Day 52 - 8/13/21 - Fri.

Before my life in prison led me to become a jailhouse lawyer, service dog trainer, and public speaker, a simple kitchen gig was my first purpose. It was a beacon through the fog of boredom and the haze of despair.

Journal Entry:

“Excellent night’s sleep, except for a massive sore on my leg when I awoke. It’s going to be another hot one; I will stay off my leg as much as possible. It will heal. Eventually. Around 10 AM, they cancelled outside recreation because of the heat. I worked on this Journal, Outer Justice, and tried to stay off my leg. It is f*cking killing me. It has to be the heat. Went for my 11 AM shift.

LUNCH: Fish Burger (pass), Roll (reserve), cabbage (ate), Orange (reserve), plus I scored an extra Orange that was left on the table. J.K. has turned me on to Ice Coffee. Hmmm, that could work.

Back in my CubiCell, I made an excellent steak sandwich with the roll, plus Gouda cheese & soy sauce. It was delicious (for scavenged prison food). With a little more creativity, the meals here could be a lot better. I’ll stay out of the kitchen drama and just make my own when I can. I need to be as invisible as a chameleon. Crashed a lot, read the Trejo Book.

When I went for the ¾ shift, I filled my other mug with Ice Coffee. Not too f*cking bad. It saves some Commissary money and gives me more energy for the day.

SUPPER: Chicken chunks (put some in reserve), Spaghetti (ate some), carrots (ate all), two slices of bread (one will join the reserve Chicken). I see a delicious spicy, Gouda sandwich in my future.

The heat-related outdoor ban has been adjusted to require sitting outside in the shade. No activity. I’ll pass and rest my leg. Looking out the window facing the recreation area, I notice they are having the W.S. + H.L. meeting without me. Oh, well. I called T. She couldn’t find the emails I need. So frustrated, not about that, but about all the sht she is going through, and I’m fcking stuck here. Eight days, and I’m pushing. Got to do it smartly. Found out the federal grand juries restarted in Maine in July or earlier. Hmmm…”

Notes for Day 52 (Four Years Later)

After my near starvation diet in the SHU and my early days at the camp, where my food choices were very limited, my job in the kitchen, knowing the rules and what inmates could ‘get away’ with, meant I was finally eating decently. Not huge feasts, but decent for prison food. Plus, I was getting into my stride in the kitchen “job.” Because different COs meant different rules that might change hourly, my strategy was simple: do my job, do whatever that CO said the job was, and, most importantly, Stay Under The Radar. Looking back on it, my one and a half years at Camp Devens was pretty smooth and went quickly. Any uncomfortableness or harsh conditions were far outweighed by my education, the friends I made, and the experiences that I considered an enhancement to my life.

#PrisonJournal

#LivedExperience

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