**Warning: L O N G post
Federal Transit Center Oklahoma City is the national hub for federally incarcerated adults to transfer between prisons. Before providing my review of this facility, I’d like to begin with the Receiving & Discharge (R&D) process. I am in this logistics debacle on what is labeled a “program transfer” to participate in a program required for my prison rehabilitation. Now, I’ll pick-up from the Month 29 post on purgatory prison:
While embarking on “Con-Air”, each inmate was ushered row by row by armed air police officers and showed off their best shackle shuffle down the long aisle of the repurposed Southwest 737. Disembarking the plane was no where close to orderly. First, females inmates exited, followed by maximum security males, and followed by this announcement, “Stand-up and exit if you have any gang, cartel, or terrorist affiliations (about 30 names were quickly mumbled) OR if you dropped out of any of these gangs.” *Crickets, no one stood up. I could not make sense of this rationale to have both groups (affiliates and drop-outs) to exit at the same time. Were they going to be on the next jet to El Salvador? I jest (sorta). “Last names with A through L, stand up and exit the front of the plane,” mumbled the pseudo-flight attendant, who was armed. Chaos erupted, much like when the seat-belt light turns off on any commercial airline at the end of a flight. Men scurried and shoved their way to the front exit, which welcomed us to Oklahoma City. The very long 300-foot concrete “terminal” had wood benches attached to the walls. Inmates filed down the terminal and were instructed to seat against the wall and wait. After everyone was seated, groups of 5 were called to have their chains, handcuffs, and ankle shackles removed. Then, we were directed to a large holding room with one bathroom in the corner of the room – talk about open-concept design. Upon entering the room, a packet of forms and a small pen were gifted to us. Our stressed hands from nearly 18 hours of constriction from the handcuffs challenged our ability to properly write and complete these forms – and there was no counter to fill-out the forms. One form inquired about emergency contacts, which is standard practice, except one sentence asked who a beneficiary would be to receive my body in the event of a death at the facility. After the forms were completed, we divided in groups of ten and ushered to a visual inspection station, which means “get naked, baby.” New clothes were distributed, then we lined up at a window for medical check-in. Finally, we were escorted to another holding room waiting to be assigned a cell-block.
After nearly 200 names were called, 6 of us remained from FPC Morgantown. The head officer instructed us to follow him and said “I hope you don’t mind that I’m assigning you campers to a “drop-out” unit.” “NOT AT ALL!” my thoughts rushed since this meant a safer environment. We entered an elevator for the 5th floor, then the doors opened to the unit, and we were without shackles or handcuffs. We were the newbies of the unit, so 100+ eyes greeted us with suspected grunts, dismay, and eye rolls. While a few other inmates in this unit have “camp” status, most of them were assigned to mediums and highs with life sentences. These men were once affiliated with a gang or organization and decided to renounce their membership, which results in death should they remain at their prison. This unit is a safe haven from the general population, but the unit is far from perfect.
On my second night, a large group of drop-outs from two penitentiaries arrived with revelry. Immediately, tweakers, burnouts, and a few transgenders began smoking deuce (which you may recall is the bug spray RAID dried on paper and smoked). Like bugs, the neuro-effects of RAID cause nerves and aspects of the brain to freeze. In small doses for humans, they temporarily become “stuck” doing whatever they were doing – just like a cockroach. You maybe wondering how they smuggled this homemade narcotic through the rigorous security (I know I did)… surprise, through the old bum LOL. These disruptors certainly kept the atmosphere lively to say the least. Sorry, I had to inquire. Oh, the layout of the cell block looks a lot like typical cell blocks from the TV shot “60 Days In.” The grand design is much like any county jail: concrete and steel walls, two floors of 58 cells that overlook a communal area surrounded by a dozen 4-seater tables. Each cell has a bunk bed, sink, small metal desk, and toilet…no privacy whatsoever.
