Run, Chris, Run

4 July 2011

Dear Anne,

“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time,

“Do you love me?” and he said to him,

“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” –John’s Gospel, Chapter 21

Time is up! This Independence Day freedom means more to me than ever. Now I know the privilege of everyday ordinary citizenship in a whole new way. Unlike most ex-offenders with whom I have served time in federal custody, I resume my status as a full fledged citizen. I retain my access to the mainstream of the American work-force and with my right to vote intact may still effectively influence elected officials. Meanwhile ex-offenders with felonies have no such privileges.

For my birthday I completed a ten-month certificate program to become a Pace e Bene agent for non-violent change. The final workshop was based on Bill Moyer’s Doing Democracy introducing his eight-stage model of social movements. I learned that in every movement people are called to participate in four key roles: the rebel, the citizen, the reformer, and the change agent. As we use are gifts and talents to chose the role that’s right for each of us, we’re called to make effective contributions. Finally, all roles are welcome!

His analysis explains my transition within the movement to close the U.S. Army School of the Americas. My role as a rebel has come to an end. Next I reclaim the responsibilities of an active citizen. I am grateful to my extended community for helping me through prayer to be an effective rebel or prisoner of conscience. The protection God has given me as I’ve served my time is only explained by such community prayer.

As a citizen deeply concerned about the SOA/WHINSEC I am choosing to support the movement as a fundraiser.

I’m really nervous! But Anne, I value the tradition of Christian almsgiving and I want to inspire that Christian virtue in others. So, now as I transition from the prophetic role to active member of the Church, I still get to be a leaven for the common good.

How? By running a marathon! Since I arrived at the Salvation Army Correction halfway house, I received church passes to attend Old St. Patrick’s Church. There I accepted an invitation to get involved on the Chicago marathon charity team. Friends know this is my third marathon, and my first fundraising effort. To be honest I just wanted to run the marathon for fun. I know, God has given me the gift of doing the strangest things for fun: Civil Disobedience and marathons, some idea of fun.

Chris

Write to Chris!

Hello friends!

I had the pleasure of speaking to Chris by phone several days ago. He is doing well. He has his own room in the halfway house in Chicago and he feels he has adjusted to life there. He does not have work yet and seems to be doing some creative things to make money. It's different from the prison of course -- he is able to get out and about once a week, stealing away to the library or to Mass. He also says that he really supports what the halfway house is all about -- that it is in fact "part of the solution." They do a great deal in the way of job prep and emotional support for the guys who are transitioning back into society.

It seems though, by talking with him, Chris is lonely. He gets along with everyone well but because everyone has there own rooms, he doesn't seem to have as much quality interaction with people. So, if you have time, send him a card or a letter at:

Chris Spicer #94642-020
105 S. Ashland Ave
Chicago,Ill 60607

It would mean a great deal to him!

Blessings,
anne

Update from SOA Watch

Watch Prisoners of Conscience released from federal prisons.
Pedro Guzmán released from the Stewart Detention Center!

We are so excited to tell you that Father Louis, David Omondi and Pedro Guzman have been released from prison!

Last Friday David was met by friends and family at Yazoo City, Mississippi, and Father Louie at the Lompoc Federal Correctional Institution, California. After serving six months in prison for crossing the line onto Fort Benning during the 2010 November Vigil, they are glad to see loved ones and open space. They've sacrificed a lot to help transform this culture of militarism into one of justice and peace.

Can you join them in taking a stand? If you haven’t already, contact your representative today and urge them to sign on to the congressional letter calling for the closure of the SOA/WHINSEC by executive order.

Following 19 months of incarceration at the Stewart Detention Center (one of the largest immigrant prisons in the U.S.), Pedro Guzman has been released! Pedro's unjust incarceration was the focus of a protest and civil disobedience action in the lead-up to the 2010 November Vigil.

As Father Louis, David and Pedro head home, and while the SOA Watch Prisoners of conscience Nancy and Chris remain locked up, we have been stepping up efforts in the halls of the Capitol to build support for two important Congressional sign on letters. If you take action today, it will help strengthen our case and bring us even closer to shutting down the SOA and archiving justice in Honduras.

