Changes at Perryville Women’s Prison (Part 2 by Lifer Renee)

Renee – As a teenager, Renee received a 60-year sentence from a judge in Pima County. 15 years into her sentence, she’s writing from Perryville prison in Goodyear, Arizona, providing a rare and unique insight into a women's prison.

“Are we off lockdown?” I asked, stepping outside of my cell door.
“I don’t know,” my neighbour replied, walking down the run.
At that moment an inmate ran around the corner yelling, “Free! We’re free!”
So I went downstairs to Molly’s room, and sat down on her bunk. “Let’s have coffee. It’s Friday. I can sleep in tomorrow.”
“OK,” she replied.
We were drinking and gossiping about recent events when I heard the beep of an officer’s radio. Not wanting to get caught cell visiting and receive a ticket, I looked out of the cell windows and saw an officer sitting in the smoking section and chatting with the girls. “No worries. He’s sat at the table trying to get some.”
“Let’s go outside.”

We headed out and decided to sit at the “big comfy couch” (an oversized cement table with oversized cement benches). We sat there, bullshitting, drinking our coffee. Everyone was out running around.I watched the officer take a chick off to a corner and talk to her. After they talked, the officer went to the control room and retrieved something. Then the chick came around the corner with some Tupperware. She made three trips for contraband dishes that were probably taken in the shakedown.

Hey who cares right? I really don’t. Yet, they want to talk about why the yard is out of control. The officers start more shit than the law allows. The whole yard saw that officer bend/break the rules for someone. The moment that officer does not bend/break the rules for someone else, that’s when the shit starts because the woman who doesn’t get her way will start snitching about what he has done for the other woman. Then that “other woman” will confront the snitch and the fighting will begin, resulting in blanket punishment for all of us, yet I didn’t get the Tupperware or snitch or fight, but I’m locked down. It’s madness, but that’s how life is for us.

Click here for Renee's previous blog

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Shaun P. Attwood