I used to go to church in the Spanish girls' cells. One of the women in our pod was a pastor. She held prayer meetings. A lot of crying and wailing went on and they had these songs they'd sing, like I'd never heard before, with a particular harmony and rhythm that felt alien at... Continue Reading →
Jail Tales 6 – Pod Power and how it works
The Pod is the collective word for the room containing a day room and cells. In each Pod there is a power system which is based on some very simple algorithms. He/She who can provide the most needed service, from translation to food...rules. Maria - Bilingual, 50ish, Hispanic Seasoned jail time - Lulu - 38... Continue Reading →
Jail Tales 5 – The TV Wars
There was a schedule for TV, but Lulu overrode it and for the most part the pod was peaceful, so the officers let it slide. She and Christiani loved hip hop and would switch channels and turn up the volume full blast. I hate that kind of noise. It disturbs my spirit. After living in the peace... Continue Reading →
Jail Tales 3 – Moved to another jail. The next breakdown
My next breakdown occurred in the second jail I was shipped to, 6 hours drive from my home town. Comes a time when all illegals must face the journey to an ICE detention centre. The one I was sent to on October 17th 2012, was Irwin County Detention Center which 'rented' a few pods to... Continue Reading →
Jail Tales 7 – Depression and learning to play the system
In jail, if you're trying to get some help, it's OK to say you're depressed but everyone learns very quickly, when they ask you if you've ever felt suicidal, you say NO. If you admit to that you're done for. They will isolate you. I had to have a 'lose it' episode before I got an... Continue Reading →
Writing my way out of depression
Now here's the truth. I love the idea of healthy eating and being healthy but I am not. I smoke tobacco. It is the only solace I have. It takes precedent over everything. When I'm down, I will get out there and get that tobacco even if I want to just go back to bed.... Continue Reading →
Sunny Peta Writer - emerging from the darkness 