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War, Choices, and Toxic Shock Syndrome

Muncy State Prison

April 25th, 2024

Thursday

9pm

Modified lockdown today, so that the entire compound can watch the PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act) video (again). The rumor is that we’re getting like four Chef Boyardee raviolis for lunch. 

Oh good.

My video conference for today was cancelled because I waived the preliminary hearing. I hate waiving hearings. I always feel like it gives them the upper hand even more so than they already do.

Daisy and I were talking about county jails yesterday, and she said that Fayette County Jail is known as “Fayette’nam” because it’s so horrible. Tampons are $0.40/apiece and you can only order 10 per week, so you have to stock up or make your own tampons out of pads. Sounds like a recipe for Toxic Shock Syndrome to me. Imagine having 10 tampons for a whole period–five to seven days long–when you usually use six or eight per day. SO a box of 40 tampons would be $16.00 in Fayette’nam. 

Jesus Christ.

4pm Lockdown finally lifted.

8:09pm I sent Paul the two blogs I wrote and told him that I missed him. I don’t really know what else to say. I don’t think there is anything else to say. I asked him to please respond. I’m reading this book, “The Seat of the Soul” by Gary Zukov. It’s about the evolution of the human soul  and light and intentions and the Universe. I don’t really understand it, but it’s another one of those books that says that you create your own reality. I can never seem to wrap my head around that. 

I would never create this for myself.

Never.
I would never have chosen for my children to die and the others to be taken away. I would have never chosen prison for 10 years of my life or an abusive, horrible mother. I would have never chosen to go through so much pain, suffering, and horror that I became suicidal.

No.

I did not choose this for myself.

What about casualties of war? What about the Jews in the Holocaust? Do you think they chose that life? That death?

Why?

That doesn’t make any sense. 

Talk about vibrations and frequencies and light all you want, but I didn’t choose this.

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Twerking, Sex, and Shit Nuggets

Muncy State Prison

April 24, 24

Wednesday

12:43pm

The next cube is discussing Channing Tatum’s “sexy-twerk,” and in my book, Tina Fey is talking about writing “shit nuggets” on Saturday Night Live.

I just signed the waiver to my preliminary hearing and bond paper work.
Ugh.

The criminal conferences aren’t until July. The second one is July 17th. That’s another three months here.

2:39pm

I talked to Motorcycle. Someone he was selling tools to mentioned me and asked him if he knew anyone where he could get laid.

Disgusting.

He thought I was a stripper because he saw me with Motorcycle, who used to be the bouncer at the local strip club. And I’m pretty sure I slept with his brother during a low point in my life.

What a nice reputation to have.

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Elections, Recidivism, and Chicken Patties

Muncy State Prison

April 23, 24

Tuesday

8:49am

I have some class today at 9:30am. It’s the primary elections today, and Biden is leading Trump in Pennsylvania so far.

Hm.

11:23am

I went to this group and, like always, they showed a video from 30 years ago made by men and for men, and told us that we are here in prison because we are addicted to drugs.

That’s super helpful.

Then it told us that if we don’t break the law, we’ll be fine on parole, which is complete bullshit. The rules that parole sets for us have nothing to do with the law. Is it illegal to be out of your home after 7pm? No. Is it illegal to drink alcohol? No. Is it illegal not to have a job? Nope.

Whatever.

There was one woman in the entire 30 minute video. A woman in the class pointed out that the video says nothing about being a mother and attempting to follow the rules of parole. The lady “teaching” the class spluttered and then said she was writing down her concerns and would discuss the them with somebody else and that she was “advocating” for us inmates.

Whatever you want to tell yourself, lady. It’s a zero-sum game that’s rigged for recidivism.

Chicken patties for lunch again. It’s like every other day. Could be worse, I guess. I called Motorcycle long enough to tell him that I couldn’t talk to him today, and would call tomorrow. This fucking group is an hour and a half a day for three days a week. No word on how many weeks.

6:46pm

I called the boys. They were building with Construx. King got mad at Superman for telling him to stop digging in the Construx so he could hear me, which made Superman mad, so we just got off the phone.

I hate my life.

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Magistrates, Monogamy, and Motorcycle

Muncy State Prison

April 22nd, 2024

Monday

8:30am

I should have put in a commissary sheet. Stryder (presumably) put $50 on my books. So now I won’t have anything coming this week. 

Not for two Fridays.

Ugh.

