SERIES II, WEEK 3, Episode 6 FACTS, COMMENTARY, RECAP

SERIES II, WEEK 3, Episode 6

FACTS, COMMENTARY, RECAP

     I have talked about different things that annoy me while serving this sentence.

The most puzzling thing is the ownership issues that inmates acquire.  Where does

it originate from?  Today, while I was in the shower, an inmate came into the

shower area and asked, "Who is in my shower?" 

Now, it was obvious she was talking to me, because the bathroom I was in only had

five showers, and the four remaining stalls were empty.  It was just me and her

in the shower area.  Did they not learn how to share as children? 

Is it a thing where a person wants to control something, since they have lost

control of their lives outside of here? 

    At first, I ignored her.  I knew that if I answered, it would not be nice. 

    "I said, WHO is in my shower?"  She asked again, but this time full of attitude.

    I ducked my head out of the shower stall, making sure my goods were still concealed,

and replied, "Which one is YOUR shower?" and waited for a reply.

    "I can't use any other shower Ms. Rhonda.  This is my shower."  She explained.

    "So, you are telling me that if this shower was broken, you would not be able to

shower, out of the 20 showers in the building?  And further, did you bring this shower

from home?  You have only been in prison two months."  I expressed.

   "Oh, No!  I was just saying.." She attempted to explain.

   "Listen.  Go home.  You can claim a shower at home.  You only have a few days left!

    Stop claiming all this prison mess."  I schooled. 

    It is common.  Inmates claim the chairs in the TV room; the showers; and even the

picnic tables outside.  All of the stuff they are claiming in prison is sub-standard.

The chairs in the TV room are hard plastic, and very uncomfortable.  A chair in prison

is not designed for comfort.  It is nothing like you can purchase for your house.  Who

would want to own rights to that?  The shower is the same thing.  They are community

showers.  None of them are designed for single person use.  I understand institutionalization,

and when the long timers claim all of this overused garbage, I have empathy for

their situation.  A short-timer gets none.  Its amazing.  My kitchen; my everything.

This is false ownership. Everything that you use as a community belongs to our oppressor-

FBOP.  There needs to be more encouragement and rehabilitation to assist women to

get their own when they are released, not get comfortable with prison junk. 

Rhonda Turpin

July 31, 2014

author, publisher, prisoner

fb/rhondaturpin