His wisdom shows by the calmness in the way he conducts himself. He accepts the responsibility of his actions and calmly moves on because he knows the consequences are temporary and brighter days are ahead. He humbles himself and shows great patients before others without complaining. If he chooses to complain it’s done in the proper order of BOP paperwork and diplomatic talks with the administration.

He follows the rules set before him and understands the value of them because he expects the same from his wife and children, therefore setting a good example when family visits him. He also recognizes the need for order and timely schedules to run an efficient household so he adapts quickly to the plan already set in motion.

The family man is also husbands who write plenty of letters to his wife and keeps a dialog current so as to stay intimate with her. As a father, he takes time to draw pictures and even decorates the mailing envelope with cartoon characters to show his love and that he is thinking about his child. He also makes a point of calling his wife and children every night to keep the flame of hope alive as he tells them good night and I love you.

When it comes down to trusting an inmate the one most honored and respected by all the inmates will be the family man. He is the one who keeps quiet, true to his word and willing to help a stranger in need, he is the Good Samaritan of the prison camp.

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Cutting in line was not looked at very well in school and it’s definitely not allowed in prison. The only time inmates are allowed to go before others is if they are escorted by a prison official for work detail reasons are something similar. Even holding a place in line is prohibited.

Never ask or hint for food off someone else’s plate, wait for them to offer it to you. Also, as you are going through the lunch line, you may see they are serving something that you don’t like to eat, like liver. Get it anyway and put it on your tray. Then offer it to someone who does like it. That’s always a good way to earn the respect of inmates.

Be polite in receiving the food servers place on your tray because that simple kind word may get you a better piece or larger serving next time. Complain and you may just get the crumbs or smaller portions next time, funny but it does happen.

When sitting down to eat, always go to an empty table first and if you do have to sit with someone, ask permission. After a while, finding a place to sit with others will become easier and you will be welcomed in table conversation. Again, it is a matter of trust and getting to know inmates.

Caution! Do not, I mean never agree to get something for someone else. It may seem innocent and the nice thing to do but the reasons behind the request is unknown and may have serious consequences.

Taking food out of the cafeteria is usually not allowed according to BOP policy but I have seen this rule bend a little with light snacks like fruits and baked goods.

Another show of good character is when you are done eating and returning your tray to the dishwasher area. Saying “thank you” to the inmate working in that area of food service goes a long way to building trust and respect, not only with him but also to the inmates he associates with in food service and the camp.

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Some may consider it a boring time but most inmates do apply themselves to something, whether it’s a hobby or just a daily routine of watching TV. A majority of inmates would go outside to exercise and play casual sports while others take time with their hobbies of drawing and leather craft. The musician would play guitar and provide music for the others. Then the rest would just take time to write to loved ones and read the daily newspaper in the library. Inmates also relax and pass time by playing card games and dominos in the evening.

Week ends are the most relaxing or boring to some because of no work detail to occupy most of the day but it’s equally exciting for the inmates who receive visitors. Getting a visitor does relax an inmate and makes for a fulfilling day and brings great comfort for the week to come, very relaxing and stress free.

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Phone calls are also considered a privilege and there are times when those privileges are taken away as a form of disciplinary actions toward one inmate or the entire prison camp population.

Inmates are given 300 minutes each a month and 400 minutes during the holidays (November and December) to call with so inmates have to budget their calls to last all month. Each call that is made is timed and limited to 15 minutes for the basic reason that other inmates want to make calls also and there are only a few phones to use. When the 15 minutes are up there is a waiting period of 15 minutes to an hour before making the next call.

These phone calls are not free but at the inmate’s expense. Every inmate is given a pin number which is also linked to their commissary account where they can transfer funds from commissary to their phone account. In 2004 calls were around .32 cents a minute but they were constantly increasing. If an inmate did not have sufficient funds, the prison camp staff would allow phone calls to be made on a BOP office phone in their presents but this was for emergency reasons only and on rare occasions.

