Over the past week, about 70 of the 300 guys here at FPC Morgantown were called to "R & d" (receiving and discharge) and instructed to pack their belongings. Food, books, clothes, and toiletries are essentially the only belongings that inmates have to pack. All the items must fit into two cardboard boxes about the size of a large Amazon box. A correctional officer reviews all the belongings and packs the cardboard boxes while taking formal inventory of each item. By BOP policy, the amounts of items are limited by quite an exhaustive list. For example, 5 pairs of underwear, 2 sweatshirts, 7 pairs of socks, and 1 baseball cap may be transferred. It's a grueling task for the correctional officer to go through every item and mark it down before the cardboard box is officially sealed. The boxes are only permitted to be unsealed by another correctional officer at a receiving institution. A few guys had their belongings boxed and sealed for almost a month before they were transferred. That meant for the whole month, they had to wear the same clothes over and over again, unless they were able to borrow a pair of sweats or shorts. The 70 guys that packed up their belongings will have to wait nearly 2 weeks until they are transferred. It seems that last to pack will be the first on bus ("and the first shall be last").
Apparently, transport buses will be coming to the prison in 2 weeks to collect almost all the guys. At this time, I have not been designated to a new prison since my paperwork appears to have been sent to BOP limbo. I was supposed to have a priority designation since I am waiting to participate in the RDAP class, but no such luck. None of the guys that have been waiting to start the class have been designated either. As I wrote about a few weeks ago, we were all gathered together and told that we would be the first to transfer. Unfortunately, it does not appear that such a priority is happening. The overall process of closing the prison has been confusing and very much left everyone in pitch blackness. Some people are hoping that a new director for the BOP will halt the transfers, while others are thinking that we will be transferred by the end of March to begin making Morgantown an ICE detention center...again all just rumors and hopeful wishes.
I quickly want to report that the bird flu among the geese seems to have subsided. I think we've gone almost 5 days without a dead goose, which is huge improvement. Some mumblings have suggested that the remaining geese will be netted by authorities and euthanized, but such a task would require a lot of personnel to cover the 400 acre property. The geese population is significantly less than what it was (like maybe 75% less would be my guestimate). Overall, I'm doing much better after having been sick for a few days with flu-like symptoms and am happy to start having my appetite back. Now, I just do the daily routine waiting for any information on the impending transfers. I really appreciate you taking the time to check-in with me. Thank you for all your support and the ongoing encouragement. I hope you have a wonderful week and continue to be mindful of any little miracle in your life 🙂