Well for those of you who would like a true and accurate portrayal of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, here it is.
I was in a training class, that is mandatory for all employee, for the past week. This would be a full 40 hour week that started at 8:00am and concluded at 4:00pm, Monday through Friday. The purpose of the training was to enlighten me about the differences between female and male inmates. Mind you I began the first 4 years of my career working at the toughest prison California had to offer, Corcoran State Prison. Corcoran housed the best and baddest that ever walked the streets, and some of the more infamous California inmates like Manson, Sirhan Sirhan and the likes. After my time with the men I transferred to the women's prison saving myself 1 hour each way in my commute. Gas was under a dollar then, so a good move. Anyone back to the post.
I have worked with the female population going on 14 years. So I have a pretty good idea of the differences, in fact, we all know the differences. The difference in male and female inmates in the same as the differences between any man and women. That being said, it was determined that the actual 40 hours of training really consisted of 24 hours of material that was common knowledge throughout the institution.
So this was a typical day:
Arrive at 0800 and proceed to a 1/2 break.
Back to class and break for lunch at 11:45 until 1:30
Back at class and break at 2:00
Class dismissed at 3:00
The nice part was we were able to watch the DVD's I brought in. So out training consisted of The Best in Show, The Sentinel, Dodgeball and Anchorman, starring Will Ferrell. Man does the State provide!
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Getting the MTT bug...
I have been studying and studying, posting and posting. I have the MTT bug. I am going to start and play larger SNG and try my hand at MTT. I want to give it a go. I have really been active on pocketfives.com, Flop Turn River and Bet the Pot, along with Cardrunner. I am going over both Harrington books again . I have had some success in the micro limit 18's on Stars. But it would appear from the forums that the 45 man SNG's are the place to start. So I will be there doing my best. The forums indicate I am rolled for the $20 SNG's and the $11r MTT's, but we will employee the baby steps method. I will still play some cash games, but I want to focus on the tourneys for a while. Wish me luck!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Prison Stories...
A DAY IN THE LIFE…
Inmate attacks staff, inmate loses.
Inmate pushed staff, taken down, Inmate loses
Inmate attempts to spit on staff, taken to psych ward, makes second attempt to spit staff, taken to ground, Inmate loses.
Inmate found dead, unknown cause.
Inmate died natural causes.
Inmate found in cell unresponsive, cellie hooked up and placed in The Hole. Unresponsive inmate airlifted to hospital, blunt force trauma and crush larynx.
Parole shot during the robbery of a gun store.
Inmate found with dope.
Inmate found on the floor bleeding from the neck. Inmate swallowed razor blades and transported to hospital.
Inmates fight and pepper spray stops the action. Yea pepper spray!
ESCAPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RN giving out medication is spit in the face. Inmate taken down, No one wins!
Outgoing mail detects a conspiracy to kill a staff member
Inmate has seizure, bleeding from mouth, pronounced dead
38 black and 18 northern Hispanic inmate riot, pepper spray and 37mm wooden rounds win the day.
Fight between 3 Hispanic inmates, one kicked in head, one with 2 puncture wounds to neck. Minimum custody inmates!
Modified program – lack of staff
Visitor busted, 2 balloons up the butt
Inmate punches guard in face, inmate taken to floor, staff has cut lip and sore right hand, Inmate loses.
Lieutenant Gassed With Feces, YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Inmate breaks free from escort, head butts officer, batons and pepper spray stop all action
300 black and Hispanic inmates are seen grouping on yard, Calvary comes and stops the threat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
70 Crips and Bloods get it on
Inmate attacking another inmate with shank shoot and clean up later!
SUICIDE
9mm round found outside of visiting, can you say Zip Gun!
Inmate seen attack another with shank, pepper spray wins, but one inmate is now a pin cushion
Death Row – Attempted Murder!
Due to the sensitive nature of some of these events, and the likelihood they can and will be prosecuted, I have purposely left out specific dates and locations. But rest assured, these are actual events that has taken place between June 4 and June 8, 2007
PRISON GUARDING THE BEST CALIFORNIA HAS TO OFFER
Inmate attacks staff, inmate loses.
