MDC Brooklyn, Update 2013

MDC Brooklyn is my housing location now and has been for the last 19-months. MDC Brooklyn is also known as the Metropolitan Detention Center located here in Brooklyn, New York. Here is where some of the worlds worst detainees are kept in a pre-trial, protective, or high security setting. Me, I'm a cadre prisoner. I have a status of minimum-security and community-custody. I was designated to MDC Brooklyn after working down to this security-level and now being equal to any other Bureau of Prisons camp (minimum) level prisoner.

As recently seen on television and the local New York City newspapers, MDC Brooklyn sits in a scarcely-populated row of buildings close to the water (East River). From the cadre recreation deck you can see the Freedom Tower being built. But not anymore, all views of outdoor civilization has been blocked off from cadre view.

MDC Brooklyn has a new Warden who arrived here a few months ago. His name is located on BOP.gov since I refuse to name names in hopes of staying below the internal radar.

Anyway, readers of my blog know MDC Brooklyn cadre status is very different from a normal camp environment. If you were searching online and found this blog, let me help you to know what to expect as a cadre. I must tell you MDC Brooklyn cadre is not a "camp."

Since the arrival of the new warden many changes have been made and I'm told we will now receive the bare-minimum of camp treatment.

Cadre prisoners remain indoors except for a small contingent of 10% who have an outside work detail. There isn't direct or indirect sunlight, nor Vitamin B-complex on commissary to purchase.

Cadres sleep in a large dorm area with 60 bunk-beds less than 3-feet away form each other. See (mdc-change) for more conditions as of November 2012.

Items not listed on the change.org site include:

1. Closure of the outside recreation program which allowed 25 select prisoners to go outside into the adjoining alley to walk up and down the enclosed secured city block. This was reactivated for Saturday's online on May 4th, 2013.

2. Recently, the warden suspended Sunday visitation, five-days before that Sunday for cadre prisoners, due to budget constraints, although Congress appropriated funds to the BOP making augmentation unnecessary. What about Jews who need Sunday visits? Subsequently this plan was cancelled and only endured for one Sunday.

3. Cadre prisoners must turn and face the rear of the elevators when on them. Literally, face the rear-unopening wall of the elevators. We're told this is for security reason. Mh?

4. Beginning May 2, 2013, the unit microwaves (2 for 120 men) can only be used for one-hour during breakfast, lunch and dinner. How do cadre's use the microwave, if more than 20 men, need 5-minutes? This was cancelled due to poor planning since this writing.

5. A 10-minute move has been activated. No longer can cadre's visit other cadres between the 2nd and 3rd floor without staying for an hour or more due to the doors being locked.

6. Prisoners with more than a 60-month sentence are not being given RRC/halfway house, but instead home detention. This is a faulty and I believe, flawed step-down process for needy long term prisoners. Why skip halfway house, when those sentenced and serving more than 60-months need it the most?

7. Cadres no longer have social furloughs or any type of furlough event. Although national BOP policy allows minimum-security and community-custody prisoners to have escorted and unescorted furloughs, MDC Brooklyn has not.. although staff has told our captive audience that 5-people have had furloughs. But 5 of 300 is just like not giving a furlough to anyone.

8. Visitation is more stringent than medium-security: cadre prisoners cannot turn to face their visitor (head and neck turns only), and cadre prisoner cannot visit the vending machine to pick out what they want. I was able to visit the vending machine at my sisters' Maximum-security prison, with her. I was able to visit the vending machine when house in a medium-security prison, low-security prison and now here, I'm to stay in my seat.

9. Most recently, cadre prisoners were issued lanyard string with clasps to fit our Inmate I.D. cards. We are to have these neck strings around our necks with our I.D. cards prominently displayed between 7am-4pm, Monday through Friday. This bothers some prisoner and I'm told they feel like it's a dog collar. Being a former Marine, it's like a huge dog tag to me.

These are some of my experiences at MDC Brooklyn as a cadre prisoner. You deal with the issues because you just want to go home. I hope this information soothes your quest for answers. Support transparency by liking NLAF on facebook and twitter. Links are available here.

Whose Family Is More Important?

This blog was written back in April. My prison experience has changed since but I feel it necessary to post this blog anyway. What do you think?

I'm an avid reader as many of my blog followers may have read in the past. Recently, my in-prison job changed to all me access to daily sunlight for about 6 hours. I'm fortunate finally, but there are still 90% of the cadre prisoners of minimum-security who cannot go outside because MDC Brooklyn administration doesn't allow them.

