Finally after being in Texas for almost two months, I resumed the electrician apprenticeship program. The program takes about 4 years to complete, but I've been busting my tail to have it done in 3 years. I have done 6,000 of the 8,000 hours required. Due to my transfer and the delay with resuming the program, I lost about three months of credit, which I hope to make up in the next few months. The program offered by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics is identical to the one I was doing in Morgantown, so the hours transferred 🙂 I share all this information to show that some programming offered by the Bureau of Prisons is helpful to rehabilitative efforts. Morgantown did not offer much, but Texarkana offers more like furloughs for a CDL, an HVAC program that offers certification, and at least a half-dozen other vocational tech programs, in addition to the UNICOR program, which is BOP's industrial branch. The UNICOR in Texarkana offers a rare metals recycling program and logistics for transports. Each prison that offers UNICOR has a different industrial program, like manufacturing license plates, uniform production, and call centers.
When guys aren't busy, trouble comes knocking, which results in prison-wide searches. Over the past month, we had two very intense searches, which both yielded significant numbers of contraband, including cell phones, vapes, alcohol, and meth. Apparently, meth was being fueled from the street through the prison camp area and muled to the other side of the razor fence (to the Low). The second of the searches was poignantly targeted resulting in actual arrests and criminal charges by the FBI of dozens of inmates. The staff has acknowledged that cell phones and vapes will be a continual issue, but the matter escalated to very serious concerns when the narcotics began flowing. Since the searches have occurred, much of the contraband has been eliminated making them very successful for the safety of the prison. Sometimes it's like an adult game of hide-n-seek of felons versus officers.
My cell area was searched and left in complete disarray, not because I was a target, but this is the standard operating procedure for these searches. While the SPC Texarkana Handbook indicates that staff will attempt to be minimally invasive and try to place all personal belongings back in their original locations, it is quite the opposite. I have seen lockers completed dumped on the floors. It's those little things that do not promote respect among inmates and staff. I have not done anything wrong nor do I have contraband, but my electronic tablet and some other items from Morgantown were completely confiscated and thrown out. But, I came to prison with no belongings at all, which is how I will leave it!
Overall, the prison is very safe and the staff treats these matters of illegal substances very seriously. I actually had no clue about the breadth of the stealthy operation until after the searches. Now, it's back to routines of work and pickleball 🙂 As always, thank you for taking time to check-in and see how my experience with this prison journey has been unfolding. There are rarely dull moments, and I'll continue to do my best to capture them as they occur. I hope you and your loved ones have a great week: stay cool, hydrated, and happy. Oh, and continue to be mindful of any little miracle in your life this week 🙂