Rode with Chuck today. We had a really awesome ride along Tomales Bay down Highway 1. We rode from the base out to Tomales, then along the bay to Point Reyes Station. From there we headed back to downtown Petaluma, passing the Nocasio Reservoir, pictured at left. When I was walking down to the banks I saw a lizard, they are everywhere around here. I find myself paying a lot more attention to the ground looking for snakes, I heard a hiss in the bushes while riding the other day. I would take lizards over snakes any day. We had lunch in Pt Reyes Station, I had another vegomatic sandwich.
Yesterday was really cool too. A group of us went to San Quentin Prison and got the grand tour from one of the CO's who is friends with an instructor at the school. It was one of the most amazing experiences I have had while in California. We started out in the yard, where the new inmates were watching a concert of some sorts. Seemed like a ministry. The new ones wear orange, and I want to say they were call probationary, but the term escapes me so don't hold me to it. Anyway, these are guys who have just entered the system and are being categorized. They spend around 2 months and are then transferred to other prisons, or added to a tier in San Quentin. The scary thing was that these guys may have tendencies for violence against guards (or in our case a tour group) that the prison hasn't identified yet. I was real stoked to know that there was a lot of firepower in the towers. While we were there an alarm was sounded, it was a horn followed by "Yard Down!". All of the inmates hit the deck. It turned out to be for something in another area of the prison, I think the "AC". That ward is for people who "cant get along" with anyone else. Someone hung themselves there the night before too.
It was amazing to see the gangs and segregation of people in the yard. Gangs run prison, and prison gangs run the gangs on the outside. The entire yard was segregated by gangs. Whites, blacks, Mexicans, etc. When we went into one of the dorms where these orange wearing folk live, I got the first "I never in a million years want to go to prison" feelings. It is no joke, and I was soon to find out that the dorms are heaven compared to the tiers. The tiers are where people who are spending more time live, and where the orange wearers will go when they are classified and assigned a permanent home. We toured a cell, got locked in it, the whole 9. Crazy. We also went to the mess hall and saw the most amazing mural painted by one of the inmates back in the 50's. Eyes on the painting followed you, and there was a trolley car that always appeared to be coming at you. Hard to describe but an amazing work. It depicted the history of CA. We also went to the dining hall that Johnny Cash played in.
The most impressive parts of the tour were death row and the gas chamber. We walked into death row as they were locking the inmates back up from the yard. Each one is cuffed when moving, and stripped down to a white shirt and white boxers. They have 650-something condemned inmates. The co who was giving us the tour worked the row. We saw yards that they use, numbered 1-6. They are segregated mostly by gangs, Scott Peterson likes yard 6. Apparently he is no threat to the inmates and they mostly like him.
Lastly was the gas chamber. They have a new room that they will be using once they begin executing inmates again, we toured the old one that has been used many times, last was in 2006. It was quite the sobering experience. I left the prison with a renewed sense of appreciation for my freedom, for my wonderful wife and children, and for the happiness we have. There wasn't much of any inside. I also gained a huge respect for the correction officers and the shitty job that they have working alongside the prisoners on a daily basis. One person in our group asked what is was like to always be surrounded by criminals. The officer responded very well, saying that on the outside we are surrounded by them too, we just don't know it. They have 5000 or so prisoners, and a constant rotation of people. Some years see 4000 people or so released, sometimes more.
After SQ Wendell and I went into San Francisco and met Chuck, Mike Love and Andrea. We saw the Blue Angels performing over the bay, completely awesome. Those guys are rock stars.
2 comments:
I just don't get how the inmates are cool with Scooter? He's a baby killer. Doesn't that not sit right with them?
RIP Laci & Conner. (That's right- Conner- not Logan- gah Jackie Peterson is a piece of work too (she said Laci never decided on Conner's name and she wanted Logan)- well Jackie raised a kid with NPD -my own dx for him- she was/is f'ed up too) Jeez I have to stop I'm getting ticked all over again.
The guard said that he is a "non factor" to them. Its sad but true, death row is full of people who have done such horrible things that his crimes seem somehow less in comparison. He is also so low on the intimidation ladder that he just doesnt pose any kind of threat to anyone in there. He is small potatoes in that world, so they just dont mess with him really. Remember thast the only place these guys really interact is out in the little yards.
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