In my reading, a problem stuck its head-up and waved at me. There is a court room issue which shows that guidelines which make sentencing moderately equal for crimes do not truly exist in the U.S. criminal justice system. I'm in federal prison. I was sentenced before some of the more high profile white-collar cases but yet my punishment is not comparable to them laterally, dollar for dollar.

The U.S. has a class system. I truly believe this now. It is said that 5% of the worlds population, controls 80% of the worlds wealth. But in America, the top 2% have a clear benefit even in criminal justice. I've already written about "deferred prosecution agreements," and I've also written a few topics about families. The court room issue I've found encompasses the care of family left behind verses businesses left behind.

Let me explain: Whose family is more important?

Every prisoner sentenced in the last 10 years or so had various factors that contributed to their sentence being higher or lower in terms of imprisonment time. A key factor is "family." Judges are to weigh family into sentencing. Are you married? Do you have children? What state will the prisons family be left in when a prison sentence is ordered? In every case, regarding the conditions of immediate family, sentencing judges crush all hopes and a prisoners family is seen as a casualty of your crime.

But, it now has become the practice of judges across the country to be lenient to those criminals who are key individuals in a business that has employees. Judges say (hypothetically) - if I send this person to prison, although they deserve it, this number of people will be out of work. So the prisoner is given a great decrease in his sentence imposed.

Should my employees and their families carry a greater weight than my own family which includes small children who have not yet received that first impression of "daddy?" I don't think so, but it's done everyday. No family is more important than any other when weighed against crime.

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Hanging on Every Word

This blog may appear to be a re-occurring theme in my internal thoughts but it is important for many purposes. We seldom change habits of our youth and how many of you have hung on words, promises, affirmations, or religion? I have and I still do.

As a child we hang on every word of our parents or guardians. Our kids do the same thing to us and their kids will do it to them. How many times have you told your kid you will go to McDonalds, the park, the movies, or the store, but only after your nap?

You got to sleep and when you wake up, who's there? Your kid. Your child has expectancy in every eye. Maybe your kids nostrils are flared and they're standing over you smiling. Kids do this, and as your eyes focus and you remember where you are, what is the first noise you hear?

"Hey, you're awake! Yippee! We can go to McDonalds now!"

Kids don't forget and they hang on every word. You are now obligated to come through. Especially, if you tell your kid, "Get a 85% or better in each class and I'll give you $5 per class."

Umm, you better get change or go to the ATM because you will owe that child money. Making statements of expectancy gives a child and even adults something to hope for and just like these examples men and women in prison hang on every word of friends and family.

Call you at some time? We'll do it. We set our watches to alarm five-minutes before so we'll be on time.

You mailed me a letter? If we know it's on it's way, we'll be the first in line at "mail call." We'll scan every envelope looking for our names.

You're visiting? We prepare for your visit the day you tell us. Tell us on Monday that you're visiting on Saturday, we schedule our haircut/hairdo, iron our clothes, find some cologne/perfume, tell our friends and more. We get dressed an hour or more before visitation begins and sit around watching the clock all day. God forbid you don't come or can't make it.

You're sending money? We act like this is no big deal (some of us) but sending money or telling a prisoner you're sending money puts all sorts of stuff in motion. The prisoner immediately gets a commissary sheet to see what they can buy. Hygiene, food, snacks, clothes. The prisoner writes down bills he/she needs to settle and more. But God forbid you don't send the money. It's the equivalent of filing your taxes, being told you will get a $4000 refund and two-weeks later you get a notice that you owe $1500 instead.

Prisoners hang on your every word. If you say you will do something it is like telling a child. Your words are the only personal possessions a prisoner has that are his/hers. Forgetting, deciding not to, or speaking before you are sure is the equivalent of punching a person in the stomach. You can easily knock the wind out of a prisoner by saying you will do something and not doing it.

I hope this helps to explain why your loved one or friend in prison may seem angry, testy or temperamental. The people around us lie all the time, as expected, but for you, we hang on your every word.

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My MDC Brooklyn SHU Experience

On the day I sent out what I thought to be one of my most positive dedication in writing "Staying Positive in the Abyss," my own positive attitude was tested. I was placed in SHU (special housing unit) aka "jail within jail" under investigation by SIS (special investigative services).

This was no normal placement in SHU. A normal placement similar to my last 51-day stay at FCI Fort Dix, I was told "why" I was there before being handcuffed. This time, I wasn't told and when arrested by SIS they can hold you for 90-days without any explanation. I'm lucky that didn't happen to me, but this event will allow me to explain the MDC Brooklyn SHU experience.