Charges against SOA Watch activists still pending in Columbus, Georgia and Washington, DC
All charges against Kaelyn Forde and Jon Conway, two of the journalists who were among those indiscriminately arrested by the Columbus police during the 2010 November Vigil, were dropped on Thursday, May 19, 2010. Nineteen of those who were arrested in Georgia last November still have pending charges of "unlawful assembly," "demonstration without a permit" and "picketing" against them. The SOA Watch Legal Collective is working with them on their legal defense.

Fifteen SOA Watch activists are scheduled to go to court in Washington, DC on September 12. The 15 were part of the die-in on the White House sidewalk during the SOA Watch Days of Action in April 2011. They engaged in the nonviolent direct action to call for an end to U.S. militarization in the Americas and on President Obama to sign an executive order to shut down the School of the Americas.

Thank you for all that you do in this movement! Let us keep everyone who is being targeted by the criminal (in)justice system and Nancy and Chris in our thoughts, write to them in prison and help magnify the courageous actions of all the prisoners of conscience by turning up the heat in Congress to close the SOA/WHINSEC for good.

Yours in struggle,

SOA Watch

P.S. Already taken action? You can help spread the word about this vital work by sharing this action with your friends and family here.

Help SOA Watch accompany Honduran community leaders whose lives are being threatened.

Thank you so much to everyone who’s already given to our new Honduras Accompaniment Program. Since the 2009 coup led by SOA graduates, over 80 political assassinations have taken place in Honduras. As a recent SOA Watch delegation substantiated, the numbers of murders, detentions and death threats to community leaders and human rights activists have spiraled in recent weeks. Our partners in Honduras have asked that we send Spanish-speaking international accompaniers to vulnerable communities. The mere presence of international observers can literally save lives of those struggling for justice in Honduras.

Thanks to your generosity, we have already raised $4283. There is still time to help us reach our goal of $5,000 to allow us to launch this program in June. If you haven't already done so, please give today! www.soaw.org

Chris' new address

HI folks!

Here's another update from moms!

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Chris called and said he had a safe trip and a precious furlough of 24 hours flying to Chicago and getting to stop and visit in the wee hours with his friends and community members of White Rose Catholic Worker of Chicago before he presented himself at the downtown correctional institution which may be his "home" til July 3. His address is: 105 S. Ashland Ave Chicago, IL 60607

He was able to get a pass to walk to St Pat's Cathedral yesterday for Mass, but will need to stay on the grounds for the rest of the week getting 25 credits of classes toward "reentry". He has a SINGLE room and a job there of washing showers at 9PM. Then the next week he must be looking for work.

Blessings,
Marti

Reflection from Mom

Below Marti reflects on her visit with Chris today as he awaited his plane transfer to Chicago. It's very touching, please read!
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Dear Anne, Family and friends,

Chris' Dad and I were able to pick him up at FDC Seatac and spend some precious time with him before he flew to Chicago to serve the last 6 weeks of his sentence at a Salvation Army halfway house. It was a joy to be able to be with him during this transition. He actually got out a few minutes early and had a chance to just sit quietly in the sun and contemplate the building, the blue sky and red azaleas...Then we picked him up and took him 1 block down the hill to a park with hiking trails, trees, birds singing. After a little time he picked a spot and we had time for a family prayer along with the Eucharist we had brought (his #1 request). Then we had coffee with Dad before he had to drop us at the airport and head back to work. Chris and I had a lovely visit over a nice meal -- he chose veggie pasta and we got salad, a fruit plate and some other things he had had little of...

He expressed appreciation for all the support of prayers,books, letters and visits (and the prayer and SOA/US prisons information night that was co-hosted by the St Joseph's Sister Parish El Salvador Committee and the Spicer Family. That night May 13th, we had the co-leaders of the PacNW SOAWATCH sharing, a video about the SOA and prayers of fifty attendees).