I guess I’ll read “Seat of the Soul.” I haven’t heard anything yet about Library being cancelled.

10am

Shocker of the year–Motorcycle was the one who put $50 on my account. 

Wow.

He also called me a “catty little bitch.” I don’t know where that came from. He said, “Tell me how much you want me,” and I said (eye roll) “I want you,” and then he called me a catty little bitch, as if he was joking. 

So fucking weird.

Why, when guys think they have you all the way, do they start getting fucking mean?

THIS IS WHY I DON’T DO MONOGAMY.

Fuck.

As soon as you commit or sign the marriage certificate. 

It never fails.

3:30pm

So, I got called into the Counselor’s office, where the Magistrate Judge was on the phone to convince me to waive my preliminary hearing on the 25th. He also set my bail at $15,000 unsecured for both cases, which doesn’t help me at all because I already have to stay here anyway, because the Parole Board decided to keep me here pending the disposition of my charges.

And so I got my hopes up for nothing. And now I’m reading this book on openness and trust and faith and there being a reason for everything.

“Detain pending the disposition of new charges.”

Fuck my fucking life.

Next court date June 5th. Looks like I’ll be spending another fucking birthday in prison.

I can’t read this book anymore today.

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Red hair dye, Nipples, and Chantilly Lace

Potter County Women’s Recovery Center

Day 49

8/22/17

8am

I’m beginning to love “The Golden Girls.” Does that mean I’m old? I feel old. Especially today–pain everywhere. It’s like the fog outside seeped right into my bones. Thank God for Meloxicam. 

Court tomorrow.

I don’t even want to think about it. Every time I walk into that courtroom, my life gets monumentally worse. 

Time for Community–we get to say our goals for the day and such. Parenting classes today–last time I cried through my “kid history.” Hopefully no crying this time. The women are discussing morphine and being knocked out by it. I don’t want to think about that either.

I am very tired today.

10:40am

This day is taking FOREVER! They just gave me a new mattress. Too bad I’m leaving tomorrow (probably for state prison), because it’s really comfortable. 

I still have “Fight Song” stuck in my head. The doctor told me yesterday that my liver enzymes are coming down [from having Hepatitis C from IV drug use], so pretty soon I can come in less often for bloodwork. So that’s good news. I sent my Kidowed book manuscript to Barricade Books, so we’ll see ho that goes.

8:30pm

Munchy thinks Chantilly Lace’s name should be Perky. 🙂 Her hair used to be blue. We’re in the laundry room dyeing my hair and having a blast. We’re laughing so much. We’re pretending our nipples can talk for some reason. It’s hilarious. Munch is taking her pointer fingers and pointing them out at boob level and wiggling them around as she talks. It’s freakin’ hysterical. I can’t believe sometimes how much these women have been through. It’s like a miracle that they can still smile.

Munchy’s having trouble adapting to this place–she won’t do “Community” in the morning or “Meditation” at night with the rest of the group. Chantilly Lace is taking forever to dye my hair. I hope it will look okay for court tomorrow. 

Uh oh.

I hear yelling from the common area…can’t investigate–gettin’ hair did.

Uh oh again. 

Chantilly has a cut on her hand and she wasn’t wearing gloves–owch! I don’t think this dye job will ever be done.

Omg.

Now Cat’s pissed because we’re doing hair dye during meditation time.

This place drives me crazy.

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Nasty Mean Crackhead Daughters

Back to 2017–When I got remanded to the Potter County Women’s Recovery Center for one year for two nanograms of THC in my urine.

August 21st, 2017

Monday

Day 47

I want my kids near me so much it just hurts all of the time. 

All the time. 

Every second.

People talk a lot here about withdrawing from drugs–do it one day, one hour, one minute, one second…at a time.

That’s how I feel about withdrawal from my children. All of them. All of the time. Forever and ever.

4pm

Back in the car after my therapy appointment. Going  to the GI (liver) doctor this time. My therapist says that when things get really bad, I should just focus on the beauty in small things.

The solar eclipse was cool. The world sort of dimmed for a minute. 

Neat.

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!!!!! I forgot to make my phone call!! Shit!!