After being stripped of my normal cadre uniform (green khaki's), I was cuffed and escorted to my room (cell). This was a concrete, cinderblock and steel room with the normal public detention toilet/sink setup. The room was freezing cold, the water had no pressure and it was cold to the the touch. Unfortunately, my two-sheets and two-blankets did nothing to help me maintain my body heat.

During my stay, I constantly wore the orange-jumpsuit, orange shoes, and socks with a towel wrapped around my head as my necessary headgear. Eventually, I received some items from my personal property to include good soap, shampoo, lotion, good toothpaste and my thermal top. This was probably my happiest day. It was actually day 5 of 11 in administrative detention.

Books and magazines are absolutely necessary in the SHU and I must admit the SHU staff was decent and respectable to me and my roommate. It is also extremely beneficial to have a roommate who you can speak with in your manner of communication.

MDC Brooklyn's East SHU (where I was held) is cold and most prisoners there choose to keep their room lights off most of the day. The guys there seldom go to the one-hour recreation period outside their cells, although offered.

There is a book cart as populated as a witches broom has straws. By a sheer miracle, I was able to get Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged," to read. Other prisoners also look out for you and offer you magazines by yelling through the door cracks.

Overall the SHU was quiet. Eerily quiet. My biggest contrast between FCI Fort Dix SHU and MDC Brooklyn SHU would have to be what most people will notice, but I feel is extremely needed.

At FCI Fort Dix SHU, someone from Psychology, Medical, and the Lieutenants office comes by everyday and knocks on your cell door getting your attention. Their concern is evident, even if by some policy, but they ask every man "Are you okay?" And, shockingly, they stay to hear the answer. This does not happen at MDC Brooklyn SHU.

At FCI Fort Dix SHU, every two to three days someone from the Education Department comes by and one of the chaplains. This does not happen at MDC Brooklyn SHU.

You see, there are no clocks, only an overhead light. You don't know the time and when you don't' know your charges, or your destiny with a feared DHO (disciplinary hearing officer), your mind is affected. Being locked in a cell for 23-hours during the week and for the entire 72-hours conclusive weekend, it would be therapeutic and even human to see a caring human, even if it's their job.

I don't know anyone who would leave a pet locked in a cage without regularly checking on them. Those who do, normally get arrested and ticketed. Besides MDC Brooklyn SHU doesn't do a room clean day, which means the rooms are extremely dirty and dirty.

Let me be the first to say that I'm happy to be out of that abyss, but many others remain for months, years and even decades. To those in or out of prison, please stay positive any way possible.

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Staying Positive in the Abyss

What's the abyss? Are you depressed emotionally, drowning in debt, feeling unloved, mourning a loved one, paralyzed, sick in your body, fighting a habit, feeling suicidal, experiencing bully actions, failing a class, living in poverty, losing your job, fighting an addiction, going to prison, in prison, or facing any other situation of plain, raw, hurtful hopelessness? If so, I want to discuss a way to overcome and move beyond this point with a better outlook on life.

If you've read any of my previous blog articles, you know prison living is hard living and with our society lacking its original forgiving nature, prison qualifies as the beginning of living in an abyss. A deep, dark location of voice and nothingness. If you feel like you're living in an abyss, I share your perspective and yet I say strong and positive.

How?

Staying positive is a state of mind. If you stay mentally focused on your problem, you surround yourself with an unhealthy amniotic fluid. You see the problem loud an clear and you drain any good from your body. I know because there isn't anything good in prison. Our communication with the outside world is our only welcomed respite.

So what happens when you don't have a respite? Nothing. That's right, nothing happens, except our problem stays a problem. When we fail to work ourselves into a different mental exercise, our depression or emotional recession continues. Can we save a drowning person who is unwilling to reach for our saving outstretched hands? Maybe, but if we are drowning, we should look for, reach for, paddle toward, or scream for help.

Staying positive is what we do with our thoughts. Psychology teaches us that we take in sights and words which produce our thinking, and our thinking produces our emotions, and our emotions our decisions, decisions our actions, actions our habits, habits our character, and character our destiny. To remove our destiny from an abyss, we must change our thinking until our emotions are different.

I don't know what moves you emotionally. I don't know what makes you smile, cry for joy, or feel warm inside. I do know that laughter is a key to finding joy, and even in prison I find things to laugh about. If I look away from my abyss, I have a greater chance of seeing my coming rescue - and you do too.

I hope this helps you in some way. As long as you don't quit, your abyss (problem) can be solved, overcome, endured or outlasted.

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A Prisoner's Mental Age

Hello, to all the current and old blog readers and followers. If you don't follow this blog and leave comments, I'd like to ask you to do so this time. There is a lot going on with the blog and I'll be releasing more information in the coming weeks. Spring is here and Summer is coming. I hope you are well, I'm getting better as my prison sentence comes to a closing chapter. Without further rambling, here you go.