Inmate pushed staff, taken down, Inmate loses
Inmate attempts to spit on staff, taken to psych ward, makes second attempt to spit staff, taken to ground, Inmate loses.
Inmate found dead, unknown cause.
Inmate died natural causes.
Inmate found in cell unresponsive, cellie hooked up and placed in The Hole. Unresponsive inmate airlifted to hospital, blunt force trauma and crush larynx.
Parole shot during the robbery of a gun store.
Inmate found with dope.
Inmate found on the floor bleeding from the neck. Inmate swallowed razor blades and transported to hospital.
Inmates fight and pepper spray stops the action. Yea pepper spray!
ESCAPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RN giving out medication is spit in the face. Inmate taken down, No one wins!
Outgoing mail detects a conspiracy to kill a staff member
Inmate has seizure, bleeding from mouth, pronounced dead
38 black and 18 northern Hispanic inmate riot, pepper spray and 37mm wooden rounds win the day.
Fight between 3 Hispanic inmates, one kicked in head, one with 2 puncture wounds to neck. Minimum custody inmates!
Modified program – lack of staff
Visitor busted, 2 balloons up the butt
Inmate punches guard in face, inmate taken to floor, staff has cut lip and sore right hand, Inmate loses.
Lieutenant Gassed With Feces, YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Inmate breaks free from escort, head butts officer, batons and pepper spray stop all action
300 black and Hispanic inmates are seen grouping on yard, Calvary comes and stops the threat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
70 Crips and Bloods get it on
Inmate attacking another inmate with shank shoot and clean up later!
SUICIDE
9mm round found outside of visiting, can you say Zip Gun!
Inmate seen attack another with shank, pepper spray wins, but one inmate is now a pin cushion
Death Row – Attempted Murder!
Due to the sensitive nature of some of these events, and the likelihood they can and will be prosecuted, I have purposely left out specific dates and locations. But rest assured, these are actual events that has taken place between June 4 and June 8, 2007
PRISON GUARDING THE BEST CALIFORNIA HAS TO OFFER
Friday, June 15, 2007
Girls in Pumpkin Suits and I Sux at Poker...
As I look out of the window next to my desk, while jiving to Beck, all I see in a mass of orange jumpsuit in various sizes. Today, I am in charge of the Reception Center (RC). The RC is the area of the prison that houses all the new arrivals. When inmates are shipped from the various county jails, they first must go through a screening process. That process is done on the RC. This is the most volatile area of the prison Inmate who have never “done time” are housed with inmates who practically live in prison. Here you get the 19 year old high school graduate who is involved in a DUI that resulted in serious injury living with a seasoned criminal doing 25 years to life for a third strike. It is a mix of the bad and the worse. If there is a suicide, it will happen on the RC.
Reception Centers for the female felon are very different from the men. Women are placed in one area. The RC that I am in charge of has 2 building that house 256 inmate each, and one building the houses 200. but due to overcrowding, we have 50 additional inmates in bunks on the floor of one building. All told we are housing approximately 767 inmates in the RC. Men are separated based on crime, and other social, gang and criminal histories. The women are not. So it is very common to see a young white first termer, who was busted passing bad checks living with an inmate sentenced to 25 years to life on a third strike. It is poker with knives. There are the predators and the prey. Like a big stack and small stack playing heads up. The big stack (predator) pushes the little stack (prey) around. The little stack is afraid to play back for it might cost them their lives. Well the short stack decides to make a stand, and POW!
I can’t help but wonder where things went so wrong for these women. I mean, I can’t believe that some set out to be a convicted felon. Everyone has a story to tell, a lie to live. It is just sad.
Another interesting fact about prison life is the number of communicable diseases there are. My institution is full of inmates with Hepititis A, B, and C, HIV, TB and other things like lice and now I find out today we have an outbreak of the Norwalk Virus, yummy. There is danger in every corner. All I need to complete my day is an inmate with Hepatitis C and HIV commit suicide by cutting her wrist because she found out she has head lice. That would be the nuts. PRISON!
