‘The Dark Ages of Racial Segregation’

Monday, January 4, 2016

Currently, Arizona is one of only a few states that actually enforces racial segregation within its prison housing locations. This means that Caucasians can only bunk up – or cell – with other Caucasians and so on and so forth. There are a few exceptions to the rule for people like myself who are actually classified as ‘other’. I can. For any reason, be housed with any race.

Over the years that I have been in prison, a part of me has always believed that it was the administration’s higher powers who continued segregation in hopes of preventing the races of coming together. If all races saw themselves as equals then surely, they would be a force to be reckoned with. By allowing the races to be divided, race wars typically result – or at least, a war between one particular race, and not the others. Since Arizona prisons are my only experience, I can tell you that this is exactly how it plays out. Though I am not a supporter of segregation, I know it began long before I was alive and so, I have had to conform to the ideologies of this particular correctional system.

This past month however, The Arizona Department of Corrections, has in effect, began planning to integrate the races in their housing assignments. I was secretly elated at this news. I admit that at times, I believed it was surely nothing more than a pipe dream, but I was wrong. I was so wrong in fact, that tomorrow marks the 1^st day of racial integration in my particular unit.

Over the past week, I have been silent to those around me. People who I have considered close to me have begun to let their true colors come out. All of a sudden, I am seeing how racist some of these men are. I can somehow understand how men, who have been incarcerated for many years (like myself) would become set in their ways. That is not the case however. Instead, I am seeing men in their 20’s, who have been in prison for only a few years, (some even less) suddenly having an issue with being housed with races other than their own. It’s incredibly disheartening to me and at the same time, thought provoking. Were these racist thoughts/beliefs simply latent inside them? Is prison so intensely conforming that it can change people’s logical thinking in such a short period of time? Unfortunately, I don’t have the answer to this question but it is curious just the same.

It’s no secret that the skinheads have accepted me in their own way and of course, they make it clear that I can absolutely live in a bunk or cell with any one of them. Anyone else of color however – is unacceptable. It begs the question of: why me? Is it possible to be selectively racist? I suppose we can all be somewhat racist, given a person’s character, but what is it that convinces people to drop their bias and accept certain individuals?

I have listened to guys go on and on about how they would live with a Black, but not a Mexican American or a Native American. Some claim they will not live with a Black but only a Mexican American. Inside, I wonder how these men came to these conclusions. Are we not all human beings in this world? Haven’t we gotten past this stage of history? I suppose not. I guess we instead simply choose to remain silent in our beliefs because after all, it is 2016.

So here I am. I am in a melting pot of cultural bloodlines and I find myself guilty of the exact same thinking.

For example, if a form were to come around with various races on it with check boxes next to each and I was forced to choose (1) to bunk, or cell up with, then I myself would choose Caucasian. In my case, I don’t know if that decision is racially motivated or not. My choice would be tied back to my association within this environment. It just so happens that I have more close acquaintances/associates/friends who are Caucasian. Does this mean that I am racist against Blacks, Mexican Americans, Native Americans and Asians? In my heart and soul – it doesn’t. But maybe I’m wrong. Perhaps this is exactly how others will see it.

Time will tell how this all plays out. One thing is for certain though, I am glad that my journey in this chapter of my life is almost over.

 

‘A Current Prison Assessment’

Friday, January 30, 2015

Many have inquired as to why I have not written much about the particular prison unit that I am now on. Perhaps they were expecting daily journal entries of all the goings on here… I suspect that they are genuinely curious. Whatever the case may be, I have had many reasons – and I doubt that you can believe that the biggest one is that this is the best prison yard I have ever been on.

As you absorb that one statement, remember that I had become completely institutionalized within the more hardened ‘gladiator school’ type of prison. I am now immune to rampant drug use, racism, religious prejudice, violence, murder and a string of many other horrible things. Coming to a minimum yard was nerve wracking because I perceived that there would be a greater lack of respect, lack of discipline, structure etc. I was not exactly sure how I would react and adjust to all of that. I believed, (at least I convinced myself) that being on a higher yard, with more structure, would be best for me. This was not necessarily because I needed the structure, but rather, because most other inmates do - and that made my life easier.

I have struggled internally about how I truly feel living here at North Unit, Florence Arizona. My honest assessment is that I like it here… for as much as a person can ‘like’ a prison.

The inmate population here is defined by 3 primary groups:

1.   Chronic Care

These men suffer from Alzheimer’s, kidney failure (Dialysis), liver disease and a multitude of other medical issues. The medical relationship to this yard is intense and the administration is very proactive at working toward providing the most comfortable living environment for inmates in a seriously ill state of life

2.   "Downhillers"

(My group of inmates) These men have been in prison for a long time (years and years…) They are on the downhill slope of their sentence and doing all they can to remain busy and productive. Everything we do in our basic day to day activities has some type of correlation to the release date and – the real world.

3.   Knuckleheads

These are the idiots who are repeat offenders of nuisance charges and cannot seem to get their lives together. Unfortunately they believe that this is as bad as it gets and it actually – it is the best. It is very sad and unfortunate.

The staff here, are all pretty great. Perhaps it’s just me and the fact that I know how to act like an adult and know how to communicate. But I have yet to have any incident or disagreement with any of the staff. At the end of the day, I have nothing but good, productive experiences with them. I don’t know why but there doesn’t seem to be a chip on their shoulders and they know how to deal with situations accordingly.

The officer I work for has been completely vested in the department since 1986 and is strict, meticulous, and hard working. Thankfully, my ethnicity and sexual orientation are inconsequential to her. She is fair and very understanding. Running mail and property for 1,100 inmates is beyond challenging but somehow, it gets done professionally and without issue. For me, it is a positive experience as it closely depicts a real life job experience. That is something that I genuinely appreciate and am thankful for because it continues to keep focused on my end game.

The Yard

This facility is very large and is actually divided into 3 individual smaller yards. When an inmate arrives, they begin on Yard 3 until they find a job. This is a working yard so almost everyone has some form of employment. Depending on the job you receive or interview for, dictates whether you will be moved to Yard 1 or Yard 2. Each of the yards has working kitchens and incredibly organized daily operations because of the amount of inmate movement here. It is truly like a little city.

Personally the yard operations are well suited for me. My schedule at work gives me a good amount of off time to manage my affairs and partake in visitations on the weekends. It is consistent and it works for me.

Hopefully this gives you a better, clearer understanding of why I haven’t downloaded much about my current prison unit. There is nothing bad or scandalous to report. My life here is as good as it can be for someone who is in prison. Obviously a lot of that is simply mindset and determination but it is a cohesive situation right now. It’s easier for me to be positive ad productive on a unit like this one.

Today, as I look ahead, I have only one more goal to accomplish before I am released. Mom will be 100% relocated to Boston this year and when that happens, I am going to try my best to become certified as a fireman and work with the wilderness Fire Crew. It is an amazing opportunity offered here and I think I would be really successful at it. The current team members and crew supervisor are great and I have a good rapport with everyone involved. That said, I think it would be my last and final goal in prison.