I can't believe this blogs inception began years ago and yet I've kept topics coming. Welcome to this topic of mental aging. I'm not a doctor but I am a people-watcher. This blog is in response to an inquiry I received by mail and I hope it will catch your interest as well.

A person enters prison at 18 years old and is released at the age of 36, how old is this person mentally?

I've met many prisoners over my years of incarceration and this question can best be explained with examples, keep in mind, my observations may not be true for all those who return to society but it should be accurate overall.

I met two people whom I know were in prison for more than 20 years. They are both released back into society now and I hope they both are doing better than their incarceration days.

Person #1 was 20 years old when he came to prison and 41 when we met. He looked about 39 years old but when he spoke, his movements, mannerisms and laugh were extremely teenager descriptive. Person #2, was 23 years old when arrested and 50 when released. He looked physically 40 years old, he was reserved and quiet, but very aggressive and combative.

Me, I was 31 years old when I came to prison and I will be 38 at best when released back to society. I don't know what I look like physically but mentally I'm still 31 or 32 years old at most. I'm youthfully optimistic and my mind is younger than my body.

I'm told we mature mentally through living life and having experiences. Prisoners do mature by their experiences in prison but its prisoner maturity and those events, not society maturity and those events. The experiences you have are not the same as my experiences. This is why we each are clueless about the environment we respectively live in. Prisoners must readjust to living in a free society and newly incarcerated must adjust to living in prison.

So, in conclusion, it is not our minds that age slower, it is our different experiences that affect our way of thinking, acting, or being. Albeit a prisoner may seem a little slower only because with draconian sentencing laws, the prisoner has been out of the loop for longer than necessary.

My ideas of staying relevant mentally as a prisoner is to read current newspapers and magazines, watch the local news, talk with those freshly incarcerated, and communicate intimately with friends and family on all matters, subjects, processes and methods. Even the little, little, little things.

You can help your loved ones and friends by encouraging them to do what I describe above. You may be surprised at how foreign your cellular phone, DVR, or vehicle is to a person in prison. Try telling them the smallest of details and they may show the interest of a child at the age of 40, 50, or 60 years old.

I hope this simple explanation helps you to understand why a recently released prisoner may seem a little different compared to everyone else. But also, I hope every former prisoner quickly returns to a current and adaptive state of thinking and acting.

Now that you know, please do your part.

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Never Risk Your Freedom!

Life is all about balance. We balance our relationships, we balance our jobs, our church and religious life, and we balance our finances. In every balancing act we have a certain degree of risk. Some risk being more than others.

I believe we live among different personality types. Okay, that's obvious but hear me out. We have those who enjoy risks and look for risks to take. We have those who are hesitant in regards to risk and those who seek to abstain from all actions of risk. As for me, I'm someone who likes to tackle problems and get results. I often win and I know every loss is a stepping stone to winning the next time. That's my perspective on "life and risk" but there is one risk I ask that you NEVER take.

You can risk money gambling and playing the odds of the stock market, or other financial projects outside of your control. You can risk your time by taking unsure and uncalculated transportation means, or visiting unfamiliar places. you can risk your marriage or significant relationship by being unfaithful, being untruthful, abusive or many other ways. You can risk your future by skipping school, doing less than your capable of, or ignoring knowledge available to you today.

These are all everyday risks and often necessary risks depending on your situation, but you are never forced to risk your freedom. Risking your freedom is probably the absolute most asinine thing you can do. I'm referring to risking your freedom on purpose, intentionally and for fun or money. A major key to avoiding the mandatory action of risking your freedom to eat, to make work or anything else is "education."

Education is the hedge of risk. The more you learn and the more you experience the better protection you have against the inherit danger of risk. Risking your freedom is unlike other risks. Loss of freedom is a slow torture. It has an immediate impact which hurts and then it lingers for longer than you can imagine while you continue your loss of freedom.

Your freedom is precious and often we devalue it in our daily course of life. Schools don't teach you to avoid risking you freedom, they teach you skills, so risking your freedom is unnecessary.

If you are thinking of risking your freedom, be sure to value your life more than that "action" before it's too late. If you lose your freedom, you lose your ability to make decisions, you lose where you want to be, you lose your relationships and the closeness they can have and much more.

As my prison (loss of freedom) sentence approaches its closing year, I look back and see my unintentional risk was the catalyst that took my freedom. Yes, I'm responsible for my mistake and this blog contains my prison experience in my own words. I only hope you will see that "Risking Your Freedom" willingly should never be an option.

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