Families of SOs Community Group
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My husband is in a small 450 population federal detention center. Its main purpose it is it houses 90% illegal immigrants awaiting trial or sentence or deportation. My husband is in solitary there because they say he must be in protective custody. So the last three days all of a sudden are hell. On thursday he was asked by a guard at 7am if he wanted to get out for his hour and he asked if he could wait till 10 because he can only use the phone in that hour and his defender isnt in her office at 7, so guard said ok, I will come back later but I cant guarantee right at 10 but sometime after. So 2pm comes and he asks another guard and he tells him it says on the log that you refused dayroom today so no. So he said nothing. Friday he waited and they came around 3pm and he asked if he could get his hour and the guard said you refused yesterday so I figured u were stayin in. So no, I dont have time now if I can I will come back later. He never did. Then at 7pm the wheeled a cart with all the comissary bags on it right in front of my husband s cell which they do every friday and 3 guards started handing out the bags. The last bag had his name on it and he was standing there and they wheeled the cart away with his bag on it so he got no commissary. Then yesterday he called me finally at noon and said he only had 15 min and hadnt had a shower in 2 days and guard said he could have 15 min out to make a phone call but no shower today because maintenance was working on water or plumbing so no shower. So now hes gone 3 days with no shower. Hes not experienced any issues until Thursday. When he called me I was enraged, I told him to look in his handbook for a name or person I could contact. .he said no, please dont do anything, you will make it worse for me. He said im too worn down to argue with u, I will just hang up if you keep on about this. I dont know who is listening. He sounds terrible. He said maybe they just discovered my charges and now they are going to mess with me. Just leave it alone. He still hadnt gotten his commissary saturday and 3 days without a shower but other guys showered thursday and friday and paradd right past him so he kniws the water was working thur. And friday. . Im sick. I dont know why he would tell me and then not let me act. Why tell me? So I can sit awake all night in anguish? , which is what I did. I dont know what to do, I dont understand whats going on. There is no other federal facility he can be transferred to in Nevada. He wont make it like this for 6 months or a year. He's very passive and quiet and I know he doesnt have an attitude, quite the contrary. I know he hasnt initiated anything that would cause them to behave this way.
Sometimes they will do things because they think they can get away with it, they don't know who has a loved one who will do something and who won't. I only called about complaining about the necessities, anything else, I would leave alone, as they will make it harder for the inmate.
It's a fine line you have to cross, but there are some things, that they shouldn't be allowed to do.
Unfortunately, these types of situations are common in prison and there is not much you or your husband can do.
The absolute last thing you want to do is call them and complain. Unless it is an egregious violation of his civil rights, calling them would be a monumental mistake; and things like being able to take showers or getting your commissary late are not civil rights violations.
You could call the jail, but they would most likely make it worse for him. People who run the local detention centers, whether it is county jail or a federal detention center, are not very professional and they will do as they please.
Your husband will learn that these little games they play are common and it is best not to get too upset when this happens.
I know he is new to prison, but this is just the nature of being locked up. Things like this happened to me a few times in prison, but I just ignored it as I almost expected it.
This is an example of what I call "prison politics" and your husband will have to take care of this problem himself.
Just wait them out. The COs will get tired of picking on him and move to someone else. After all, what else can you do anyway?
Ralph
PS Please, please do not call them and complain.
It certainly sounds like you have a very good family there, that's very important. This is a roller coadter ride at best. Sadly, it's true (from our experience) that they will move onto the next "target" soon
In these situations you have to choose your battles. I personally don't think the lack of a shower or getting commissary on time is worth the effort, considering the risk it might cause for your husband if you call them. Hell, your call probably would not change a thing and you would have exposed your husband to more problems.
You have bigger fish to fry.
I did not have a shower OR commissary for 102 days, so a guy can make it through that.
The reward to risk ratio is not in your favor to make a big stink about this. Yes, you might get them to allow him to shower oftener, but in doing that, you place him in jeopardy. You would be surprised how petty jailers can be, and if you call, they could make things much worse for your husband.
Everyone knows that I don't have any respect for the system and I agree that he is being treated poorly, but the showers and the commissary are examples of things he will experience quite often in prison.
I am not criticizing you for being upset, but this is a problem that only your husband can address.
rewdiazepam
BUT, not allowing him to call his PD is a civil right violation I think... But even then YOU can't fight his battles in there for him. He is a captive and they will take it out on him. He needs to mention this to his PD, who will probably do nothing. He can write to the warden, they don't read outgoing mail, or send it through his PD, but that is a calculated risk as well. As all things that you do to fight for yourself in those places will have some kind of consequence. He doesn't sound ready or mentally prepared to take on a battle like that. So as bad as it sounds, he really is better off, keeping his head low, following the rules, and just waiting.
Yeah what they are allowed to get away with is criminal, but they have the upper hand so picking your battles is the better move always.