Prison Trivia: Inmate who are new to the system are called, “fish”. This is because county jails would always transfer inmate to the state on Friday’s to make room for weekend events. As was the practice back in the day, before diversity, the inmate population always had fish on Friday’s, hence the nickname, ‘fish”
For the fist time since I began to play losing poker, I did a Poker Tracker review. This was done with the assistance of Sean Nolan. Sean is a low limit professional at the $100 and 200NL game. This was an eye opener. I was actually embarrassed. I agree with Sean that this is very necessary to review each session. Well, I couldn’t hide anything as this was the first time I had ever participated in a review. It is very apparent, I must improve or quit. Sean was right when he said, “It is like a dog, you have to rub his face in it to get him to stop”. Man, did he rub! “Hello, my name is Greg and I am a losing poker player”. It was embarrassing, humiliating, humbling and eye opening all at once. I reviewed my worst hands, and I could offer no explanation as to my play. I sucked at every aspect of the game. Sean did offer words of encouragement, like he has some hands he is embarrassed by, and everyone has played poorly. I am writing this a day after the review and I am still in awe. I will continue to review the hands, now and after each session, and I want to spend at least an hour or two to study without any playing. If this doesn’t improve, then maybe The ConvictKeeper will be a prison only blog.
Reception Centers for the female felon are very different from the men. Women are placed in one area. The RC that I am in charge of has 2 building that house 256 inmate each, and one building the houses 200. but due to overcrowding, we have 50 additional inmates in bunks on the floor of one building. All told we are housing approximately 767 inmates in the RC. Men are separated based on crime, and other social, gang and criminal histories. The women are not. So it is very common to see a young white first termer, who was busted passing bad checks living with an inmate sentenced to 25 years to life on a third strike. It is poker with knives. There are the predators and the prey. Like a big stack and small stack playing heads up. The big stack (predator) pushes the little stack (prey) around. The little stack is afraid to play back for it might cost them their lives. Well the short stack decides to make a stand, and POW!
I can’t help but wonder where things went so wrong for these women. I mean, I can’t believe that some set out to be a convicted felon. Everyone has a story to tell, a lie to live. It is just sad.
Another interesting fact about prison life is the number of communicable diseases there are. My institution is full of inmates with Hepititis A, B, and C, HIV, TB and other things like lice and now I find out today we have an outbreak of the Norwalk Virus, yummy. There is danger in every corner. All I need to complete my day is an inmate with Hepatitis C and HIV commit suicide by cutting her wrist because she found out she has head lice. That would be the nuts. PRISON!
Prison Trivia: Inmate who are new to the system are called, “fish”. This is because county jails would always transfer inmate to the state on Friday’s to make room for weekend events. As was the practice back in the day, before diversity, the inmate population always had fish on Friday’s, hence the nickname, ‘fish”
For the fist time since I began to play losing poker, I did a Poker Tracker review. This was done with the assistance of Sean Nolan. Sean is a low limit professional at the $100 and 200NL game. This was an eye opener. I was actually embarrassed. I agree with Sean that this is very necessary to review each session. Well, I couldn’t hide anything as this was the first time I had ever participated in a review. It is very apparent, I must improve or quit. Sean was right when he said, “It is like a dog, you have to rub his face in it to get him to stop”. Man, did he rub! “Hello, my name is Greg and I am a losing poker player”. It was embarrassing, humiliating, humbling and eye opening all at once. I reviewed my worst hands, and I could offer no explanation as to my play. I sucked at every aspect of the game. Sean did offer words of encouragement, like he has some hands he is embarrassed by, and everyone has played poorly. I am writing this a day after the review and I am still in awe. I will continue to review the hands, now and after each session, and I want to spend at least an hour or two to study without any playing. If this doesn’t improve, then maybe The ConvictKeeper will be a prison only blog.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Paris Hilton...
I can’t help but to comment on the circus surrounding the Paris Hilton jail placement. I have seen the extremes our justice system offers its citizen’s. I know hundreds of inmates who would never had seen the inside of any county jail, in any of the toughest counties, for the offense Ms. Hilton is charged with. It is clear that the judge had it in for the young lady. I can site thousands of cases in which this type of punishment would never had been issued.
