Cal.E.'s Korner

C.Well, T. and I are busy catching up, and d.c. is at work, but don’t worry. I have something entertaining for y’all today. 

One of my fans asked me why eighty percent of inmates return to prison after being released into the free world, and I have the answer to that question today. I was able to sneak (snuck?)...Bring my cell phone in to The Kennel without anyone else’s knowledge. I couldn’t make a video, because that would be suspicious, but I did get an audio and then transcribed it onto paper. I’ll try to use some pictures to help y’all understand what the audio is about.

Okay, the question is:”Why do eighty percent of prisoners return to prison after being released?” I hope this audio helps explain that.

Hildebrand Unit (this isn’t the name of a real prison, as far as i know, but I needed to make up a name to protect my sources).  Shakedown area; 0530 July 29,2018:

Nurse scot. I need you to take off your shoes, empty your pockets, and let me scan you with this wand (if I can figure out how it works, or what sounds to listen for).

Okay, you’re clear as long as you leave these nonwork-related papers in this trashcan.

d.: I can’t do that. These directions are to determine if anyone is having a heart attack, and I can’t run the machine without these papers.

We don’t have a machine like that here.

d.: I know, but these directions are to use at the hub facility, and I’m the only person on the day shift in this cluster who knows how to calibrate the machine, as long as I have my papers.

Well, we aren’t at the hub facility, are we?

d.: (And yet, y’all send officers over there to work there everyday, and then claim to be too short-handed to spare an officer for the medical unit. Additionally, to us sending patients who need more help than we can give them almost every week. I’ll just put these in my truck and wait until he goes home. Hopefully, no one will die in the meantime. )

C.: (Aside: this officer was retired shortly after this incident).

d.: Just a quick question. That female guard walked right past you and went to her post. Shouldn’t someone have shaken her down? She looked like she was hiding something.

So, now you’re going to tell me how to do my job? That lady is pregnant!

d.: Not anymore. She had her baby two months ago.Y’all held a shower for her and asked for donations. Don’t you remember that?

So, now I’m senile, too?

d.: (If the shoe fits…

 I’m not too senile to know that it’s medical people smuggling in cell phones to the inmates, and I’ll catch one or all of you doing it.

d.: (Well, if they would bother to station an officer in medical full-time, he would get that question answered. Most of the cell phones that have been confiscated during shakedowns of the prisoners never set foot in the medical department, and we don’t have time to go to their dorms unless there’s an emergency.)

Later that same day, the nurse manager came from the hub facility because she had some questions

NM: Mr. scot, I cannot approve  your and the technician’s overtime until I have an explanation for it.

d.: Well, if you’ll just stick around for a thirty minutes or so, I think you will be able to figure it out.

NM: Okay, I will.

And you’ll se that he’s lying

NM.: About what?

When the meds are being passed out.

NM.: Officer, these records are on the computer, and it’s a crime to change the time of day that a medication is given. Incidentally, it’s also illegal for you to lie about the time the meds were passed out.

Yes, ma’am.

30 minutes later

NM.: Officer, thank you for cutting your fifteen minute break a couple of minutes short of thirty minutes to come help us give insulin to the diabetics and pass out meds, but the pill window should have started thirty minutes ago.

Well, the warden wants the inmates to be through eating before they get their meds. She wants them to feel comfortable because this is their home.  There’s only ten or twelve of them, anyway,  who come in the evening. I guess, since you’re here, we can start it early, though.

NM.: No, pretend I’m not here and do it the way y’all usually do it.

30 more minutes later.

NM.: Twenty-four, twenty-five…I’m tired of counting inmates getting their evening medications. I see that the warden isn’t well informed, so I’ll talk to her.

C.: (Aside: This warden was moved to a different facility shortly after this incident).

NM.: I see why y’all always stay late, Mr. scot, although it’s not necessary.

D.: Yes, this is different from the four other units I’ve worked on, that’s for sure. They seem to have their own rules here…

NM.: Or be making them up as they go along… don’t tell anyone I said that.

Mr. scot!

d.: Yes?!

This inmate stays that he broke his foot and asked you to give him morphine. Why didn’t you give it to him?

d.: For several reasons. One, it’s illegal to give someone morphine without a prescription, and the provider would want x-rays and MRIs on his foot before prescribing it.

So, should we take him to the hub to have all that done?

d.: No. He went to sleep and had his foot hanging off the bed. He woke up and his foot was asleep. He didn’t kick anything in his sleep because there are no marks or bruises on his instep, and he didn’t run an long distance in those horrible boots y’all give them to wear. I told him to stomp his foot a few times to wake his foot up. I guess he didn’t listen to me because he wanted to have his way, which y’all usually do give them. Not this time, though. I won’t lose my license and go to prison because you don’t know what you’re doing.

Well, you’d better be right about this. I don’t want to fight a lawsuit…again.

d.: (This job is making me old before my time).

C.: (Aside: this incident resulted in the desired outcome, fortunately. The nursing staff saved the State some money by asking that things be done correctly, and on time. But, think about this, would you rather live in the real world where you must make your own decisions, earn your own money, pay rent, buy your own groceries after you decide what  you want to eat?  Do you want to pay your own bills or have someone else worry about that? Do you want to get up on time to go to work, or depend on someone else to rouse you when it’s time, and then be able to blame that person if you fail to get out of bed? Do you want to pay your own medical bills or would you rather have a nominal copay for the year and be able to demand whatever you want from a medical staff? In short, do you want to be held responsible for your actions, or would you rather have someone else to blame when you do something wrong?

These are things to think about when you watch the news and see someone committing a crime who has been in and out of jail and prison several times.

This has been Cal.E. Katt, with some food for thought.