BYE, BYE, LUCASVILLE - TRANSFER TO WARREN
How do you feel about your upcoming transfer?
A little nervous. I haven't had a cellie in close to four years. I haven't had the opportunity to move around in here, and knowing that I get to walk in the snow frightens me a little.
You don't get to go outside here in the winter?
No, I do not. It has to be a certain temperature for them to let us outside.
Southern Ohio Correctional Facility (SOCF), in Lucasville, Ohio,
hidden behind trees in the winter of 2013.
The thought of snow is exciting to you then?
Yeah, actually it is. I haven't been able to touch snow other than sticking my hand out of the window and letting it barely touch the tip of my fingers. My window is slanted, so it's very hard for me to reach out and touch anything. The good thing about Warren is that everything (blocks, chow hall, etc.) is not connected. So, I have to walk to it outside.
Talking about the outside, how do you feel about riding on a bus to be transferred?
Just thinking of it makes me sick. I haven't been in a vehicle in years. The last time I was in one was to ride down here, and I got car sick. So, the thought of being in one now makes me dizzy. I'm nervous. Very nervous. Riding out is like riding down a road, knowing that you only have 3 weeks to live...yet riding down that road, you see sign after sign of cures that will help you live longer than 3 weeks. But the bus isn't going to stop. That's what it's like riding to a different prison every time. It's a false hope. You see all the things that you hope for, but you can't reach out to touch them.
[pause]
Once you get to Warren Correctional Institution (WCI), what do you imagine it to be like?
[sings] "Welcome to the jungle." [chuckles] No, but really, I hope it's laid-back and a calm environment. As I said, I will have a cellie, and I hope I have a really good one. I hope he isn't a young jackass. And I would like to be placed in a good block.
Are you looking forward to being at a level three?
Yeah, because I will have more privileges, and I'll be able to move around more.
What are some of the privileges that you will have?
Uhm, moving around more, rec, programs. That's pretty much it.
What about visits?
They are going to be a pain in the butt. They are going to be a lot shorter, but from my understanding in here (and the inmates), they are more enjoyable. Me and Steff may be able to hold hands there, and in the summer, we will have the opportunity to go outside together.
Can you talk a little bit more about the programs that are offered at WCI?
Well, I've never been there. So, I don't know what's really offered. But I think they have a dog program in there. If they do have it, I would like to train a dog how to pee onto someone's carpet if they don't like them. [chuckles] Then, when the dog gets adopted, I'll let the people know..."If he pees on your carpet, he doesn't like you." [chuckles] No really, I really want to train a dog. It will give me the opportunity to be around an animal...something I haven't seen or touched in years. Also, there's a horticulture program, where I can grow my own plants. I'll be able to tell more once I get there.
