The first RDAP module (12 weeks of the 36 week program) for my class ends April 7th. The morning weekday classes create a routine that helps time pass. Everyone participates at different levels, but it is a requirement to routinely provide group feedback, typically highlighting your own personal flaws and challenges with criminal behavior and substance abuse. There are workbooks and presentations we need to work on in the off hours. We’re also expected to continually hold each other accountable by issuing warnings and positive praise. It’s exciting to see the majority of the senior group leaving soon and a new group joins. For various reasons some members need to stay after they finish the program and wait several months to get released. It’s not exciting to see others get kicked out of the program for disciplinary action. Despite the lack of privacy in the bunk areas, the atmosphere is more comfortable for me in the RDAP building.
A new camp unit manager started overseeing the camp when I started RDAP and there have been more searches and more contraband found. Also there was a fight where a white Russian guy sat down at a table full of black guys from Baltimore. (The chow hall has been extremely crowded with the camp at 470 and commissary shut for weeks, so getting a seat is like finding a parking spot at the mall just before Christmas.) When he was asked to leave, he ignored them. After that lunch he was beaten up very badly. The staff targeted, pressured and questioned black inmates from MD, but I don’t think they ever found who was involved. So due to the new unit manager, the fight and contraband, the camp has been the most locked down it has ever been according to folks who have been here for 3-4 years. About 10 weeks ago, the TV’s went off at RDAP and the gym was closed. There was a whole week we didn’t have RDAP classes and did some cleaning. We had several large searches where we had to leave the RDAP building for 1-2 hours during class. Luckily nothing of mine went missing when my locker got tossed during one of the searches. They started locking us in our resident buildings after dinner. Then they started locking us down all day, only letting us go to meals. Then they did not allow us to use the PC’s to email and download movies, shows and music. The main library was closed. After about 10 days they allowed us to use the PC’s and walk between resident buildings and the administration building from breakfast until dinner. The tracks and all outdoor recreation areas and games remain closed. They closed visits for 2 weekends with little notice (1pm on Friday March 8th.) They reopened the main library and then found contraband in it and the education room, so those rooms and others are currently closed again. The chapel and Muslim prayer room remained open with services. On Saturday March 29th it was almost 80 degrees, but the outdoor visitation area remained closed and likely will not open for weeks, due to the visitation CO wanting to watch inmates closely. The barbershop has been closed for weeks, but they allow the barbers to check out the clippers and cut hair in the resident buildings. RDAP staff created a new rule where we can’t workout inside the building. After several days of having nowhere to workout, they are now allowing us to workout in a small outside courtyard adjacent to the building. Inmates have been able to work during most of the lockdowns. Commissary has been closed for weeks. On Friday’s we typically have one hour of RDAP class and then either free time or can watch a movie the staff chooses. Some of the movies have been pretty bad, but one was nice – the classic family movie – The SandLot.
So time would be going quicker and easier without the lockdowns. It was difficult not seeing Patti for a full month, especially with no email and or ability to watch a movie on certain days and the new phone limits of less than 10 minutes a day. The exciting news is that our RDAP case manager is starting our release paperwork earlier than her other classes. I believe for me she recommended a release date to Newark halfway house on September 23rd, also recommending they release me to home confinement at some point. My case is out of Detroit so it needs to be relocated to New Jersey. The process involves a home visit and approval from a probation officer from Newark, then a bunch of approvals by Lewisburg and then approval by Newark’s halfway house. The home visit already occurred on March 25th (only a week after the paperwork was submitted) so hopefully everything gets approved soon with that release date. Apparently the Newark halfway house typically has adequate bed space availability. Many halfway houses have backlogs, which cause inmates to stay at Lewisburg for several extra months. Currently those backlogged halfway houses I’m aware of are Baltimore, Detroit, Akron and the Bronx.
Our son Connor has decided to move out of our house and live with Kelsy and Mo in downtown Denver until he finds a new job and apartment. He is starting his drive out there on March 31st with his VW Tiguan loaded up with is smaller personal items. He and Charlotte visited me with Patti on March 22nd. Our son-in-law Mo changed his job and is now working for Vizio, a division of Walmart. Kelsy is currently interviewing for a new job and keeping busy with her marketing side hustle. They both have hosted several visitors in Denver including Mo’s parents, Mo’s brother and sister, Fiona and then Connor. Fiona continues to expand her nursing experience working 12 hour evening shifts at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown. That schedule allows her to take multi day trips with her friends and family. Her latest trip was Charleston. Gabriel got into almost all of the colleges and programs he applied to and had some great honors scholarship and financial aid offers. I suppose he will decide on a college shortly. He is currently competing in his last spring track season with his favorite and best event being the discus. His girlfriend Aria performed excellently in her lead role at North Hunterdon High School’s winter musical, Mama Mia, and is also in the midst of the college decision process. Charlotte completed her first season of girls wrestling. She was in lots of matches winning and losing to some girls that were much bigger than her. She did well, gained lots of experience, made new friends and is looking forward to being on the team next winter as a junior. She recently started spring track and continues to throw the jav, shot and discus, with discus being her favorite and best event. Patti continues to work at the ARC of Hunterdon County part time. She started working an extra weekday at a second group home and now works Mon, Weds, Thurs and every other Sunday. Part of her job aside from nursing duties is to drive clients to physician appointments, the ER, some stores and events, including the Flemington Dutch Market and the North Hunterdon musical Aria starred in. My dad continues to have medical issues. He was recently in the hospital to release and test some spinal fluid in his brain. Apparently the issue and procedure is common for patients with Alzheimer’s. His daily routine and relationships are suffering and some family members are getting more engaged to assist, but it is tough with him being quite stubborn.
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