Last week I was moved from Queen's House (yes, it's really called that) to the Manhattan Department of Correction (MDC). I was, along with 23 other inmates, moved to MDC due to much-needed construction at QH and not, as Michael Musto mistakenly wrote in his column, due to any sort of gang-related situation-or so they told us. One of the first things I've learned in here is not to trust or believe the officers in charge. For security reasons, they are instructed to lie to us in regard to the movement of inmates.
We were woken up by officers screaming for us to pack all our belongings; we were moving. After putting all of our personal property into folded sheets, we waited five hours to be brought downstairs, where we were placed inside a holding pen. With 24 inmates and their property in a holding pen built for 12, we waited until 8 p.m. to leave. We were put on a bumpy, overcrowded bus and moved to MDC, where we were once again put in a holding pen. Here we sat until midnight, at which time we were taken upstairs to our lodgings-altogether 20 hours to move. We were taken to our cells and fell immediately asleep.
May 26
Today was my first day here. There were lots of things to do. Every new inmate has to see the doctor upon arriving-tests done, X-rays taken and head/mind examined. By noon, all of this was done. I have the most depressing view from my cell window: a perfect view of the Manhattan skyline. Talk about adding insult to injury! At least I found out that there is cable TV here. Ricki Lake is queen of MDC.
The rest of the day went by incredibly slowly. Dinner was served at 5:30. We watched The Simpsons, Married With Children and Martin and went (gulp!) to bed at 9:30! (Note: Sleeping and wake-up times are not enforced. We can get up or sleep whenever we want.) Tomorrow is a court date with my lawyer. Dinner: Beef stew, Rice, Bread, Kool Aid (called "juice" in prison)
May 27
Court-yuck! Woke up at 6 a.m. Another thing I've learned in here is that you get woken up extra early for court. I waited until 11 a.m. to be taken there, where I waited until 4 p.m. to see the judge, who rescheduled my court date for June 18 because the DA wasn't ready yet. That took exactly 20 seconds, and back to the holding pen I went, where I waited until 9:30 p.m. to be taken back to MDC. There I was put in, yes, another holding pen-starving-until about midnight, when I was taken up to my floor. Eighteen hours. Dinner: nothing
May 28
Today I was coaxed into joining all the jocks to lift weights with them on the roof. Yet another depressing view of the skyline. We were whisked upstairs to the roof-all 18 of us-in an elevator. (It was relatively fine going up, but returning-yuck! All those perspiring bodies squished together. Somebody needed Right Guard.) So that the entire afternoon was not a total loss-I did manage to lift 120 pounds 10 times!
Upon returning to our cells, we had an unexpected pleasure: 30 huge officers were on our floor for a "surprise search"! A surprise search consists of a humiliating body search, then a very thorough search of your property-through your books, clothes, magazines, every nook and cranny. NOT fun. I fell asleep afterwards. How I wished I could sleep through the entire ordeal-but, most likely, that wouldn't be possible. I woke up to one of my favorite sounds: the cheering crowd at a basketball game! Yeah! Dinner was not worth the sickness I'd feel after eating it. Who would have thought I would ever look forward to an oatmeal cookie?! Dinner: "Beef" patty, Beets, Kool Aid
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