Friday, March 16, 2007

Evening -

I am sitting in the jailhouse wondering about my poker game. Life is that way when you are guarding the state’s most dangerous felons. Each day in the prison is very similar to a no-limit hold’em game, many hours of nothing followed by several seconds of sheer terror. Well right now, we are in a stand down period. I am reading our daily briefings. Almost everyday we get briefings from the states various prisons. These briefings relay information about the day to day incidents experienced throughout the state. I will share some of the incidents:

A riot occurred involving more than 40 black inmates and over 100 Hispanic inmates resulting in numerous injuries. Five inmates were taken to outside hospitals, and there were three staff injured.
Parole Office was struck by gun fire, occupants were not injured.
Inmate attempts to spit and bite an officer. (Common)
Inmate throws feces on officer. ( Very Common)
Two inmates committed suicide. (Very Common)
Two inmates assaulted each other. One inmate threw boiling water with oil on the other. One sustained 1st and 2nd burns, the other scratches and a fat lip.
Inmate partially amputates finger while working.
One inmate tests positive for TB, precautions followed.
Inmate indicates his interest in fighting, swings at, and misses the officer, Officer Wins!!!
More feces thrown at staff.
Inmate found overdosed with hypodermic syringe in arm, rushed to outside hospital, Inmate Lives!!!!
Inmate advises staff that he has swallowed several razor blades, taken to outside hospital.

Believe it or not, these are everyday events, with the exception of the riot. There are riots everyday in prison, however not as large as the one mention above. I forgot to mention, there were seventeen inmate manufactured knives discovered.

As a side bar, you noticed I have been very general in my descriptions of the events. These could be considered serious in nature, and thus felonious. I would not want to jeopardize any future criminal proceedings. I will say that 4 of the events mentioned above are from my institution. PRISON!