In the California prison system, each inmate eligible for release must complete a term of parole. The exception being an inmate who’s behavior in so poor that she does her parole period, generally 3 years, in prison. When an inmate does this she discharges her prison number and is free to go. There is no parole period. However, if an inmate does her “program” and receives her allotted “good time credits”, they can be release, but must be on parole. So let’s put into context the 45 day sentence for the traffic/under the influence issue facing Ms. Hilton. When an inmate who is on parole uses drugs/alcohol or violates her conditions of parole, she is subject to return to the prison as a parole violator. When you here about recidivism, this is what is being discussed. The difference is, these individuals have been through the penal/justice system, they have been convicted of a felony, so their behavior is a matter of record. The injustice is that they have to be caught 5, 6, 7 or more times before they are violated and returned. This poor girl gets one major incident (under the influence) and 2 minor infractions, and POW, to the slammer for 45 days. All she is doing is taking up needed bed space for the girl who cuts off her child’s head, or the women who kills her husband in a jealous rage. It seems to me that true justice is something that can not exist. Wealthy individuals seem to “get off” more then the poorer folks, you will never see a rich person on Death Row. However, those same individuals get the shaft by “tough on crime” judges looking to get their 15 minutes of fame.
Now I am not saying she should have been release so early, but what I am saying is that she should never had been put in jail. Once in the slammer, she does her time, but to a guy who deals with overcrowding on a daily and sometimes hourly basis, I would be pissed off if I had some spoiled brat sitting in my cell. The media has coined the term Blonde Justice, and that appears to be right.
In the California prison system, each inmate eligible for release must complete a term of parole. The exception being an inmate who’s behavior in so poor that she does her parole period, generally 3 years, in prison. When an inmate does this she discharges her prison number and is free to go. There is no parole period. However, if an inmate does her “program” and receives her allotted “good time credits”, they can be release, but must be on parole. So let’s put into context the 45 day sentence for the traffic/under the influence issue facing Ms. Hilton. When an inmate who is on parole uses drugs/alcohol or violates her conditions of parole, she is subject to return to the prison as a parole violator. When you here about recidivism, this is what is being discussed. The difference is, these individuals have been through the penal/justice system, they have been convicted of a felony, so their behavior is a matter of record. The injustice is that they have to be caught 5, 6, 7 or more times before they are violated and returned. This poor girl gets one major incident (under the influence) and 2 minor infractions, and POW, to the slammer for 45 days. All she is doing is taking up needed bed space for the girl who cuts off her child’s head, or the women who kills her husband in a jealous rage. It seems to me that true justice is something that can not exist. Wealthy individuals seem to “get off” more then the poorer folks, you will never see a rich person on Death Row. However, those same individuals get the shaft by “tough on crime” judges looking to get their 15 minutes of fame.
Now I am not saying she should have been release so early, but what I am saying is that she should never had been put in jail. Once in the slammer, she does her time, but to a guy who deals with overcrowding on a daily and sometimes hourly basis, I would be pissed off if I had some spoiled brat sitting in my cell. The media has coined the term Blonde Justice, and that appears to be right.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Running Bad and all the Disrespect...
Earlier in the day I was playing a session of Full Tilt Poker. I really don’t like the site, but I play for the bonus/rakeback. My preference is Poker Stars, and I am considering transferring all the goods to Stars. Anyway, I had suffered a horrible beat the night before when my TPTK get rivered by a 3 outer, and a very tough hand, QQ vs. AA. We got it all in pre-flop and I hold the ladies, the villain holds the Aces. Well the first card that hits the board is a beautiful red Queen, Booyaa! The last card that hits the board is ugly red Ace, Double Booyaa!
Today was the same kind of day. Again, I am dealt pocket Queens in the BB on a very aggressive table. I cannot get my PAHUD running, so I have no information on the players at the table, except they raise and re-raise very liberally. Well the agro UTG raises, as normal and get called by the button, another very active player. This is the perfect time for a squeeze, however I had squeezed 3 hands prior with AK and everyone folded. I like my hand against the ranges, but still the Queens are weak with a bad flop. I re-raise a little over pot because of positional issues, the UTG player folds, but I am called by the button. The flop is the worst yet. I am out of position with an AK6 rainbow board. Still I lead out for ¾ pot as a c-bet and the button thinks a second and shoves for 1 ½ buy-ins. WTF! I take all of the 15 seconds FTP offers to make a decision and I can’t see me winning. A couple of hands later the villain types in the chat box, “Pocket 6’s”. Whatever.
