CCI: A Whole Change of Pace

Written on March 18, 2011,

   Well, since coming to CCI things have been interesting to say the least. To begin with, we only order Canteen once every two weeks in here. So we need to make it last! We are limited to $75.00 for our bi-weekly orders. Things are just as reasonably priced as they are at DCI, so that shouldn't be a problem.

   Now I'll admit, if I sound kind of random, it's because I'm over a week behind in writing these logs due to getting moved and it taking a few days to get my property given back to me. So while I was without paper, I was just working on readjusting to my new surroundings, not to mention the people in it. There is a schedule posted near a raised platform with the C.O. sitting on top of it. The schedule shows the optional times to go to Rec. activities or the Library. They vary from week to week, so the time I have to type these logs varies from one time to the next as well. At this location we're allowed to order TVs and radios. The barracks area where us minimum-medium security inmates are located is split into quads. Each quad has a large television for everyone to view during the day when it is a designated day room period. We have these periods periodically throughout the day between meals. Some people have TVs at their bunks, and some people have radios, but a lot of them have both.

   I have much more freedom to do as I please here at CCI. I have a tendency to find myself on the phone much more now, since I can use it whenever there is a phone available. There is a phone list located next to the three phones in the unit and all I have to do is sign my name on the sheet and I will get the next available phone in the order that the names are on the list. Sometimes people don't always honor this, but we are restricted to using the honor system anyway. Also, there are assigned hour-long periods throughout the day that each area of the barracks are allowed to go outside onto a concrete patio area and walk in circles for “exercise” or sit at the benches or picnic style tables and talk and enjoy the fresh air mostly. Since coming to CCI I've also had the chance to finally get started reading the Twilight novels by Stephanie Meyer. My sister recommended them to me prior to coming to prison, so I thought that since CCI has such an abundance of good books, I'd start reading Twilight. I'll have to give it to my sister, because although the Twilight movie was such a chick flick, the book was excellent. I've already finished the first one, and started New Moon.

   I finally got my TV and radio yesterday, so I've got the comfort of watching what I want when I want now. It doesn't sound like much, but that small privilege makes a huge difference to someone with so little control over their life. I also received six letters in two days from family and friends of mine, so I'm slowly but surely trying to get caught up with writing everyone back now too. I don't want to feel like a hypocrite with what I've said in the past about people not writing me, and now that I have some mail coming in, I can't seem to find enough time in my day to get everything done! That sounds so funny to me, for the simple fact that I probably have more free time than anyone else outside of prison could ever dream of having. The only difference is my days are so structured that I can't consistently keep doing something without being interrupted somehow. Now that I have my radio and TV, maybe I can somehow write while listening to the radio and drown out all the surrounding distractions while I write these logs and letters. I really want to keep everyone interested. I'll get into more details about how things work in here soon enough.

Until the next writings...

~J. Doe