Drug Busts

[Jimd]

On Tuesday of this week, search teams made a major heroin drug find on D-Block in our institution. They also uncovered several cell phones in inmate hands, which are considered major contraband.

A funny twist to the story is that one of the inmates, while cuffed and being escorted to our internal security office, began to "ring". Yes, it was a decidedly electronic ring. From a cell phone. That was tucked inside his waistband. I guess it was a bad time for a call. Evidently, the cretin hadn't enough sense to put the phone on "vibrate" mode, lol!

Thursday, 25 bags of Marijuana were discovered on C-Block (the block where I'm stationed.

It always goes like this; one bust is made, and those inmates immediately want to make a deal. So they give up names, which leads to more busts. And sometimes more busts. Often, staff are also scooped up in the ensuing madness, to be caught bringing drugs into the institution.

The night after all of this happened, one of our lieutenants abruptly retired without explanation. Hmmmmm.....that raised quite a few eyebrows.

Just another day in the joint, working with staff who will sell out for a paltry fee. Staff who have no problem putting my life at risk to make a few extra bucks.

The average price for a staff person to make a drug run into the institution is $100 to $150 dollars. For that price, people are willing to risk their job, jailtime, and all of our lives.

[The Mastiff]

If you look around you can pretty much tell which staff are dirty. They are the ones getting disrespected more often by inmates, often without apparent cause. They often come up with more cases for stuff, but will let other things go for unknown reasons.

The staff involved sexually with inmates will be causing even more problems wherever they are stationed.

They all get told on eventually. All of them.

In riot situations they tend to be the ones being victimized the worst too. The strict, straight officers that ran things right in a fairly strict manner typically do better in these situations.

Even when authority breaks down, people that have earned respect on a personal level will be treated better. This is often the opposite from what outsiders think. They believe the crooked officers, or weak ones ( too friendly) get treated better by inmates. This is just not the case.

Once you earn a rep, good or bad, staff or inmate, it will follow you to any other institution in the state. There is no getting away from it.

Strange stuff huh? Joe

[Dr. Snubnose]

One of my students who is with ESU told me last week that somebody passed to an inmate in a NY prison (undetected) a Cold Steel Nightshade model Skean Dhu, which was used to stab another inmate...Funny thing is the Skean Dhu would be at the bottom of my list for any use as it is so flimsy...guessed it was smuggled in due to it's flatness...The shame is the old joke about the file in the birthday cake still holds water when it comes to prisons...Jim, what else are you seeing smuggled into "Fort Knox"? :rolleyes: ....Doc :D

[zenheretic]

Jim, I hope you have been working on that book about your experiences. Even what you write here is always well done and interesting. Heck, you know you don't even need a publisher any more. My friend and I are just finishing up a tabletop wargames rule book. No publisher needed. With the internet, you are only limited by your own psyche.

Write it up. Publish it eletronically. You can get 1 to near infinity copies whenever. Get into the Amazon network and get your book into the Amazon and Google searches for Prison Life, etc. and you could be selling right out of your own home. Naturally, break your book up and save some for 1 or two more additions in case a traditional publisher wants in.

Just a thought.

[Dr. Snubnose]

Zen...ever think about writing a book about your drug experiences..you could sell it right from your home....the book that is :p .....Doc :D
FYI: (Zen works in the pharmacological industry)

[zenheretic]

I only worked retail for 3 years...not enough for a full book. I quit retail when the death threats for doing a good job started though...

[Jimd]

Great ideas, guys!
Re. the book - I haven't worked on it in earnest for a little while, but certainly do plan on finishing it up at some point. Time is my limiting factor.

As far as publishing, one of my dreams is to be able to walk into Barnes & Noble and see my book on those shelves. Maybe even have a book signing. And I truly believe, when it's published, it has a good chance of making the New York Times Best Seller List (I hope I don't sound pompous when I say that).

Not long ago, I realized part of that dream when my article in SWAT Magazine was published. I was seriously psyched when I went into Barnes & Noble and saw it in there!

