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Hospitality to the Imprisoned ˜ 141
This is the environment in prison. The rules change from day to day, from
prison guard to prison guard. For examples, let’s consider how you would respond
to various events.
Every prison has a commissary. In this prison store you may purchase a limited
number of items. You may do this if and only if you have the funds in your
inmate account. How do you receive these funds Most prisons have what they
call an “inmate’s approved receipt-of-funds list.” If you want to receive funds
from anyone, you must submit their names for approval before it is allowed. Assuming
that you have parents or a sibling placed on your receipt-of-funds list—
forget receiving money from friends, as only immediate family members are approved—what
do you do when they send you a money order and the mail-room
officer tells you that their name is not on your receipt-of-funds list The officer
sends the money order back, and you are left fuming. If you ask your counselor
about it, they say they will check into it, but they never do. If you file a grievance,
the warden will deny your grievance and say there is no proof that this
event took place.
Let’s say you want to order an electric razor. The mail-room officer has you
fill out the appropriate forms, the officer signs them, and the business office
deducts the funds from your inmate account. Yet when the razor arrives, don’t
be surprised when the mail-room officer tells you that you can’t have the electric
razor because it isn’t approved. Do you think you would be angry
What if you’ve run the gauntlet and managed to acquire a few certificates
of accomplishment To demonstrate to the parole board that you are trying to
get your life together, you send these certificates with a letter requesting that
they be placed in your file. Don’t be disappointed or angry when the parole
board returns these certificates with a letter stating that they don’t have room for
them. If you get a disciplinary report, don’t be surprised when they have plenty
of room.
The point is that neither the prison system nor the parole board will keep
on file any paper that demonstrates positive accomplishments. But they will
keep anything and everything negative about you. Do you think you would feel
frustrated, disappointed, or angry
If you have loved ones who care about you and who wish to help you develop
the right attitude toward life, they can have a publishing company send
you books on this topic. But books aimed at opening your eyes and mind to
changing your self-destructive attitudes are frowned on. On occasion, you might
be able to slip one of these books through the mail room. But if the book is
found, be prepared to suffer for it. The prison administration may tell you that
the words are offensive and inflammatory. If you point out similar words in
other books in the prison library, you may be told that the cover of your book
has tape on it; therefore, it has been modified and, as such, must be confiscated.