Yep...I'm going to prison folks!

Yep, like everyday. 7am-4:30pm, 5 x a week.






I started the new job the middle of August and it's fantastic. No more dragon lady. No more BS. Where my previous job had 4 pages of duties, this job has one page of duties. My commute is twice as far. I make less money, but by golly folks I don't care because I love this job. Yes I'm working in a maximum security prison with youths that have committed some pretty awful crimes (more on that later), but I love it.

When I first got into education 23 years ago, I did it because I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to help kids. And I was doing that until about 7 years ago when I "moved up" and became an executive assistant to the athletic director and then moved to the registrar's position. I no longer was having contact with students. The first couple of years were okay. Frankly I was getting a little burned out working with troubled youth, but then I started to miss it. Then this last year, the universe forced my hand via some very mean people and I made the change.

So here I am. Everyday, I have to check in, stow all personal gear in our locker, no cell phones, money, keys anything can be brought in from the "outs". Then you go through to locked doors, via camera security to get to the inside. You go to "control" which is the guards central location. They view all the cameras, they control all the locks, they can see all over the facility. You check in with them, get your keys, ID badge and you are on your way. My office is above the gym. One of the only places there isn't cameras and the bathrooms. You are on camera everywhere you go. It only took a day for me to get used to that. I don't even think about it anymore.

There are 4 units. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta. Alpha houses youth that have done violent person on person crimes. Bravo are all the sex offenders. Charlie is all the non violent offenders and Delta is where the older offenders are. We have 128 youths ranging in age from 13-24. I am working in the "school" within the prison. I was hired to be a sort of girl Friday. Our state is now mandating that all graduates show proficiency in reading, writing and math. There are 2 different tests that need to be given to every youth working towards their diploma twice in the fall and then again in the spring. So I am in charge of all the testing, record keeping and state reporting. I also am the librarian and assist in classrooms. There are other things I do, but those are the main ones.

Two weeks ago, one of our teacher's husband was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. So I have been subbing for her government class. I have 2 classes a day. Each unit has a contained classroom. And has 2 guards. One sits in the room and one sits outside in the day room. There are also cameras everywhere and a huge red panic button right behind my desk "just in case". It has been great. I have been talking to these kids about the importance of respect and responsibility and how they need to get their diploma to have any chance at all of a decent future on the outs. All of the boys have been great. I mean of course you have your ones that want to talk and there is the class clown, just like on the outs. But I grew up with 3 brothers, I have 2 sons, so I know boy behavior. They are all polite and I actually feel safer then in the public school system. And these boys are very well behaved. They have to be or there will be consequences.

Last week I connected with a couple of them. They treat me with respect. They ask how I'm doing. There was one day when one of the other aides came in and she was making a big fuss over how I wasn't paying close enough attention to what they were doing one their computers (we have visionware, so I can see what each of them is doing on their computers from my computer at my desk). Anyway, the next day, one of the boys ask if I got in any trouble over it. He wanted to know if she told my boss. He said that he liked the way I treated them like human beings and not animals. He said that what the others don't understand is, when they yell at them and treat them badly it just makes them more angry and less motivated to do what is being ask. He said he likes the way I treat them like they matter and that I really care. I thanked him for saying that and he told me to have a nice weekend. I later found out that he is one of the 2 kids in for murder. He was 14 (now 18) when he got tangled up in a gang fight with his brothers and uncle and he stabbed a guy and later the guy died.

The other boy that I have made a connection with is very quiet and just works away. The day when I was talking about respect and how they demand it from others, but first they need to respect themselves by doing what is right and working hard on their education while they are in here, so that when they get out they have a chance at a different life. I got his attention, he turned around and was listening and made a few comments. After class he came up to me and we talked about what that all means etc. I later found out he is one of the major gang leaders in this state and he has also killed someone.



I guess what I'm trying to say is, even though these boys are criminals, they are just boys deep down. And I am finding it's like I thought all along. Kids are a product of their environment. Almost every one of these kids has had the shittiest home life possible. Or they connected with a male figure (because their father wasn't in the picture) and that person was in a gang, so the kid joins so that he feels he belongs somewhere and has a group of people that care about him.

I am going to write more stories about these boys and what my new life is like as time goes on, but for now I will leave you with this one...

Last week when I was covering the class, they ask if I could play music. So I put Pandora on my computer. Some different hip hop and rap songs played and then Adele's song "Rolling in the Deep" comes on. I was just waiting to hear them start talking smack, but a funny thing happened. A couple of them started quietly started singing along. Then I noticed some were tapping their foot or fingers. Then I heard one ask "Who is this?" and another says "She's that one that won all the awards on the Grammy's" then a couple of others said "Her name is Adele". Then another asks me "I heard she's pregnant, is that true?" So here are all these "tough" guys and they know Adele...I had to smile. They are just boys.



Oh by the way, what pushed me to start writing again is that Pish is starting a new challenge, YAY Pish! So even though it's too late for me to paste my squirrel on her page, I'm in! And I promise I'll write every couple of days about my job, life and her challenge. My summer was crazy busy with my recovering from the heart attack, my son getting married, me making the wedding gown, my garden, oh and then there is the story of me being attacked by a nest of bald faced hornets, and my beagle diagnosed with cancer, but she's hanging in there...these are things I'll write about in the future. But for now I'll just say I'm sorry I've been out of touch for so long. Take care and we'll talk soon.

Squirrel