Freya’s been a real jerk lately to me, which is weird, because I don’t even talk to her. Like today, I was telling somebody else about my therapist appointment, and as soon as the word “therapist” came out of my mouth, she jumped in with, “Oh, did your Mommy have to hold your hand for that?” I just looked at her for a second with my brows crossed in sort of a, “Like, what are you, TWO?!” look, and then finished my story, not even looking at her. Like–I wasn’t even talking to you, bitch!! I find that people like her are either sociopaths or in reality, even if they exude confidence and are always quick with a snappy retort, they actually hate themselves inside. That’s terrible. I feel bad for her. Been there. Just MEAN. Nasty mean to everybody. 

My father told me that they did successfully enroll the boys in Head Start. It’s ironic to me–my mother’s been an elementary school teacher for almost 30 years, and is now a reading specialist, but she won’t teach them their ABCs. 

Like–what the fuck.

It’s probably because she’s not getting paid to. Speaking of money, I’m shocked that they got in at all, because the program is income-based, and I’m sure my mother would sooner die than spend one cent that she didn’t absolutely HAVE to on her worthless crackhead (or drunk or whatever she calls me) daughter.

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Money, Liars, and Nightmares

April 20th, 2024

Saturday

I had nightmares last night. Then I woke up and thought the clothes hanging at the end of my bed were a person.

10am

Called Motorcycle–I don’t know how I feel about him anymore. I told him Paul wrote me defending himself, and Motorcycle said, “Good for him.” 

I got off the phone after that.

He told me he would get me money by the beginning of next week. Yeah. Last week it was by the end of this week. I told him I had to get off the phone to save money. He asked me twice if I was having an attitude. I can’t ever believe anything he says.

He lies to me.

He’s a liar.

What have I done?

Now he has all of my stuff.

Great.

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I’ll Tell You my Sins So You Can Sharpen Your Knife…

April 19th, 2024

Friday

Paul wrote me two letters: 

Dearest Jess, 

I received your letter on the 20th. I have been speaking to Motorcycle and Gem to make arrangements to collect your belongings. Gen let me know Sunday your desire to deliver your possessions to them. Motorcycle confirmed a pick up date on Tuesday, March 20, 2024. I messaged him via Facebook messenger Tuesday and he stated, “Hey Paul I’m not home took my brother to see his mom in Philly be back Thursday sorry.”

I acknowledged this and asked him to confirm a time to pick them up. To date, I haven’t received a response from him. I would like to tell you my side of what I was experiencing regarding the evening when you had the manic episode. If you are not interested in hearing what I have to say about it, you may discard this letter.

On the afternoon of Saturday, February 24, your mother sent me a Messenger request on messenger to ask me if I had heard from you. Not knowing the situation at the time about why she couldn’t get ahold of you I asked Gem and Motorcycle if they heard from you. Gem didn’t know anything and Motorcycle stated that you were sleeping at his house. 

I informed your mother of this fact, under the assumption that either you or her were trying to contact the other regarding your sons. I tried to message you on Facebook but received no response.

Later that evening, around 7:30pm, Motorcycle sent me a message asking if you had contacted me. I did not hear from you, so I said, “No.” He stated via Messenger, “Well she took off when I was out and I can’t find her.”

He later called me on Messenger panicking that he didn’t know where you were and that you went out of the back door of his house and disappeared.

Seeing as how you had disappeared from him and were now a missing person, I contacted 911 at approximately 7:45pm. After disconnecting the call to 911, I received a phone call from the Coudersport Police Department. The officer told me that you had been found and had been taken to the hospital, where you were admitted to the psychiatric facility there.

In the time before you were unexpectedly taken to jail, I had talked to your mother to inquire about how you were doing and to express my concern that you were okay and I cared about you. She also told me you had a manic episode on Friday and had contacted her by phone (presumably in the evening).

Motorcycle confirmed this later stating that you had an episode that, after describing what happened, was strikingly similar to the episode you had years ago where you laid down on the road on Route 6. 

Since then, it was brought to my attention through Gem that you were “not happy about [me] talking to [your] mom.”

Yes, I am guilty of talking to your mom. If you truly believe that my communication was sinister in nature and deceptive to your well-being, then I will send you the entire messenger conversation at your request so you may see what was said, how it was said, and why it was said. 

The tone of your letter and further conversation with Gem suggests that you feel that I am directly responsible for your return to jail. I find this idea and thought extremely disturbing, especially since the only reason I even called 911 to begin with was to report a missing person that MAY be having a manic episode, and that information was ONLY based on what ANYONE had even said to me about this particular incident (primarily Motorcycle and your mother, of which whom only was able to tell me a minimal amount of what happened on Friday.)