Chris said that the letters have been deeply moving but he is overwhelmed knowing he can not respond to them all and is hopeful that people have referred to the jailhousegenesis blog for information and updates. For the next week, he will have no or limited ability to leave the facility and probably limited phone and e-mail capability. We don't even have an address yet.
Folks in Chicago can only visit when they have applied and been approved through the BOP system.

So a new phase of his prison experience begins! Thank you for prayers for his continued journey. He has been safe and learned and given along the way.

Anne, THANK YOU so much for all your work on Chris' letters and blog!!! It has really lightened his load! I will try to send a picture of Chris as he was picked up today when I get it back from developing.

Marti

Fresh Air!

Well, the day has arrived. Tomorrow, Thursday, May 19th, Chris will be released early to finish his sentence in Chicago at a halfway house! I haven't been able to talk with him since my visit, so unfortunately I cannot report on how he is doing. Please continue to pray for him as he makes his transition. He'll be in the halfway house until the completion of his sentence, July 3. After that, he is free.

It is likely that Chris will want to post himself on this blog once he gets out, to share directly with all of you. Please stay tuned for several more weeks. Chris and his family have greatly appreciated your prayers, support, encouragement, books, letters ...everything!

Blessings,
anne

The Tumult of Visitors Day

30 April 2011

Dear Anne,

"There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.... She said, 'If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.'" Mk 5:28

After our visitors left, Desmond said to me: "My son...he keeps asking when I am coming home so I can make pancakes. He tells his mom she doesn't make them right..." Anne, you say there's something hard about me. You looked around the visitors room and said "Some of these men look scary." If only you knew our own fear, how hard it is to enter that visiting room... Cole on Friday night was clean-shaven and studded out with slicked hair to greet his lover. Afterward, when there were only remnants of the neighborhood late night snack he had prepared, he sat sullen in his room with Don, who, hyper as ever, after failing to cheer Cole up was probably desperate when he fetched a peanut butter wafer for me. Cole said, "Part of it was my fault. I had left my ID in the kitchen and couldn't find it." That slip ate ten minutes away of the visit. his friend came at 6:55 but because of the delay Cole arrived at 7:35, meaning only an hour and twenty-five minutes remained for a visit. "They should punish us, not them," Cole said. "They shouldn't treat our guests like that Greg agreed. But always a visit is bittersweet. Today I felt numb trying to believe your presence in the blueness of the veins in your hands, how you flip your hair back, and the silver hoop swings from your ear.

Chris

My visit to see Chris

I am a changed woman after visiting Chris. Frankly, I'm still not sure what to make of it all. The visit was absolutely drenched in the Holy Spirit and I feel very blessed to be Chris' friend. This experience of being his advocate has opened my eyes to a world that has always been far, far out of my line of vision. My life and the lives of those in my family have been untouched by this kind of hardship. I haven't prayed through it all yet but here is the brief letter that I wrote to Chris with a few reflections on the experience.

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May 2, 2011

Dear Chris,

It was SO GOOD to see you, to wrap you up in a big bear hug! Our two hours went so fast, they are a blur. I can still see you as I walked out the door, standing by the window, gazing through its frosted glass as you imagine the trees swaying in the breeze. I got teared up leaving you behind.

It was a very moving scene for me – the whole thing. The other inmates in all their shapes and sizes, with loved ones leaning in to talk close across the invisible “no touch” barrier delineated by language. There was so much life in that visitors room. Children, wives, girlfriends, siblings. The image of the Latino inmate rocking his sleeping 2 month old in his arms as he caught up with his special lady is burned into my mind. I swear my heart shattered into a million pieces.

Even just pulling into the parking lot of the looming concrete prison I started to well up. “There are people in there,” I whispered to my radio. People. Caged. Cut away from the body of Christ like a cancer threatening the life of us. I know that they screwed up but I also know that things just aren’t that simple. Everything is reduced to black and white inside the gray walls so we can pretend that life is fair, clear cut, able to be controlled.

