Sweats and ID’s (Part 1 by Lifer Renee)
Renee – Only a teenager, she received a 60-year sentence. Now 15 years in, Renee is writing from Perryville prison in Goodyear, Arizona, providing a rare and unique insight into a women's prison.
With my cut-off sweats and Walkman on, I decided to hit the track, to relieve a little stress. I went out of the gate at 6am, not bothering anyone.
An officer stopped me. “What’s going on with your sweats?”
“What do you mean?”
“I need these, now,” she said, condescendingly.
“Fine.” I went to my room to change. I took them to her, only she was gone. Whatever, I thought. Screw it! I’m not chasing her down. I threw the cut-offs in my cell, and hit the track.
Half-way around the track, something told me to go back to the yard, so I headed back. Officers were searching my room, seizing all kinds of things from me. They found some extra ID’s I had forgotten were there. I had them because when I worked maintenance, I was always losing my ID, ordering a new one, receiving it, and finding the one I originally lost.
It seemed the officers seized everything that was not bolted down. I walked away with a disciplinary ticket for the cut-off sweats, telling myself to suck it up. I stressed all weekend about the ticket.
Rising early on Monday, I went to see the disciplinary officer.
He said, “Sweats are not something issued from the State of Arizona. It is personal property. If personal clothing is altered, we are supposed to just seize it. If state-issued property is altered, we are supposed to seize it, and issue a ticket, so we can charge you for the damage. Get out of my office, and don’t let me see you again!”
“Thank you,” I said, relieved, and exited the building quickly – unaware that my trouble had only just begun.
Click here for Renee’s previous blog in which she comes out as a lesbian.
Post comments for Renee below or email them to writeinside@hotmail.com To post a comment if you do not have a Google/Blogger account, just select anonymous for your identity.
Renee – Only a teenager, she received a 60-year sentence. Now 15 years in, Renee is writing from Perryville prison in Goodyear, Arizona, providing a rare and unique insight into a women's prison.
With my cut-off sweats and Walkman on, I decided to hit the track, to relieve a little stress. I went out of the gate at 6am, not bothering anyone.
An officer stopped me. “What’s going on with your sweats?”
“What do you mean?”
“I need these, now,” she said, condescendingly.
“Fine.” I went to my room to change. I took them to her, only she was gone. Whatever, I thought. Screw it! I’m not chasing her down. I threw the cut-offs in my cell, and hit the track.
Half-way around the track, something told me to go back to the yard, so I headed back. Officers were searching my room, seizing all kinds of things from me. They found some extra ID’s I had forgotten were there. I had them because when I worked maintenance, I was always losing my ID, ordering a new one, receiving it, and finding the one I originally lost.
It seemed the officers seized everything that was not bolted down. I walked away with a disciplinary ticket for the cut-off sweats, telling myself to suck it up. I stressed all weekend about the ticket.
Rising early on Monday, I went to see the disciplinary officer.
He said, “Sweats are not something issued from the State of Arizona. It is personal property. If personal clothing is altered, we are supposed to just seize it. If state-issued property is altered, we are supposed to seize it, and issue a ticket, so we can charge you for the damage. Get out of my office, and don’t let me see you again!”
“Thank you,” I said, relieved, and exited the building quickly – unaware that my trouble had only just begun.
Click here for Renee’s previous blog in which she comes out as a lesbian.
Post comments for Renee below or email them to writeinside@hotmail.com To post a comment if you do not have a Google/Blogger account, just select anonymous for your identity.
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