PRISONER EXPRESS

Outside these walls society says it's someone living next door. Inside these walls society says it's just another prisoner.

In prison that can be damn hard. You might hate, fear, revile or just want to beat the shit out of them. The other side of the coin, he or she might be the only friend you have. One has to be cautious, what begins as help now and then; a stamp, a cup of coffee, sugar, cigarette, etc, could become regular and then daily. Now you've become their private one-stop shopping. It's easy to be abused. Often it's the kind ones who are. When you lay down the law or stop you may possibly earn an enemy. Don't forget this is your neighbor.

The bottom line reason all of this happens is adequacy. New York claims to provide basic, adequate necessities. Bull. They skirt the line. Four or five dollars a week average pay. A lot of prisoners don't get outside money and packages. They have to save, which can take months to buy things. Now they have to whet and deal for simple things like a cigarette, stamp, etc. Get a $5 ticket and it's a huge hit. Some prisons have no hot water in cell. Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know hot water is a luxury. Some don't have preset radio station jacks. Again, I'm sorry. Being ignorant of news, music, sports, etc is a good thing. The list goes on more than the public realizes.

Neighbors?
Yes, here and there it applies rightfully to a prisoner. To far too many it's really a matter of 'takers,' 'beggars', etc who don't want to earn what they need or return the favor. For some of my neighbors I'll give and not ask for return, but hope they'll do so on their own. Others are sort of blacklisted. Burn me once shame on you. Burn me twice shame on me.

Prison can easily make you antisocial. You don't want neighbors. When you get out you don't want neighbors. Oh, you gather, visit, etc, but that personal space everyone has just got a hundred times bigger. You not only want a certain distance zone others respect, but you yourself become distant.

I grew up in the country; lots of space between me and neighbors. In that I've changed little. What has changed is no distance seems quite enough anymore. It's a matter of trust.