It struck me hard too how many faces were of color. There were a couple white guys, but so many more of Latino and African American descent, shouting volumes about the breakdown in the ideals of the country I love so much, our beloved Land of the Free.

And you. The last I saw you, you had just left the Jesuits. When you came from around the post, I was caught off guard by the hardened edge of your gait and for a moment I was taken aback. This is not the same Chris. And why should it be? You have scaled mountains since we last saw each other, and so of course the story of your sacrifice is being written into your body.

And then we talked, and underneath the hardened exterior it was still you. Still you. Still your bright eyed, gentle, compassionate, fiery, driven, Jesuit self. Thank God. Thank God. Maybe you are even more yourself since the last time I saw you.

It was SO GOOD to see you, to wrap you up in a big bear hug. I can still see you standing by the window, gazing through its frosted glass as you imagine the trees swaying in the breeze.

Love

anne

Hopeward Bound

The following is a letter from Louie Vitale, another prison of conscience in protest of the SOA. Chris' legal advocate Bob forwarded it to me. It's very touching so I am going to print it and send it to Chris and also post it here for all of you.
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To Louie's Family and Friends: We just received this letter from Louie, who will complete his six month prison sentence at Lompoc on Friday, May 20, 2011. He'll return to the Bay Area that weekend.

'Hopeward' Bound (May 1, 2011)

When I came here last year it was time for the U.S. Census. They instructed us to write in for home address "Lompoc Prison." Quite a number of inmates balked at this: "This is not my home." It has given me some thought. Yes, we must put on our return label "Federal Prison" and all phone calls insert messages to the callee that this call is from a Federal Prison.

But in many ways it is a home when we are here. We may not think of it with the familiarity of home. In fact I do find a lot of life here. There are times when I feel a conviviality that is welcome and even enjoyable. There is a lot of humor. Further there are a great number of times we see inmates pushing wheel chairs for others or in many ways assisting the infirmed, handicapped and aging. Residents make friendships and partners in various activities, meals, music, sports, games, even work projects. I shall miss these friends, companions, neighbors (bunkies).

For me the Chapel is a second home. I feel close to God there, participate enthusiastically in religious services, Bible Study, the sharing of our lives, a place to go for quiet, peace, prayer or to direct others who might need toiletries, shower shoes and such on arrival and most of all a warm welcome. We often give special attention to prayers for the inmates or members of their families in sickness or even in death. For most of us this locates our Faith community, perhaps for many the first they have had in many years.

In addition I am able to continue sharing our concerns about the School of the Americas, Nuclear weapons, especially from the adjacent Vandenberg Air Force Base. We witness the test launches of I.C.B.M. missiles, and most recently of gigantic "classified reconnaissance satellites" into space, which some see as an initial step in Space War.

These observances, as well as CNN news of Japan, Libya, etc., are shared together and offered as concern for prayer. At the same time we note a searching eye for HOPE. As Pope Benedict expressed in his encyclical on Hope...we need a reference beyond the immediate time and place...We need to base our hope on a benign creation that goes on long beyond our earthly struggle...

Jesus noted that this "kingdom" is already in our midst. We experience daily the compassionate love of our creator in our daily lives. For me this is almost palpable here, both in life with others, at the Chapel and in prayer. Our Gospel message challenges us to look beyond these fences and see the goodness, even of our neighbors, the beauty around us, esp. in the universe, to know there is still love, life, beauty available to us in this world and "the next."

I am happy sharing this journey with my companions here, and with those who have been offering me support in love and prayers. I am happy and most grateful. Please keep praying for my "home mates" even after my departure.....

With much Love and many Blessings.

I'M HOPEWARD BOUND,

LOUIE

Update from Mom Marti

Hey all,

I got this email from Marti a few days back. Chris had protested the low wages of his job as a justice issue and ended up in solitary confinement for 6 days! He is doing okay and will still be eligible for early work release if he continues to behave. Check out what Marti has to say.
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Dear White Rose Community,

Blessings to you this passion week!