I also find it extremely disturbing that you accuse me of sending you to jail when I KNOW from experience in the previous days leading up to your first manic episode on Route 6, that the CRISIS number WILL NOT send a CRISIS worker out on a weekend (or a search party for a missing person) and will suggest to contact 911. I KNOW Motorcycle said to those involved that you were having a manic episode, and Motorcycle INSISTED to the police and hospital staff that you had done nothing wrong.

In the time frame of the call to 911 and the police subsequently taking you to the hospital, I find it extremely hard to believe that the police were THAT efficient that they were able to locate you, tase you, press and report charges, take you to the hospital, return to the police station, and contact me, all within the time frame of five minutes.

If you are willing to provide any other information about what exactly happened, I would appreciate it if you would write a letter stating what I might not be fully understanding. I would also appreciate you correcting me if I am wrong on a specific detail. 

I understand if you no longer feel that I am “the best friend [you] ever had.”

I hope you will understand that you were, are, and will still be, a blessing in my life and the most brilliant and beautiful person I’ve ever been blessed to know. I hope we can stay friends, even if we’re not “best” friends.

I would also request, with the utmost humility and sincerity, to continue to hear from you and read your letters and writings, but I will understand if you choose not to do so.

With Love, 

Paul

2nd Letter:

Dearest Jess, 

I’ve enclosed a letter I intended to mail to you on March 20. Unfortunately, life took a turn for the worse, and I had to disconnect from friends and family for a while. I’m sorry I didn’t send this sooner.

The March 20th letter is in response to your first letter you sent me. 

This letter is in response to the one you most recently sent me on the 4th. 

Both of these letters will only clear up what I experienced and what I was made aware of. I can only speak for my calling 911 on Saturday, which, as iterated in the previous letter, was because you went missing and Motorcycle called me in a panic stating he could not find you. I suggest you ask your mother and Motorcycle about what happened the day before, as, best I can assume, they will be able to clarify those details. I had only assumed you were okay and there was not a problem on Friday.

As of today, I have transferred the majority of your belongings to Motorcycle, I told him to return when he was ready after his surgery to obtain the rest. 

Of course, I’m only assuming you still speak to him. The earrings you asked me to repair so long ago I had found in my car and have repaired them. I have not contacted Motorcycle yet stating they are repaired.

I will conclude by saying that, in the time that has passed since I wrote the previous letter, I am both sad and angry you are back in the system, I am both sad and angry that I am being accused of intentionally sending you there.

Please contact me by letter as often as you would like. I can’t handle contacting you by phone or kiosk right now, but maybe in the future.

Warmest Regards, 

Paul

From “Love” to “Warmest Regards.”

Damn.

I wrote him back and apologized profusely. I hope it’s enough. I shouldn’t have been such an asshole to him. I hope he can forgive me. 

I’m such a jerk. 

“Take me to church

I’ll tell you my sins so you can 

Sharpen your knife

I’ll worship like a dog

Let me give you my life…”

7:42pm

I sent Paul a kiosk message that I got his letter and I’m sorry and please forgive me.

Ugh.

I’m an asshole.

It turns out that the only one really to blame in this whole thing is Motorcycle. He had the most contact with me and did nothing to help me, even leaving me alone while he knew I was delusional.

8:11pm

I hate how I never really write in here. I just record facts as if I am still reporting. “Just the facts, Ma’am.”

But life is so much more than just the facts. But this place makes me feel dead inside, hopeless. It’s so hard. And so fake. This is not real life, no matter how much they try to pound into our heads that it is. People walk around with their dead, staring eyes looking for a fight from anyone they don’t know, or is new, and parroting ridiculous “I love you”’s to anyone they do.

But how much can you “know” another person in this completely artificial, shame-and-violence-based environment? People create surface-only relationships and then tell each other that they’re “best friends” and that they “love” each other. 

But it’s only a means of survival. It doesn’t actually mean anything at all. The vast majority of these people will never speak again outside of these walls.

Never.

Back to reality.

Oop, there goes gravity. 

