My celly (the term of art used to describe the person you share your cell with) left this morning. He was my celly for 3 weeks. When he was assigned to my cell the Move Sargent (the term of art to describe the Sargent in charge of cell assignments) told me it would only be for a week or less. In prison they try not to assign you a celly of a different race. For many inmates living with a different race is a huge problem. It has never been a problem for me. I have had all ages and races as a celly.

This celly was an interesting man. He was 50 years old and when he came to prison the first time he was 21. He did not play well with others and so that trip to prison he spent most of his 6 years in a solitary lock down cell.

After his second trip to prison he decided to stop doing felonies and only do misdemeanors. Misdemeanors get you county jail time and you’re in and out faster.

He told me when he was 18 he got a job and stayed employed until he first went to prison. That was the only time in his life he had a job. The rest of the time he was a ticket scalper and made up the difference he wanted with petty theft. His second trip to prison was a home burglary.

The mother of his daughter stayed with him for a few years before she couldn’t take it anymore. During this time he was the housekeeper and  babysitter for his daughter and step-son. The woman would work all day and he would stay around the house. After she got home he would go out and scalp tickets at a concert or sporting event then come home. This arraignment worked will until he started doing drugs.

When he was high on drugs he couldn’t take care of the kids and the housework. She told him to stop the drugs or move out. He moved out. He had very little contact with his daughter and step-son after that.

He found other women to live with who were fine with supporting him if he did the housework. He made all the money he needed scalping tickets and selling drugs. He didn’t like to sell drugs. It was too much responsibility keeping track of the money and how much he was using. He would usually use all he had in his possession so he had to hustle hard scalping tickets to pay for what he was supposed to sell.

He filed his taxes every year. His sister let him use two of her kids as her own so he could get huge tax returns. Every year he would have a false W-2 form and get a $5000 or $6000 refund. He would split the money with his sister.

His daughter and step-son are now in prison. Both are convicted of violent crimes. The children’s mother also went to prison. The day she was released on parole she overdosed on Heroin and died.

I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. He gave me a blank look before telling me that in the projects all you every wanted to do is commit crime. Nobody ever asked him what kind of work he wanted to do. There were no dreams of the future. I asked him what his dad did for a living. He never knew the identity of his dad. His step-dad was a thief. He was shot and killed robbing a Safeway. There were other men in his life that influenced him. Some lived with his mom they all stole and hustled. There were men from big brother who took him places. He told me they all tried to sexually molest him, but he was too smart for them. He extorted them for $20 and promised not to tell.

Just one of many of the same stories heard over and over in prison.

Till next time,

Todd