When we visited Chris this Sat. he was well and feeling good about the ministry of presence he is involved in in the jail. For the last 2 weeks he had not been reassigned a work duty. Due to budget cuts in WA State, the education program has been cut so he can't do ESL for his job(He continues to work with one man on ESL informally.). He said that since it is getting closer to the May 16th date they might just let him slide...The other inmates respect him for his stance. After the 6 days in solitary they decided that for now they will still aim for the early release but took all but personal hygiene and health items of the commissary list as punishment for 90 days. Then when he bought toothpaste and exchanged it for candy bars and "boasted"of it in a letter out, which they read, they took his e-mail privilege away for 45 days (which he hasn't been using anyway).

He said that he can only be released to an "institutional" half way house"so he cannot stay in White Rose in mid-May. They are looking at somewhere in South Chicago.

Also, we are having a prayer vigil for Chris, POC's, SOA and prisoners in general at our church on May 13th. In the meantime there was a partial prison message on the phone from yesterday which means he tried to call, which he hasn't been doing since we have been visiting weekly. Don't know what that means but a friend is visiting today so we'll see.

We will see Chris for Easter, I am making cards for him and a prisoner he asked us to write to as he so wishes to have some mail...I WISH I could sneak some Easter candy in but we'll be there with hugs and prayers.

Easter blessings to you all
Marti Spicer

Read these Factoids about our US Prison System!

13 March 2011

Dear Anne,

"A stray sheep was Israel that Lions pursued; formerly the King of Assyria devoured her, no Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon gnaws her bones." Jeremiah 50:17

When it costs $0.30 for Ramen soup, the basic wage [in the prison] of $0.12 an hour doesn't do much good. "It's like I just read in Grapes of Wrath," Greg says. In one month's work, dorm orderly Greg makes $5.25. "That's forced labor." Indeed, we will be sent to the hole if we don't work.

Sunday concludes with some lessons from Greg:

• Rates of recidivism for probation violations -- 85%
• Double jeopardy is a myth. If you've done time on a state charge, you'll get brought in for a federal charge.
• Prison gives housing to third world refugees.
• Prosecutors force guilt with no proof theories. They have no evidence, just a witness who lays the blame in exchange for a reduced sentence.
• The basic cost of housing a federal inmate before medical is calculated by the Bureau of Prisons at $21,000 per year.
• 2.3 million people incarcerated, 200,000 in federal prison
• 25% more people per capita in prison in the US than anywhere else...per capita!
• Felons are no longer afforded the basic moral rights due Americans.
  

My homework is to compare the definitions of kidnapping, extortion, and blackmail to the ordinary injustice of the system.

Chris

Possibility of Early Work Release

Hi folks,

I spoke to Marti, Chris' mom, today. She saw Chris over yesterday and apparently there is a real possibility that Chris might be able to get an early work release, possibly as early as May 16th. That would be about 6 weeks early. If he were released, he would have to go to a halfway house and work at least part-time. It turns out that there is a possibility that the Catholic Worker White Rose community in Chicago could be his halfway house, which would be ideal. So please pray that this may come about, if it is God's will for Chris!

Blessings,
anne

Workin for THE MAN

Hi folks,

I got this update from Chris' dad Dave on March 28.

Hi Anne,
I had a great meeting with Chris tonight. He is doing very well and has adjusted to his new environment. He even has a paying job working in the kitchen handling sanitation related who-knows-what. Chris even manages a crew all for the hourly rate of 50 cents/hour. High pay since the lowest entry level starts at 12 cents. How do they get away with those wages???

Dave

Hmmm, that's a really good question. How do they get away with that? Does anyone know if SeaTac Federal Detention Center is run by a for-profit company? If so, they are making out pretty darn good. They get the cheapest labor around to work for their business, barely having to pay a buck for the labor it takes to run a prison. And on top of it, the money pay out really just goes back into their own pocket since the guys mostly use it for commissary where everything is marked way up. What a brilliant system they have orchestrated! Looks like Wall Street has been giving them lessons!