I don’t believe it’s because people don’t care about each other (not totally, anyway), I think it has more to do with the fact that life after prison is nearly impossible, whether you  follow the rules or not. Probably harder if you do. Don’t use, curfew by 7pm, get back on track, but attend multiple groups for drugs and mental health and get a job with a felony record and no money, no car, no friends or family, and most often, no home. And do it all with a smile on your face, lest your PO think you’re being insubordinate and sanction you further. Also–go to court for custody for the children you’ll never get back and the life you’ll never live again. And for God’s sakes, don’t fuck it up! You’re already a failure, after all.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

And Jesus Christ, don’t complain, because it’s your fault you’re here. It’s so easy to wallow in my fury and rage that this keeps happening to me, but you’re not allowed to do that when you’re looking around at people who will literally die here. 

Burgundy got her Green Sheet from parole today. She’ll be up for parole review this August of September. 

The only news I’ve gotten is a preliminary hearing on the 25th. And that they discontinued my Mobic again. Another Sick Call. Another $5-10.

Im having a hard time with the Motorcycle problem–I just had all of my stuff transferred to his house, and I’m just realizing that he’s the whole reason I’m incarcerated at all. He even had the nerve to say that he “almost laughed” when I started talking about God speaking through me and the end of times and shit.

Laughed??

Instead of helping me??

Then he starts selling my shit online.

Like–are you fucking kidding me??!! He must think I’m some kind of idiot. And of course he wants to be monogamous now. He’s probably overjoyed that I wasn’t talking to Paul or Stryder anymore. Now he can have me all to himself. 

What in the actual fuck.

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Life

About Suicide in Prison

April 17th, 2024

Wednesday

3:30pm

I felt like shit all day. They finally gave me back my thyroid medication yesterday. I wrote Motorcycle wondering if this shit is just going to keep happening to me. 

Then I called him and he was bizarrely happy, singing and talking a lot. He says it’s going to rain for three days so he’s going to take CBD gummies and relax. 

Must be nice.

Will I ever be free?

I prayed to God for Him to get me out of here and said that I didn’t know how much more of this I could take. I have a pretty high pain tolerance, but I’m pretty sure I’ve reached my limit.

I’m reaching the place of no hope for the future.

What do I really have to look forward to?

Nothing.

To the Girl Down the Hall 

Concrete and hatred

She said

To describe the prison at San Quentin

But she forgot

Despair

Childlessness

Hopelessness

Bitterness

And a huge amount of emotional pain

And suffering

That are also held in the 

Cages in this prison

How will the light ever get in 

When there is so much darkness?

How can there be hope 

In a place that God forgot about?

This place doesn’t just strip you

Of all your rights

In this “free” country

It also strips you

Of your very personhood

Your humanity

I wonder what the woman 

Down the hall thought about 

Last

Before the darkness

Consumed her?

When the noose she fashioned

Tightened around

Her neck

Was she relieved

That the suffering

Would be over soon?

No more concrete and hatred

For her

Maybe she was

Finally free.

–To Ashley Hernandez

6:10pm 

So, I’ve been wallowing all day, and then a lady named Zuko asked me in the bathroom how long I’m here. I said I didn’t know, but my max is next year. Zuko said her minimum is in 18 years.

I wouldn’t be able to do it.

I have no idea how people do this.

How do people do this??!

I especially don’t know how people know they’re going to die here and stay alive anyway.

6:50pm I called the boys and King stayed home today with a stomach bug and Superman was having a sugar rush from all of the Gatorade he drank.

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Life

Description of a Muncy State Prison cell

In cell number 2002 on Bravo-Bravo Unit at Muncy State Prison, the walls are beige vinyl, and the floor is beige. The lockers are beige too, and old and rusty. Each cell holds four people and has two metal bunk beds, or “racks.” They are also beige. There is one yellow plastic chair in the room, which is the only furniture to sit on. 

There are two tiers of cells, with two metal staircases. There is a black four-foot railing that runs around the top tier and down the staircases.

There is a slit in the concrete in each cell that serves as a window, and the ceiling is covered in fluorescent lighting with two ceiling fans. The ceiling is stained yellow from the cigarette smoke of years past.

The only color in the entire place are blue pads affixed high up on the walls for sound control. 

At the very top of the Unit, 10 feet above the cells, are a row of windows that let in some natural light. They are so high up that all you can see out of them is the sky. From the outside, the building is a short, squat, concrete rectangle that resembles a warehouse. 

The CO’s control the lights, and there is one outlet in each room, presumably for the small fans inmates are allowed to buy from Commissary and TVs, for those who are lucky enough to have the money to buy them. Televisions cost over $200 apiece, and around $30/month for cable.

Burgundy decorates and cleans the cell compulsively. I refuse to act like this is my fucking home. No goddamn way.