Two is a Magic Number
Letters from Prison June 4th, 2008
May 25, 2008
Hi everyone, and welcome to the federal prison system! A lot has happened since I last updated you so hang on. Also, I don’t have access to a copier or a computer and while I do have a lot of time on my hands, I don’t hand write copies of my postings before dropping them in the mail so if there is some repetition, sorry about that.
Why is two a magic number? It’s not. Perhaps coincidental but I thought it was a catchy title. That and today marks two months since the day I was sentenced to prison. That means I’ve been incarcerated for six weeks (because I had two weeks to surrender myself, get it?). The six weeks have gone by very fast, particularly the past two weeks as today mark’s the end of my second week @ FCI Dublin. That’s right my friends, I was finally moved out of that hell hole known as Santa Rita Jail. On May 9th my number was called and I was moved next door (literally) to FCI Dublin which is an all women’s federal prison camp (minimum security). FCI Dublin also has an attached detention center which is used as a local intake center. Apparently a number of policies and procedures have changed @ the Fed and I’m learning as I go. Originally I was under the impression that I would go from SRJ to a local intake center for a few days and from there I would hop on Con-Air to go to Oklahoma City where they have a national reception and orientation center. I’d spend a week or 2 there before heading off to my designated facility. Well, it seems that I’ve gone to intake which will also be my reception point and I will go directly from here to my designated facility. I was told that usually guys stay here @ FCI Dublin 4-6 weeks before heading out but since I was a self surrender (meaning there was time between my sentencing date and my incarceration) I’ll probably be here 2-4 weeks. That being said I could ship out of here as early as next week. I’m hoping to go to either Lompoc (near San Louis Obispo) or Sheridan (south of Portland) but I could also end up @ Atwater (about 90 mins from the Bay Area) or Victorville (in the desert down south closer to San Diego). Of course, I could be sent anywhere (Florida, Texas, Maryland) but the B.O.P. is supposed to try and keep me within 500 miles of Oakland. I won’t know when I’m leaving or where I’m headed until I actually get on the bus. Oh, and as for the magic number, I’m now in my second facility.
Speaking of my second facility, this places is 1000% better than Santa Rita. Everything is nicer. The policies are better, the privileges, the facility, the C.O.’s, you name it. The food here is actually edible. I’ve eaten every meal served and it has been different every single time spare 3 repeats in 2 weeks. At Rita I’d barely touch 7 of the 21 meals served each week, it was just that bad. I cannot begin to put it into words. It was inhumane. Seriously. There are around 60 of us total @ Dublin so it is very low key in comparison and we are made to keep the place hospital clean. It’s such a welcome change to the squalor of Santa Rita. Everyone tells me that the camp I will be designated to will be far better than this place. Since my only frame of reference is SRJ, I think this place is the Hilton. I could totally serve my sentence here with my eyes shut. I guess I’ll be headed to the Four Seasons or the Ritz Carlton? I don’t know but it looks like everything is going to be just fine for me.
In other great news, Oscar has a foster home! Yup! My neighbors @ my old flat have agreed to watch him for the next 30 months until I’m released. How cool is that!?! I’m sooo happy and grateful that he’s safe and I’ll get to kiss his big fat nose when I get out.
With that I’m going to wrap it up. I got my address book in the mail yesterday so I have a ton of writing to do this holiday weekend and I’m sure Eddie is tired of typing this monster in. Big ups to my man Eddie for all his help maintaining my bog & my email. Send him the love!
Everyone be well! I’ll see you before you know it. Peace, Love & Prison Time… -S
[ Update 6/20/08 Sparky has arrived at Lompoc, where he will server out the remainder of his sentence. His new address: Federal Prison Camp , Sparky Rose 98066-111, 3705 West Farm Road, Lompoc, CA 93436 ]
August 28th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Great stuff Sparky, on two counts
1) interesting as hell, well written, informative dispatches from a world most of us will never know
2) the between the lines is that your spirit is strong, you are not surviving but thriving and you will pull through this stronger than ever.
Well done.
Doug