Questioning our direction of this blog

In the letter below, Chris writes to me, struggling with what we are doing. I too am trying to find a way to help Chris at the same time keeping up my obligations in my life. We haven't yet even spoken on the phone, though that is the plan next week. Here, to be transparent, I am posting what we are both struggling with though we are not able to efficiently communicate. At least not yet. This is why my visit to Seattle in April is important to us both.

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9 March 11

Dear Anne,

I'm going to procrastinate saying this for just a minute. I'm not sure if I slept through lunch, so I'm going to take a lap and on the other side of the triangle I'll see the clock on the pillar. We need to talk about the direction of the blog more directly and more firmly agree on where it's going. I'm dissatisfied with it and am disconnecting. My intention has been to produce a short work. I do not want every unpolished word published, in thinking aloud, because like song artists who get robbed for putting up their tunes, so I will defeat the purpose I secretly had. So I'm surfacing it and expressing my inner conflict at the same time.

I need you. I care for you but the truth is, I don't know a wink about you. We have forged a pseudo loving relationship on the pretext of my witness to close the SOA. Because you know they world in a different way I have not written you much about the science of nonviolence or the minutiae of wrong about the SOA. Our common ground seemed to me to stem from the shared experience of the Lenten prayer group, and more profoundly from knowing God personally through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Now, my dissatisfaction organically stems from my restlessness as a person without health insurance or more than $200 in my bank account, a BA and a Catholic worker house to hang my little hopes on of selling some writings in hopes of aiding souls.

Yet also, here, now, away from daily Mass my relationship with God has continued to develop. I just keep writing for the sake of our commitment even though I don't know what that means. I'll try not to keep secret my experience here. For your partner here wants you to be empowered in this relationship. I trust you to find with me the nuggets for wider consumption. I fear not knowing how much p9ower you have and I'm anxious to be able to look over your shoulder.

Chris

Visiting Chris in Seattle

Hey guys!

Here's the story on visitors: visiting days are Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Of those days, Chris is allowed to have visitors on the even days of the month. So for example, the first weekend of April Chris could have visitors on Saturday, April 2 or Monday, April 4. But there are some things about it:

1. You have to fill out a form and provide 2 or 3 forms of ID. It takes maybe 7 - 10 days to process. Once you submit the form and it is processed, you receive an approval letter from the prison.
   
   
2. Chris can only receive 1 visitor a day so you have to be sure that no one else is scheduled to see Chris.
   
   
3. You must MUST be on time to a visit....not even one minute late.

If you want to go visit him, the best thing to do would be to write him a letter telling him that you would like to visit. He will then send you a form. You two also can work out via the mail when the best time to visit is.

If you do go visit, please keep me in the loop so I can post an update to the community!

Thank you, blessings,
anne

Sending Books to Chris in SeaTac FDC

Hey all,

One of Chris' friends Jim did us all a favor and called the prison to find out about sending books to Chris. Jim reported that "the man who answered said the prison will accept a book if it comes from a bookstore with the bookstore's return address on the envelope and as long as it is not hardcover." Thanks for the update, Jim!

So, you can send books from smaller booksellers. I would still be safe and send one to Chris to make sure it gets thru before sending a whole bunch. From others I have heard that sometimes a particular prison might not be consistent with it's policy.

See a list of books Chris would like at the very bottom of the blog.

Peace
anne

Update from Mom

Well, Chris' parents Marti and Dave finally got to visit with Chris for the first time since he was incarcerated in January. They drove to Seattle Federal Detention Center on Sunday and had a lovely 2 and 1/2 hour visit with Chris. His mom says that she was able to actually hug Chris --there was no glass between them. They were able to sit down together and a have an uninterrupted very quality visit.

Marti said that Chris looks quite healthy and that he feels safe. He is eating veg food and is able to get a little exercise, but he is never able to get any fresh air and the windows are frosted over so he cannot even look out side. Also, he has a very different situation in SeaTac FDC. Where in Georgia he was in a room with many, here he has one roommate, who he refers to as a celly. I guess it's working out pretty well, they seem to get along okay. He has also been assessed for a job: apparently many of the inmates work jobs within the detention center. He was hoping to get a groundskeeper job just so he could feel the air on his face, but no luck on that one. We stayed tuned to find out where he lands.