All phone calls are monitored and there are signs posted next to each phone explaining that very fact. There have been inmates who were handcuffed and taken out of the camp within minutes of saying the wrong thing, therefore be very discrete with the choice of words and instruct the person you are speaking to also be discrete.

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One form of tithing is to purchase something in the commissary that the inmates home church may need on a regular basis. The most common is stamps because they can easily be mailed to the church and provide a great service to the church’s mailing needs.

The other way of tithing is done within the prison camp itself. This was organized by men having an internal church which was lead by the inmates. Yes, the prison administration did allow it and it was supported by the use of the chapel and musical instruments provided. The tithing and offering consisted of inmates buying items such as shower shoes, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, lotion, etc. and create a sort of toiletry care package to give new inmates who arrive at the camp.

The toiletry care package also sparked the generosity of others and it became a federal prison camp ministry. This ministry is greatly appreciated by all the inmates and welcomed because of the lack of funds when coming in.

Praise God! Tithing and giving is alive and well even in the prison system.

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It’s one of the quieter times in the camp and the rooms are filled with the smell of fresh popped popcorn and everyone has their favorite snack and drink just like the movie theater. With no commercials to interrupt it becomes one of the most peaceful times for everyone.

It’s amazing to hear all the commentaries after the movie. Just about everyone voices an opinion of some degree, good and bad revues but within an hour or so things get back to a normal routine.

The movie will also play a few times more during Saturday and Sunday at various times. On holidays when there is a three day weekend there is usually two movies played.

Like mail call, movie night is one of the expected treats that all inmates look forward to and the complaints are minimal except for the talking and comments during viewing time.

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A typical example of a call out sheet would be for a medical appointment, visit with the case manager or counselor, change in a work detail, etc. Call outs can also be in response to a cop out that was submitted for an appointment.

It’s the inmate’s responsibility to check the call out sheets when they are posted. Any scheduled call outs missed by the inmate will be subjected to questioning and possible disciplinary action. If you fail to show up at the appointed time or designated area they will come looking for you.

Now there are times when you will be late, a good example of this is on a work detail that requires your time to complete a task. The officer in charge will call or radio in ahead and explain the situation for a valid excuse. Then it’s just a matter of rescheduling for the next call out.

Courtesy of some inmates will alert you of your name being on the call out. Be sure to verify the statement yourself by checking the call out because sometimes it may be somebody else name. The call out sheet will be very clear with your name, registration number, time and location of where you need to be. Also make a point of thanking the inmate who alerted you.

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For example, if an inmates needs to see a doctor for headaches, he must fill out a cop-out form asking for medical services. The cop-out is then submitted by dropping it off at a designated location (like a mail slot). All cop-outs are then sorted, prioritized and directed to the correct prison staff or department (medical services in the example) and then you just wait for a reply. Replies to your request are then routed through the internal prison mail system and distributed during mail call.

Cop-outs are like the legal source of communication with prison administration. Whether it’s a complaint about living conditions or other inmates, your opinion about the food, a request to change bunks, need of medical attention, asking for a change in work details, making suggestions or just thanking the staff. Cop-outs keep things flowing and are designed to maintain a certain order with the camp administration and inmates.

Filling out a cop-out forms needs to be first clear and specific it has to be dated because sometimes it’s first come first serve and most importantly, retain a copy for your own records because they have been known to get lost.

Now a word of caution, cop-outs can be a good thing like requesting a bottom bunk which puts you on a waiting list to the next available one or asking to see a doctor. Here is the caution, if you complain about the facility or another inmate and it’s been repetitious don’t be surprised if the TV is suddenly taken away and inmates begin to avoid you and keeping a watchful eye over every move you make. In other words pick you battle carefully because there may be consequences.

If you do have to make a valid complaint, make it in the form of a suggestion and don’t press the issue. Also be careful of group complaints and suggestions, it may seem like a good idea to stand in numbers but in the prison system it may look like a group (gang) being organized. Remember, they are paranoid and suspicious.