Okay, now for a brief REVIEW:
FOOD ** 2 Stars
While the meals are decently balanced and served warm, the portions are less than adequate for a 2,000 calorie diet. Nearly all the inmates are losing significant weight. The longer one stays, the longer one will starve. The quality of the fruits, beans, and vegetables have been refreshing (no salt or pepper on veggies) but remain vastly undercooked. The main dishes taste unexpectedly good.
ACCOMMODATIONS ** 2.5 Stars
The cleanliness of the cell block exceeds expectations. While the clothing attire is less than desirable (and wreaks of mildew), the mattress I was issued was brand-new, which means comfort. Only a few pillows are provided, so it’s first come first serve. Since we were issued two sets of clothes, I use the clean ones as stuffing for a pillow. Access to computers is a huge plus, but the books are middle school reading level. The rooms have sinks with turning knobs and porcelain toilets which is a huge plus, instead of the standard stainless-steel sink/toilet combo. A small rec area allows access to “outside” but is about 20 x 25 feet for guys to walk laps (55 laps = 1 mile – talk about getting dizzy) and do push-ups/burpees/squats, etc. The temperatures fluctuate a lot: a lot of dry heat to cooler air, but the cell block is well ventilated, especially to help mask the smells from inmates. One nice feature is the three darkened TV rooms where you could watch movies, sports, and the news during certain times, you just have to be fortunate to snatch one of the limited chairs.
STAFF *** 3 Stars
Like anywhere, good help is so hard to find. Many of the correctional officers assume you know the routine of daily movements, but coming from a camp setting, it’s easy to be a lost sheep: just follow the others. They certainly are not friendly, but approachably stern. Most of them are helpful with inquiries and guidance. None of them will disclose your final location or the exact day you’ll leave, but a lucky one will tell you if you’ll be departing that day. Oddly, most of the correctional officers in this cell block seem to be associated with the LGBTQI+ community, which does not connote any lesser ability to do their job. Overall, the officers could be more respectful, welcoming, and attentive (especially to first-timers), but I guess it’s trial by fire.
HEALTH SERVICES ** 2 Stars
Access to medical care is available, and a nurse performs daily checks. Pills and insulin are readily provided, along with prescriptions. Even if someone has a prescription just filled from another facility, all medications are disposed and reissued when arriving to the facility. Psychological services is definitely lacking, per usual. Many of inmates suffer from undiagnosed conditions which contribute to their criminal behaviors and poor choices behind bars. The opportunity to conduct mental health status evaluations would be ideal in a situation like this one. “If you don’t look for it, then it doesn’t exist” seems to be the motto for psychological support.
SAFETY & OPERATIONS *** 3 Stars
Operationally, the facility is a well-oiled machine, which must be for the thousands of inmates housed here. Schedules are important and become routine after a few days. Meals are timely served, and if some additional toiletries are needed, they are provided. While any person at any time could lose their cool, the overall atmosphere is seemingly safe, even though security levels like “campers” and “highs” should not be comingled. The officers routinely patrol and do not condone devious mishap (un, a plethora of security cameras survey each corner of the cell block, and each cell contains a duress button in the event of some emergent situation (I accidently touched the square metal panel without knowing what it was and the response from an officer to my cell was within seconds).
OVERALL ** 2.5 Stars
Given the complexity and logistics of transporting thousands of inmates per week, the FTC Oklahoma offers some semblance of order. The 2.5 stars reflects the facility itself and not the transit process, which would result in negative stars. The most challenging aspect of being housed in this facility is the Wait Game – schedules and destinations are kept very secret, which breeds anxiety and confusion that permeates the overall environment. Overall, I am fed (not enough), have a decent place to rest my feet, and access to phones/computers to be able to have some contact with the outside life. It seems the average wait at this facility is about 2 weeks – hopefully much sooner but be prepared to stay for at least a week.
Congratulations if you made it this far or just scrolled to the bottom of the post. I typically despise long posts, but I was hoping that this entry would give some insight into a very unknown world in the Board of Prisons – transit and holding facilities. I cannot thank you enough for all the incredible support, love, and prayers that you’ve shown me…I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful and happy week – remember to be mindful of any little miracle in your life 🙂