As for his time inside, he is feeling a shift in his ministry too. While those couple months in Georgia he really got involved in ministering to his fellow inmates as a ESL teacher and advocate, now he is feeling a drive to really focus on his writing. In fact, he really wants to kick this blog into high gear and he is eager to talk with me about where to go next.

We plan to talk on the telephone soon and I do hope to go visit Chris at the end of April, too, to get my own hug!

Blessings on the road from Atlanta, GA
anne

Exchange among jailmates

March 2, 2011

Dear Anne:

It felt like 7:30 when in fact it was 10pm lockdown and I had procrastinated from calling. The day went fast, Crow was right: "This is easy time." I sat with him and Buddy to watch Moose and Stan play stratego, since both had beaten me. Buddy and Moose both arrived with me yesterday to the Seattle Federal Transfer Center. Crow and Buddy were talking of Spokane and I asked if, like Buddy, Crow was also from there. No, they knew each other from the Spokane County jail. Each had for their public defender Katie. "If she at least said something [during the trial] I would have felt better," said Crow. He got caught again for re-entry from Canada and this is his first charge. "You're the first person I've met her with re-entry," I said. In fact, he was the first white person I had met, let alone conceived of, who had a re-entry charge. "I know...all the cops were like, 'what?' and the Federal Marshalls, too." Before he had gotten off with warnings but the judge at the trial seemed out to get him. "The recommended sentence [by the prosecuting attorney] was 0-6 months. The judge didn't care. He wanted to give me more until I got on my knees and said 'I've got a family and I'm self-employed. It will never happen again.'"

"After you left," said Buddy, "we got out for a total of three hours in three weeks" and those recreation breaks were fifteen minute bites. "They said the elevators were broken." "There's such a thing as stairs." "They said they couldn't cover them in case fights broke out." "Not that they could do anything to stop them anyway, remember that one?" "Yeah it was over and done with by the time they came," said Buddy. "I don't know how anyone could not learn their lesson. Jail sucks," said Crow.

Chris

The Man Named Steve

The following is an excerpt from a recent letter of Chris' to me. The names have been changed.
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Steve has one month to go before he spends the final sixth measure of his sentence in a halfway house. Already he served 17 months here in echo-Charlie. Once he moved to room 26, now to the corner room, otherwise only out to his work detail or down for a visit, but never once outdoors. "I'm losing it, man," he confessed. He has seen some men leave and later come back. Yes, "for a violation," he said, pausing for effect. "Now we've got some real looneys in here."

He recounted that he had self-surrendered, giving me a hint of the minor weight of his crime, at least an indication that the judge respected his character enough to allow Steve to report to prison of his own volition. In fact, the judge said he wanted to send Steve to Sheridan, OR for participation in a program that would subtract a year from his sentence pursuant completion of 500 hours worked. Unfortunately when he opened his letter of destination, Mike read Seattle Federal Detention Center.

"Hey man, I'm in room 36 if you ever need to blow smoke." That goes without saying for y'all, anne.

love
Chris

Mom's update on Chris

Chris called last night and sounded very good!!! He says he is now assigned to a cell with one roommate (rather than bunk area for 60) and his "cellmate, Kevin is very nice,well-educated fellow! He says the food portions are more generous and people give him vegies -he's applied for vegie meals. He has gained some welcomed weight.

He says he thinks he's going to stay at FDC Seatac the balance of the time. He doesn't expect to see the sky for 4 more months. The work out area is about the size of 1/2 BB court-60 laps+1 mile but there a few low tech exercise machines so he was able to do a 30 min aerobic ex.He will welcome books and is filling out visitor application forms. Dave and I have sent ours in and hope to be able to see him in 1 week plus! I even got something e-mailed today about an e-mail service to Chris that I registered for and may start soon.

Thanks for your prayers and continued support and communication!

Marti Spicer