Use the cop-out forms in moderation and good conduct because they are there to assist you. Valid and just request build a reputation of honest character among the staff and other inmates. Once your honor and character has been noted, it may be the very thing that gets your next request processed quicker.

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I was still an inmate in Pollock federal prison camp when Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita hit the coast line in 2005. Therefore having an accurate account of what each inmate saw, heard and talked about each day. Pollock being close to Alexandria, LA meant a lot of inmates from the surrounding coastline and a number of them from New Orleans.

The main worry for each inmate was not for themselves but for their families. This was a time where each inmate truly felt the burden of incarceration and having their hands tied by not being able to do anything. This was especially hard for me because my family living on the coastal edge of Terrebonne parish. So as you can imagine I was a bit concern.

Inmates would be glued to the TV every minute they could, watching closely where the storm would hit. Anxiety of watching and the equal gain of frustration of not being able to help were in every inmate’s thoughts. Even though we had limited phone use some inmates did get word that their loved ones have left or were in the process of leaving. The problem of talking or reaching them after they sought refuge was limited because of our list of approved phone numbers. So it became a waiting game and test of each inmate’s patients as to when they would hear from their families again.

Prayers and hopes were now the comfort most inmates took as they watch the storms hit their hometown. Trusting God to protect and look after their loved ones. I for one can remember praying that God would watch over and protect my family. My testimony in saying that is I felt the peace of God telling me that He was protecting them and not to be worried or concern. Praise God!

After the hurricanes past was another matter. Inmates watching TV were now becoming restless and wanted to help even more with the clean up but again the burden of incarceration became even harder for them. I recall the anger some inmates felt as they watched the state and federal government being caught unprepared as relief slowly poured into the devastated areas. Inmates did manage to release some of that tension of anger by yelling at the TV and drawing comfort from other inmates who would listen as they shared. I for one decided not to watch because I knew it would just frustrate me, so I just provided a listening ear to help the others.

Inmates did take great comfort as they watched and received news reports of local people helping their neighbors and finally being able to reach their family members back on the phone. I for one was extremely grateful to God for protecting my family and providing many cousins and family members to help. A few months later I was able to thank them personally and continue with the cleanup and getting back to life.

It was wonderful to see the many people flock to the coastline and help anyone in need. I want to now extend my deep gratitude and thanks to everyone who volunteers and takes time out of their busy schedule to help a neighbor and citizen of this great country. God’s love truly shines when we help each other, God bless you.

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A going away party is one of the most frequently celebrated events of fun. Each time an inmate is scheduled to leave the camp and go home his friends and buddies planned a party. This plan starts by everyone pitching in to buy certain items from the commissary such as drinks and chips. Now on some occasions where all the inmates are honoring an individual that everybody likes, the food service inmates would get involved and with the use of the kitchen cook chili and even fried chicken. While everybody was eating some inmates would take turns and share something about the inmate leaving. I’ll have to admit that I’ve heard some very heart warming stories.

Another fun time was sports tournaments. Very well organized by inmates and supported by the BOP recreational staff with equipment and awards. Baseball was the one everybody favored and got involved with either playing it or as a spectator. Volleyball and basketball games were also times when inmates enjoyed the fun of rooting for their favorite team and gave way to a lot of after game conversation.

The Super Bowl is another event that inmates have a lot of fun. Men will not be stopped from there favorite past time whether in prison or out. This is an event that is well planned and just about everyone gets involved. Commissary purchases are coordinated, food service workers are ready and even the correctional officers are flexible with excitement. With all the food, laughter and men yelling at the TV and you would think that it was Sunday in your own living room with friends and family back home.

One of the most unique events that I still remember clearly is the fun that occurred on Christmas Eve. Each inmate is handed a large bag of various eating treats by the BOP staff. The fun is watching every inmate run all around bartering and negotiating for selective goods they like most. It’s actually very hilarious and serious at the same time and goes on throughout the day and evening. Very entertaining!

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