Later in the morning session, I find myself in another tricky spot. I call a min. raise from a guy who plays (57/17/1). Now this guy seems weak and I call from the BB with a suited Q/T. The flop is Q49 rainbow, I lead out and the guy shoves for less than ½ a buy-in. Well I figure he shoves anything and I call. The guy has KK! Well he holds up and wins the pot. I typed in, “Surprised you shoved such a strong hand”. Man, for 10 minutes the guy slaughters me for “whining” and making a “bad read”. I bite and say, “Hey, I called because of your stats, and by the way, nh”. The guy now challenges me to a heads up dual, and blah, blah blah. Why is this? I mean the guy wins a pot with kings, and I am an idiot who can’t play. There is so much disrespect online it isn’t funny. I can only imagine it getting worse as school is out. I vow never to chat again!
Today was the same kind of day. Again, I am dealt pocket Queens in the BB on a very aggressive table. I cannot get my PAHUD running, so I have no information on the players at the table, except they raise and re-raise very liberally. Well the agro UTG raises, as normal and get called by the button, another very active player. This is the perfect time for a squeeze, however I had squeezed 3 hands prior with AK and everyone folded. I like my hand against the ranges, but still the Queens are weak with a bad flop. I re-raise a little over pot because of positional issues, the UTG player folds, but I am called by the button. The flop is the worst yet. I am out of position with an AK6 rainbow board. Still I lead out for ¾ pot as a c-bet and the button thinks a second and shoves for 1 ½ buy-ins. WTF! I take all of the 15 seconds FTP offers to make a decision and I can’t see me winning. A couple of hands later the villain types in the chat box, “Pocket 6’s”. Whatever.
Later in the morning session, I find myself in another tricky spot. I call a min. raise from a guy who plays (57/17/1). Now this guy seems weak and I call from the BB with a suited Q/T. The flop is Q49 rainbow, I lead out and the guy shoves for less than ½ a buy-in. Well I figure he shoves anything and I call. The guy has KK! Well he holds up and wins the pot. I typed in, “Surprised you shoved such a strong hand”. Man, for 10 minutes the guy slaughters me for “whining” and making a “bad read”. I bite and say, “Hey, I called because of your stats, and by the way, nh”. The guy now challenges me to a heads up dual, and blah, blah blah. Why is this? I mean the guy wins a pot with kings, and I am an idiot who can’t play. There is so much disrespect online it isn’t funny. I can only imagine it getting worse as school is out. I vow never to chat again!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Taking a break...See you soon fruitypro
I just found out via the Card Runners forum that my coach, Dan (fruitypro) Weston is taking a break from the game. He posted that he is a little unmotivated and he need to find a balance between poker and reality. This is something that I have found to be true, and I am a recreational player. IO can only image what a professional online poker goes through each day. I know Dan would multi-table (8) $200NL everyday. man what an existence. Staring at the screen for hours on in, grinding out a living through the computer. It has to be draining. I encourage Dan to seek other things in life. I am now 45, I didn't have Internet poker while I was in my 20's, so I got to experience life outside the flat screen. We all need to seek other adventures to complete our personal scrape books. Although I will miss Dan help on Wednesdays, I do respect his decision. Go on and get yours fruitypro, I'll see you when you get back.
Taking the Good with the Bad...
It had been awhile since I have written. I have been hit with one bad beat after another, and none of it involves poker. I have read that you should not play poker if you are fatigued, angry, preoccupied or any number of the emotional states us humans go through in out lifetimes. The past few weeks have tested The Convictkeeper. A test that has left me in a profounf funk. I found myself facing one situation after another, some involving work and some involving family. I played some poker during this span. I lost 3 buy-ins. I played as a means to distract me from the situations that I was facing. Almost like going to the movies to escape the realities of life. When I play poker, I really get involved. I stretch my thinking and become enthralled in the game. After each session I would review my PT stats. I was playing my normal TAG style, however I did make some bad calls and I did catch some coolers. When I was done, I could not help but wonder if my play was affected by the stresses of life. I have come to the conclusion it had been affected. I learned that I am not as sharp when I have outside influences affecting my personal life. I should preface that comment with this one, I am not a winning player, so maybe I am not as sharp to begin with. Anyway, I now understand why poker requires one’s full attention. If outside influences are allowed to creep into your mind, then it is easy to become distracted, and therefore a target.