So I may try the traditional publisher route first, just to see if anyone jumps at the book. If they don't, I'll likely go the route that Zen mentioned.

Since you guys have experience with that, what would the advantages be to publishing it the electronic way versus the traditional way? Would there be any great monetary difference? If so, which direction would offer more money?

Mind you, I'm not in the book for the money. On the contrary, the story NEEDS to be told, people NEED to know what it's like "in there". In addition, years from now, I want my family and my children's children to know the experiences I had on duty. I just feel that it's significant for them to know.

But...some money sure would be nice! :D

Thanks for your input, guys, I appreciate it from the heart.

Doc, what items have I seen smuggled? Mostly drugs and cell phones. Our inmates make their own weapons, for the most part. Although back around 1985 we did have a couple of Remington 870 12-guage shotguns and various handguns that found their way into the prison and were involved in an escape attempt that went bad, which led to a week-long hostage siege in the prison.

A portion of the prison was held by inmates who held hostages. Several firefights erupted between inmates and prison officers and state police troopers during that week. Eventually, the hostages were freed. The shotguns were recovered, and some of the pistols. But not all of them. Of course, management maintains that all the weapons were recovered but they weren't.

Over the years, we've found various calibers of ammunition around the jail, from .22 to .45. Inmates have made zip guns, too.

Oh, and the whores. Can't forget the whores. I don't mean the staff who turn into whores, but the ones that the Fruit of Islam used to bring in every Friday and Saturday evening. They posed as female "religious advisors". Only thing with that is, Muslims do not even allow females to speak in church, much less function as religious advisors. The inmates had keys to rooms in their mosque that even us officers didn't have. The administration knew about it, and whenever one of us would press the issue, we'd be moved or otherwise silenced.

Yessiree, ain't corruption grand?
Half the staff was as bad as the inmates in those days, if not worse. I actually respected the inmates more, since I knew which side of the fence they were on. It's an inmate's job to be a bad guy - it's not a staff person's job to be one. I couldn't blame the inmates, but I sure as **** blame the staff.

[jzmtl]

Zen...ever think about writing a book about your drug experiences..you could sell it right from your home....the book that is :p .....Doc :D
FYI: (Zen works in the pharmacological industry)

My dad worked with pharmaceutical companies for a while doing drug testing for them, so much dirt in those businesses. I'd imagine if anybody worked in that industry for a few years there are plenty to write about.

[zenheretic]

Either publishing route you go, you have to make sure you send a copy to Oprah. :D

The traditional route can be better once you actually get signed. They would do all the promotions and of course have the money to do so. You get the benefit of professional editors etc. Naturally they would take a bigger chunk but with proper exposure you might enjoy a higher potential income.

The self publishing puts the whole thing on you. Of course nothing says a traditional publisher wouldn't pick it up later either...just depends on the book of course.

BTW. I got my first edition copy today. Looks pretty slick. Already found some typos though...d'oh! No worries easily changed.

here is the website we used: http://www.lulu.com/

[gac]

I only worked retail for 3 years...not enough for a full book. I quit retail when the death threats for doing a good job started though...

Do tell. That is surprising to me. Were people trying to get codeine and the like?

[Wali]

Greetings All!
It has been a long time since I posted. I hope all is well with my Spyder Brothers and Sisters.
My couisin worked in a State Prison in Maryland. She saw my Ronin one day and said, " Oh, one of the inmates had one of those". I said, "You mean he made a knife like this?". "nNo" she said-"that knife!" Go figure! :eek:

[zenheretic]

Greetings All!
It has been a long time since I posted. I hope all is well with my Spyder Brothers and Sisters.
My couisin worked in a State Prison in Maryland. She saw my Ronin one day and said, " Oh, one of the inmates had one of those". I said, "You mean he made a knife like this?". "nNo" she said-"that knife!" Go figure! :eek:

What a shame to see such a fine blade fall to such a fate.

It is like watching firearms captured from criminals being loaded onto barges and getting dumped at sea! :eek: