A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PRISONER'S WIFE

DO YOU WANT TO STEP INTO MY WORLD, FOR JUST ONE MOMENT, AND SEE HOW MIXED UP OUR PRISON SYSTEM IS IN THIS COUNTRY.  TRUTHFULLY WHAT IT TRIES TO DO , IS DRIVE THE WIFE AT HOME ........INSANE.  AND IT DOES A VERY GOOD JOB TRYING TO DO IT.

I BELIEVE THAT THE PRISONS  SHOULD BE RUN BY PRIVATE SECTORS.  IT IS APPARENT, THAT THE STATE, CANNOT HANDLE THE OVERLOAD OF WORK, AND ARE DOING A MISERABLE JOB, BECAUSE THEY ARE CONFUSED, AND DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING, TO PUT IT PLAINLY. I KNOW THAT IN SOME STATES , SOME PRISONS ARE BEING RUN BY PRIVATE SECTORS.........

OK, HERE WE GO.  AT 11 AM, I STARTED MAKING PHONE CALLS.  

1...I CALLED BAYSIDE STATE PRISON....THE AUTOMATED SYSTEM , IS WHAT YOU GET.  I HAD TO FIND OUT THE VISITING HOURS.  THE AUTOMATED VOICE TELLS ME ABOUT THE VISITING HOURS ON DEC. 24, 2005.........IT IS NOW FEB. 21, 2006........A NEW YEAR, A DIFFERENT MONTH........DOES IT MAKE SENSE?  IS THAT THE EFFICIENT RUNNING OF AN INSTITUTION, I MUST ASK?

2.  SO, NOW I CALL SOCIAL SERVICES.  THEY GIVE ME THE PROPER VISITING HOURS.........OR, I SHOULD SAY, 'I HOPE THEY ARE CORRECT."

3. A FEW MINUTES LATER, I RECEIVE A PHONE CALL FROM BAYSIDE, THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF THE PHONES.  SHE SAYS SHE RECEIVED A COMPLAINT THAT I AM UNABLE TO RECEIVE PHONE CALLS  (I KNOW THAT IS THE COMPLAINT JIMMY FILED AROUND 2 WEEKS AGO).

I GAVE HER JIMMY'S SBI NUMBER, AND SHE LOOKED HIM UP.  NOW, SHE TELLS ME THAT JIMMY HAS NOT FILED THE PAPERWOEK, FOR THE PHONES TO BE STARTED.  I SAID THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE, AS JIMMY IS FAMILIAR WITH THE SYSTEM, AND IT MUST BE THAT THE PAPERWORK GOT LOST, SOMEHOW.  I SAID, 'CAN YOU PLEASE NOTIFY HIM, SO THAT HE CAN RE-SUBMIT THE PAPERWORK."  SHE SAYS NO...SHE HAS NO CONTACT WITH THE INMATES.  I ASK , HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE , ONCE YOU GET THE PAPERWORK....SHE SAYS 5 BUSINESS DAYS.  I SAID, CAN'T YOU PLEASE RUSH IT THROUGH, AS IT HAS BEEN 21 DAYS I HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO MY HUSBAND.  SHE SAID, NO.

3...I CALL THE SOCIAL WORKER.......I EXPLAIN WHAT IS GOING ON.......SHE ANSWERS ME BY SAYING, "CAN'T YOU COMMUNICATE THIS TO YOUR HUSBAND?"  "HOW?," I ANSWER.  "WELL, DOESN'T HE CALL YOU?"..........OK, SO NOW YOU SEE WHAT GOES ON HERE..........NO COMMUNICATION, AND TOTAL INEFFICIENCY IN THE PRISON SYSTEM..........THEN, SHE SAYS, " I WILL TELL HIS SOCIAL WORKER."   ...OK, SO SHE WASN'T EVEN HIS SOCIAL WORKER.  "WHAT IS THE NAME OF HIS SOCIAL WORKER?", I ASK.............YES, NO ONE EVEN HAS THE COMMON COURTESY TO TELL YOU ANYTHING, AS THEY SHOULD LET YOU KNOW WHO HIS SOCIAL WORKER IS, UPON ARRIVAL TO THE PRISON..........I'M NOT SURE IF IT IS INEFFECIENCY, OR IGNORANCE, OR MAYBE A LITTLE OF BOTH.........TRUTHFULLY, I HAVE NOT YET FOUND MANY PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE PRISON SYSTEM TO BE OF A HUMANE NATURE....IT IS NOT THAT THEY DON'T EXIST...SOME ARE WONDERFUL PEOPLE..........IT'S JUST THAT THE WHOLE SITUATION ABOUT PRISONS, IS A VERY MIXED UP ONE, FROM THE FAMILY'S POINT OF VIEW.,

ALTHOUGH I MAY HAVE A HUSBAND IN PRISON, I STILL WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED WITH SOME RESPECT.  I AM NOT FROM THE STREET...I AM NOT A DRUG-ADDICT, OR PROSTITUTE.  I AM AN EDUCATED, PROFESSIONAL PERSON, AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED AS ONE.  FOR THAT MATTER, EVERYONE, DESPITE THEIR SITUATION SHOULD BE TREATED WITH RESPECT, AS THEY BELONG TO THE HUMAN RACE.  AS A NURSE, I WORKED MAINLY WITH DRUG ADDICTS, HOMELESS, AND STREET PEOPLE.  I TREATED THEM WITH RESPECT, AND THEY ALWAYS SEEMED TO APPRECIATE THAT. 

AND AS FAR AS THESE PRISONS ARE CONCERNED, IT IS THE WORST I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE....I ONLY WISH THAT OTHERS IN OUR COUNTRY UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENS WITHINN THESE PRISONS....IT IS A TOP SECRET, BUT WHEN YOU ARE PART OF IT, YOU REALIZE THE TERRIBLENESS OF IT ALL, AND MAY I EVEN USE THE WORD, "CORRUPTION."

SO, THIS IS WHAT TAKES PLACE, ON A DAILY BASIS....PLENTY OF PHONE CALLS, BUT YOU NEVER GET ANYWHERE..............SO, I HOPE THE SOCIAL WORKER TELLS HIM.  I AM ALSO SENDING HIM A NOTE ABOUT IT, AND I'VE CONTACTED THE MOTHER OF AN INMATE, WHO MAY BE ABLE TO GET THE MESSAGE TO JIMMY. WHEN HER SON CALLS HER...I AM CURRENTLY WAITING FOR HER CALL BACK TO ME. 

AND SO, THAT IS IT........THERE ARE OTHER THINGS TO TELL YOU ABOUT JIMMY'S PAROLE...........IT IS TOO UPSETING FOR ME TO EVEN WRITE IT RIGHT NOW.........YOU WILL ALL BE SHOCKED, WHEN I TELL YOU WHAT IS HAPPENING..........LIKE I SAID, THE PRISON SYSTEM NEEDS RE-FORMATION......

THANK GOD FOR THIS JOURNAL, WHERE I CAN COME AND LET MY THOUGHTS OUT...

ALL THE GUYS AT BAYSIDE HAVE BEEN READING THIS JOURNAL, AS I MAIL IT TO JIMMY..........THEY JUST LOVE IT........THE SAYING AROUND BAYSIDE IS , "FRAN ROCKS!"........THEY ARE IN FAVOUR OF THIS JOURNAL, THAT THE PUBLIC IS BEING MADE AWARE OF WHAT GOES ON BEHIND BARBED WIRE!..................FRAN