Same Old Faces

So 10 house is a drug and alcohol treatment house. Some of the inmates there are down for a first time drug or alcohol related offense and if they complete the program they get out of prison without having to serve their entire sentence.

Some of them are brand new to the system and I have never seen them before.

But there are some that have been around forever. Getting close to their "12-12" date for release but still have to complete the program as a condition of their release. I guess it means the difference between getting out of prison free and clear of doing months or years on probation.

Since I have been going down there I have seen many familiar faces. I get quite a bit of "Hey! I remember when you were just a blue shirt down in the Hive back in '09 when I first got here!"

Yeah. I remember you too, bub. Seems like I remember you were kind of a d*ck when you were behind a big steel door. Now you wanna be pals, huh?

I saw a new name last week and I remembered him. Member of one of the white supremacist prison gangs. A real piece of work. Always in the Hive under investigation. They rarely caught him with or doing anything personally, but they knew he had his hand in alot of the things going on like drugs and cell phones and inter-racial fights. Always something shady around him.

When I recognized the name I told whatever officer was in that wing to keep an eye on him and to pass the word along. He was potential trouble.

Today on the way to chow he was standing there with a couple of his cronies and said "Hey Sergeant Rev! How long were you down in the Hive?"

"Six years straight." His little buddy looked impressed.

Troublemaker said "I remember when he was a blue shirt down there. One of the only ones who would do something for you if you asked him nice. You had to ask nice, but he would help you out when you needed something if he could." He looked up at me and said "I remember when it was hot as hell and you went outside and opened my window for me. Nobody else would do that. I really appreciated it."

I waved it off like it was nothing.

A few minutes later I overheard him saying "He threw a guy through a window once! Don't mess with him, either! He can be mean as hell!" The kid's eyes were as big as saucers.

So I guess even that old story is still getting around. At least I have a solid reputation to build on.

Hopefully I won't have to throw anybody else through a window to prove myself. I'm getting kind of old for those sort of games anymore. And I was sore for a couple of days after that one.

But I never let on.

Tuesday is going to be Card Reading Day, International Mother Language Day, Pancake Day and Mardi Gras.

Beads! I got beads! (grin)