Fish n' Bits

Like a fish out of water, I find myself in uncharted territory here at SCI. As a new inmate, I am attempting to adapt to my new surroundings, a place that will be my “home” for at least the next few months. And what a different home it is!

It is not only the physical surroundings that I struggle to get used to, but also the culture of prison life as well. When one is accustomed to living and working independently in the community, it can be somewhat difficult to be told when to go to bed, when to eat, what to eat, sharing accommodations with forty or fifty other men, being referred to as a number, and the list goes on. You quickly get a reality check and learn to appreciate the life you left behind that much more. Prison jargon also takes some getting used to; it's almost a language of it's own-terms like TA, bit, deuce-less, fish, keep six, suitcase, etc., just to mention a few that one is quickly introduced to.

Upon arriving at SCI, 1 was handed a list of rules that I am expected to comply with while incarcerated. They were pretty straightforward and should not prove to be too difficult to comply with. What I was anticipating as well, however, perhaps somewhat naively, was some type of orientation information. At the time I wasn't really sure what I was looking for, but now that I have been here for a little while, I have at least a little clearer idea of what could have benefitted me and other new inmates like me in the future. To start with, some general information about SCI would be nice, perhaps a description of the land, the various buildings and their functions, and types of inmate jobs. It might also be helpful to have some information compiled in a booklet pertaining to meal times, chapel services, inmate counts, school services, hairdressing services, visiting hours and a host of other services/programs. The issue of security risk is one that the author is cognizant of, but I believe that much information can be dispelled without breaching same.

No doubt what I am. proposing here will raise some eyebrows, but if one stops to think about the rehabilitative aspect of incarceration, such information may facilitate same. The more a new inmate knows about an institution's programs/services and it's expectations of the inmate, the more likely the inmate is to avail of the program/services and to comply with the rules.

DG