SERIES II WEEK 3, Episode 5 : AMERICA's CIVILIZED PRISON SYSTEM

       Throughout the last ten years of being housed all over the country, I have

heard all of the 3rd world tales of prison life from foreigners.  Still, Is America

really civilized? 

        I did a count today.  Nine big screen TVs in the building; 2 microwaves, and

state of the art gym equipment.  New spinners.  A new elliptical, more to come. 

In the federal prison system, the items I named above are purchased from the

Inmate Trust Fund.  Part of the proceeds from the canteen profits are used to

benefit us.  We do not have any say-so in what is purchased, but everyone in the

building benefits.  How civilized.  A roommate I had from Honduras told me that

there is no televisions, workout equipment, or computers (I am writing this blog

from a federal prison email, by the way). There is no beds, clothing exchange, or

running hot water in Honduras prisons either.  Many luxuries such as a balanced

diet, fruit and salad with the meals, and chicken on the bone at least once a

week is unheard of in most countries.  The flip side is that other countries do not

have a government that creates broad laws to capture even 65 and over populations

for cashing their dead husbands social security checks.  "I needed it to pay my

house note, so that I wouldn't be a burden to my children."  A 68 year old grand-

mother recently told me before she was released, after serving eight months. 

For some women, the living conditions here are better than home.  Still, its

wrong for a government to incarcerate by the masses for 100s of petty crimes.

We have been getting an influx of Asian women.  A few of the women sold

fake, knockoff purses or wallets.  They were sent to federal prison.  It is a

federal crime because the designers copyright and trademark their merchandise.

Is prison really necessary for these petty crimes? 

If you ask a federal prosecutor, they will say, 'absolutely'. 

What would I be doing if I were home today?  First, lets talk about what I would

NOT be doing.  I do not drink out of plastic cups in my house.  I drink out of glass.

I also would not be using recycled plastic silverware.  Plastic is not healthy.  How

many times can you wash out a plastic commissary bowl, that you also cook in,

that is not microwaveable?  I can answer that- hundreds of times. 

If I were home, I would be sitting in front of a computer or laptop, putting work

in or a grant, or job creation, or writing a book, or marketing.  I would be talking

to my grandkids.  I would serve dinner on real plates, with stainless steel silverware,

and we would drink something out of a glass.  Ice would come out of the freezer,

and not a luxurious federal icemaker. 

      I would also be on the phone or waiting on a phone call from the love of my

life if he was not sitting right next to me. 

   Well, the thing is, I am not at home.  I am stuck in federal prison, surrounded by

small luxuries, financed by our families (canteen is very expensive, and most of

the profit comes from money sent from the streets).  I am about to go and listen

to my MP3 (another federal luxury), and research case law to get the hell out of here

(another luxury, the feds pay a minimum of $3000 a month for lexis nexus online

law library), then crawl under my freshly laundered white sheets because the laundry

washes our clothing three times a week- read a book until I get sleepy, using my

modern, florescent night light, and dream of home that may be sometimes

uncivilized by federal standards. 

Rhonda Turpin

author, publisher, prisoner