With the impending closure of FPC Morgantown, lots of speculation swirls with where guys will end up going. It appears that most moves will be within the West Virginia area: Cumberland (MD), Beckley, and Hazelton. If you don’t recognize those locations, it’s okay, since they are mostly remote places in the area. Preparing to transfer to a new location can certainly be frustrating, especially in dealing with the unknowns. One of the big unknowns deals with prison politics among inmates, which is a real concern. The higher the security level, the greater the risks. One of the most dangerous prisons in the United States is UPC Hazelton, which reportedly has the highest incidents of violence among inmates. A majority of the incidents that occur between inmates in prisons remain unreported, especially since officers would be inundated with completing paperwork. It is very common to hear first-hand stories about inmates that have witnessed several violent acts or themselves even participated in these acts, like stabbings and senselessly beating up each other. Survival in prisons is real. The violence perpetuates since many of the inmates have decades long sentences, so they do not have the incentives of reducing their time. If they are charged with a violent act, what is an extra year or two of prison compared to the 30-year sentence that may already be rendered. Guys with nothing to lose are the most dangerous.
Most of the time, the danger stays within the confines of a high, medium, and even low prison. The violence rarely matriculates to a camp, which is why I am in the safest prison environment possible. Again, transferring to a new facility does pose risks, but since I will be transferring to another camp, the risks are low. Within the prison political structure are the factions, also called cars or gangs. I’ve written about these in the past. It’s an odd term to call a gang a car, but that is how it is. Upon entering a higher security prison, an inmate has about 1 month to decide which car to join: same race, religion, or region. These are the typical gang categories. In some prisons, even race gangs compete with each other, like a white car competes with another white car for memberships in order to exercise powers.
Even writing about this topic sounds like something of fiction, but the reality exists. Prisons have risks and are dangerous places. My former supervisor in the electric department just took a job at UPC Hazelton. When he was just visiting, he told me how every moment for an inmate is a moment of survival. I am very grateful to be in an environment where inmate violence is nonexistent and prison politics are null. Yet, I do not know where the next location will be once Morgantown fully closes, but I certainly hope to experience a similar situation where I do not have to worry about violence or daily threats of harm. I am blessed to be in a safe environment and surrounded by men who are focused on returning to their homes.
For the past 27 months, I have been very fortunate to have a positive prison environment and overall safe experience. I do hope that the next phase will offer similar safety and positivity. While I am still waiting on designation, many guys have already begun to pack their belongs and preparing to leave on a bus any given day. It’s just a waiting game to see what the next day will bring. I really appreciate you taking the time to check-in and see how I am doing. Your support has been critical with my success for these past 27 months, so thank you! I hope you have a wonderful week and continue to be mindful of any little miracle in your life this week 🙂