I would like to give credit to Card Runner Online Poker Training Site for the creation on the Card Runners Cash Game League. Card Runners was able to secure 3 tables at the $10NL level. This was posted on the Card Runners Low Limit forum and the tables can be found at Full Tilt Poker. I was able to catch a seat just as it was announced. The 3 tables, appropriately named, “tay”, “sbrugby” and “LucLongely”, are the screen names for the principals at Card Runners. At any given time you can see these players playing stakes from $100-200 to $500-$1,000 No-Limit Hold’em. I am at my seat when “tay” (Taylor Caby) and my coach “fruitypro” (Dan Weston) sit in. That was fun. I tried so hard not to look like a dork, but what can I say, I didn’t succeed. From the BB, it is limped around with 3 players seeing the flop. The flop is 456 rainbow and I hold middle two. The SB leads out, and I raise 3x with my 2 pair. The MP folds and I now have position on the SB. The turn is a blank, and the SB checks his bet. I fire a second barrel and get called. Well the river brings a horrible 7. The SB thinks and fires a pot sized bet. Well suffice it to say, I make a crying call and lose to the SB’s 33 for the idiot end of the straight. Well in embarrassment I shove the next hand for ½ a buy-in with KJ suited to get called by “tay” and his AK. I donk off a stack, and any credibility I may have with my coach. I was able to bandage up on a hand with “tay”. On the button, I smooth called a MP raise from “tay” with a suited ATh. The flop was a handsome T53 with 2 hearts. I had TP and the nut flush draw. “tay” bet out and I re-raised to take down the pot. I am sure the teacher was not bragging to anyone that he has helped me, and I a very sure “tay” would love to see me at the bigger games, but that will have to wait. Card Runners has really tried to create a community of players, many of whom are very accomplished and successful, that gets involved in the game of poker. Card Runners has a tournament league and now the cash league, all of these will only create better player. I know that many of the members of Card Runners are attending and/or playing events at the WSOP. I wish all of the members the very best of luck and success.
I would like to give credit to Card Runner Online Poker Training Site for the creation on the Card Runners Cash Game League. Card Runners was able to secure 3 tables at the $10NL level. This was posted on the Card Runners Low Limit forum and the tables can be found at Full Tilt Poker. I was able to catch a seat just as it was announced. The 3 tables, appropriately named, “tay”, “sbrugby” and “LucLongely”, are the screen names for the principals at Card Runners. At any given time you can see these players playing stakes from $100-200 to $500-$1,000 No-Limit Hold’em. I am at my seat when “tay” (Taylor Caby) and my coach “fruitypro” (Dan Weston) sit in. That was fun. I tried so hard not to look like a dork, but what can I say, I didn’t succeed. From the BB, it is limped around with 3 players seeing the flop. The flop is 456 rainbow and I hold middle two. The SB leads out, and I raise 3x with my 2 pair. The MP folds and I now have position on the SB. The turn is a blank, and the SB checks his bet. I fire a second barrel and get called. Well the river brings a horrible 7. The SB thinks and fires a pot sized bet. Well suffice it to say, I make a crying call and lose to the SB’s 33 for the idiot end of the straight. Well in embarrassment I shove the next hand for ½ a buy-in with KJ suited to get called by “tay” and his AK. I donk off a stack, and any credibility I may have with my coach. I was able to bandage up on a hand with “tay”. On the button, I smooth called a MP raise from “tay” with a suited ATh. The flop was a handsome T53 with 2 hearts. I had TP and the nut flush draw. “tay” bet out and I re-raised to take down the pot. I am sure the teacher was not bragging to anyone that he has helped me, and I a very sure “tay” would love to see me at the bigger games, but that will have to wait. Card Runners has really tried to create a community of players, many of whom are very accomplished and successful, that gets involved in the game of poker. Card Runners has a tournament league and now the cash league, all of these will only create better player. I know that many of the members of Card Runners are attending and/or playing events at the WSOP. I wish all of the members the very best of luck and success.
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