🔵 By Matthew Hogan. Photo by lauragrafie.
So, as I previously stated that I would write about the conditions of my confinement… However, I feel like that would also play in to a typical day here in prison. With that being said, there are a few unspoken rules here in prison that one should keep in mind. The first of these would be, mind you own business. Pretty simple right? Basically no matter what you see or hear do not repeat it or disclose it. Second, if someone „calls you out“ (challenges you to a fight) you better fight or you’ll forever be dealing with unneeded drama. In all honesty it is all very simple until the „politics“ of prison gangs get involved. Now it is very racial in the sense of segregation. People tend not to want to associate with people of another race.
Anyways. Moving forward with those concepts in mind we will begin to understand the environment better. My typical day begins at approximately 0300 hours. That is what time I get up for work. I work in a stainless steel plant owned and operated by TDCJ (Texas Department of Criminal Justice). Where I work from about 04:30-15:00 Monday-Thursday. It’s probably one of the best jobs one can get in prison. However, none of us get paid or even receive any type of compensation for our labor. They may tell everyone that we get „good and/or work time“ counted toward our sentences but it really does not mean anything. I’ve seen time sheets that say 156% of the sentence is completed yet they won’t let that person out, even though he/she is not an aggravated/3G (specific penal code) offender. So someone like myself who has a 3G/aggravated offense has to do a minimum of 50% of their sentence (calendar time/flat time) prior to even being able to see parole. By the time that happens my good time, work time, and flat time will already be at roughly 100% of my sentence yet I will most likely not be given my first parole.
But moving along, prior to work I like to make myself two cups of coffee and listen to my radio to start my day. I bought my coffee, and radio at the commissary store. At around 10:00 we go to lunch and after going to the chow hall we go back to work. Prior to being able to go to the chow hall we are all stripped and searched. So at this point in time in my life I am used to being told to get naked LOL. At some point I will get a workout in during the day. But after work it’s time to get strip searched again, then we go to the shower box, shower and go back to our assigned living quarters. Where I am it is not cell but a dorm style. Meaning we all have our bunk and common areas. So we have no privacy. When I get back from work I get on 1 of the 2 phones that are basically pay phones (which 2 of them to a group of 54 inmates). I’ll call my mom and check in so she doesn’t worry. Our conversations really consist of me listening to what my little brother is doing wrong in the world. I really try not to tell my mom about my day to day life in prison because all of it would give her added anxiety. After that they typically will do our mail call and I wait to see if I get any letters. When I do get mail I will write back to whom ever it is that wrote me that day. When I don’t get mail, I like to spend the time writing a letter, studying, reading or just day dreaming. Between 17:00 and 18:00 we usually have dinner. After which I come back and really settle down and get ready for bed. It is a dorm setting and lights out is not until 23:00 Sunday-Thursday and I am asleep by 20:00. So obviously I am woken up constantly by the goings of prison.
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are my days off so that is when I do most of my studying. Friday and Saturday mornings I go to the recreation yard to work out with the group of guys that I work out with. All of our work-outs are body weight and gymnastic-style workouts. For example yesterday our „leg day“ consisted of 1000 jump-lunges (500 each leg), 500 body-weight squats followed by a mile run. And yes it was over 100°F when we did that. Upper body days consist of dragon-flags, front and back levers, muscle-ups, weighted pull-ups and dips. Planche push-ups, regular flags, lever push-ups, one-arm pull-ups and work-outs on Olympic rings. Friday nights or I should say every other Friday I go to my religious study group I follow the Asatru faith. My group/hoff consists of 7 members at this point. The rest of my weekend time is spent on cleaning stuff up. Specifically doing my laundry. Here in TDCJ we hand wash all of our clothes and sheets. This is because TDCJ gives you one uniform unless it’s brand new which is rare; it’s disgusting when you get it. Same with your sheets. So I hand-wash all of my stuff. We can also buy stuff to wear from the commissary store. The only good thing about being in prison without AC when you live in an area with extreme temperatures is that it is so damn hot that all my laundry dries very quickly. LOL.
As for my studies… Currently I am teaching myself to read, write, and speak the Russian language. It’s tricky but I think I am doing well. So if you can read/write Russian or speak it, I’d love to hear from you to practice with.
Outside of that I study law and personal health and fitness. Pertaining to the law, I am trying to obtain my sovereignty, which is a process American Citizens can go through to regain more rights and remove themselves from the custody of the government. Specifically it will remove me from prison and grant me access to a large sum of money. After which I have every intention of relocating to another country. Its a very interesting subject that was hidden into my country’s laws.
But that really sums up my typical day in prison minus all the stuff I could spend countless days and pages complaining about. I may have also left out a lot of the fighting and violence that takes place but hey, that will be discussed another day. Right now I have homework to do on the Elder Futhark. Until next time!