Jail Pt. 3

Delicious,yummy Penut Butter served with bread and one pak of Jelly...served numerous times while being processed for 28+ hours or so. I'll never think of P.B. ever the same again! haha (NO,I didn't eat any of it!)



There are three 15x15 rooms (aprox) inner-connecting. The first is where you just sit and wait. It might be a hour or so but you make the best of it if at all possible. For some its not.
Once the next sliding door is opened we move into the second room. This one we will wait even longer!
I found a regular kinda of guy to pass the time with in interesting and decent conversation. He was there to take care of his demons too. He like many folks...screwed up and was now dealing with it. So we had something in comon. We both knew we had to step up and do what a mans gotta do when wrong. I doubt many felt the same way who were "regulars" and already seasoned and knew the routine. I met others who had never seen the inside of a jail before and this was to be their rude awakening.

As we sat against the wall, we talked about many things all the while hoping it would somehow make it tolerable. It barely it. Finally after what seemed to be hours(at least 2) the three guards came in. One explained how it was and if we didn't do what he said we would continue to sit there and wait longer.
He quickly shouted orders for all to stand in a perfect line with out left shoulder against the wall. Someone wasn't understanding what was said and the jailer became very agitated and snapped off the latex gloves and stormed out while yelling that he was gonna be there all night and so would we if we didn't get it right the next time he decided to try this again.

Another hour had passed...nothing! Twice we jumped to our feet and into formation as needed when someone mentioned "here they come!" Twice it would be a false alarm. I found myself glancing over to where their station was to see if they were coming as i talked to my new buddy. But nothing.
Eventually, they returned and we were ready to now proceed into the third room only feet away. Here is where we would remove our shoes and then socks and be patted down. That was easy enough!

Now we would be marched down a corridor lined with many small holding cells and broken off as each became filled. There always seemed to be more people than space and many would just find a place anywhere on the filthy floor to lay down and sleep. The rest of us if fortunate would have a cramped place on one of the benches lining the walls. This is where we would try to made ourselves comfortable and block out all the distractions and close our eyes. There would be no sleep for anyone this night! Only brief periods of "rest" and thats what was to be expected. We were constantly moved from cell to cell as we got closer to the next stage. This is how it would be for the next 24 hours. At one time someone asked a trustee if he knew what time it was and he came back and told us it was 4am. I had no idea of the time as did anyone else. There are no clocks to be found on the walls so we never know. I actually thought it was only around 12 or so.

Finally we were called to stand up and be ready for the next move...

As we entered another room we were instructed to strip down. Next we would be lined up to enter the shower area and as we did we were given a roll with a towel,tee,underware,socks and a small piece of soap. Everyone entered and showered quickly then just as quickly dressed while standing off to a crowded side on wet floors and steamed walls.
Next we would be marched to a area where we would sit on long long benches and straddle them in a roll facing all the same direction. We would slide up a space as each was called to a small window area to give any information of our health or lack of. After that we would do the same seating arangment in the next area. It went like this for some time til many are so exhusted that it just becomes a blur. I'm even trying to remember what came next. Oh yea, We were taken to a very long hall type room, given a meal pak and sat to eat and wait. I decided to finally eat something so i opened a small bag of sliced carrots and munched on them. The balone sandwich i gave away and i tried to drink down a small container of punch but it was just nasty!

Here is where we would soon be assigned to a location, a Module or Cell Block on one of the levels inside this cold cement walled building. A final stop was now closing in. As names were called we stepped out and lined up. We would now walk from where the Twin Towers are to a long narrow corridor that would take us from one building to another. Soon we would be in the old Jail building and no longer in the towers side. It finally came down to fewer numbers and 10 of us were now heading toward the 5800 Block. Everything so far was hard to endure but it was possible. The next and final step would take on a very different life and style from what those outside this Cell Block would know. I had no idea what i would be stepping into. I had held my own throughout all this and it seemed not to be a problem but what layed ahead would definately be a real challenge for me....