND CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY.  THE REST OF THE TIME, HE WILL COME HOME.  HOWEVER, IT SEEMS LIKE AN AWFUL LOT OF TRAVELING AROUND THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, FOR MY HUSBAND.  MOST TIMES HE WILL BE TRAVELING ON BUSES, TRAINS, AND TAXIS............I JUST DON'T GET IT.  JIMMY HAS A NICE HOME TO COME BACK TO, IN A QUITE RESIDENTIAL TOWN, AND YET HE WILL BE TRAVELING HERE AND THERE...ALL OVER..........ATLANTIC CITY WHERE HE WILL WORK, IS 1 HOUR FROM HERE, HIS HOME....TO GET THERE, HE WILL HAVE TO TAKE A TAXI AND BUS...SOMETIMES IT TAKES 2 HOURS BY BUS.  AND FROM HIS JOB, CAMDEN MUST BE AT LEAST 1 1/2 HOURS AWAY.........WHAT I'M SAYING, IT IS NOT IN A STRAIGHT LINE, BUT KIND OF LIKE A TRIANGLE, ON THE MAP.  I'M KIND OF UPSET ABOUT THIS, SO I DON'T KNOW IF I'M MAKING SENSE.  I MEAN, I DON'T WANT MY HUSBAND TO OVERDO IT...I KNOW HOW TIRING TRAVELLING AROUND ALL DAY, AND THEN GOING TO A STRESSFUL JOB CAN BE......I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY ANYMORE........JIMMY WAS HAPPY TELLING ME ABOUT THIS ON THE PHONE.........AND WHEN I EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS, WELL WE HAD A LITTLE DISAGREEMENT, AND WE HUNG UP............THEN HE CALLED BACK, BECAUSE HE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT NOT BEING MAD WITH ME...........AND SO I SAID, "YOU ARE THE ONE WHO BROUGHT BEING IN PRISON UPON YOURSELF, SO NOW YOU JUST HANDLE IT."  HE SAYS IT IS OK...HE DOESN'T MIND TRAVELING AROUND NEW JERSEY ALL DAY..........I SAID, FINE, BUT I'M 3 YEARS OLDER SINCE YOU LEFT FOR PRISON, AND I JUST LIKE TO BE HOME , HERE, IN MY COMFORTABLE HOUSE...I DON'T LIKE RIDING, TRAVELING, OR ANY SUCH THING....I JUST WANT TO BE HOME....PERIOD.  HE SAID, FINE.......ANYHOW IT'S ONLY FOR 90 DAYS  (IN THE NEW HALF-WAY HOUSE).........ALSO, WHAT I TOLD JIMMY IS THAT WHAT I NEED, AT THIS TIME ON MY LIFE, AND AT MY AGE, (WHICH IS INCREASING WITH EVERY MINUTE, AS EVERYONE ELSE ON THE PLANET), IS STABILITY.......YES, VERY INPORTANT......"STABILITY.".......AND SO I WILL NOT THINK ABOUT THIS ISSUE ANYMORE....I REFUSE TO BE AGGRAVATED ANY FURTHER, BY "THE SYSTEM."  I WILL PLACE ALL THINGS IN THE HANDS OF CHRIST, AND IN THAT WAY, HAVE ANY STRESS RELIEVED  FROM MYSELF........AND SO, WE WILL PROCEED WITH A PEACEFUL, HARMONIOUS LIFE.........................TRUTHFULLY, IF I WERE TO PUT MY FAITH IN "THE SYSTEM,"  IN THIS COUNTRY, INSTEAD OF  OUR LORD, I WOULD LITERALLY BE DRIVEN "INSANE." AND I REFUSE TO LET IT DO THAT TO ME............

ASLO, JIMMY TOLD ME THAT PAROLE WILL CALL ME IN A FEW DAYS, TO ASK ME IF I WANT MY HUSBAND TO RETURN HOME............WELL, WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK?

JIMMY'S ROOM MATE WAS MOVED OUT OF THE CELL TODAY, SO AS OF NOW, JIMMY IS ALONE.  HIS ROOM MATE WAS MOVED TO A LARGER CELL, AND IS NOW WORKING AS A 'RUNNER."  HE IS DOING THE SWEEPING AND MOPPING OF FLOORS RIGHT NOW.  JIMMY THINKS THEY WILL ALSO MOVE HIM TO A LARGER CELL SOON...MAYBE TOMORROW.

GOOD-NIGHT AND SWEET DREAMS!................FRAN

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Even though the situation isn't perfect at least he will be home more often than not.

Anonymous said...

that just doesnot make sense. why in the world would they do such a thing? Is there not one closer? I would be angry too.

Anonymous said...

Fran, I can totally understand your frustration. I just wonder if they want him to go that halfway house to help with transitionally him back home. I know Jimmy will do just fine, but maybe some other prisoners can't handle the "freedom" that comes again after being out of prison and this is the system's way of keeping an eye on them. I'm not saying Jimmy needs this; but maybe its a requirement for all paroled people. Just a thought; as frustrating as it is.

betty

Anonymous said...

doesn't he have a driver's license so he can drive himself rather than rely on public transportation?