After nearly 2 and half years at Morgantown, I have finally left the facility but only to transfer to another prison. Currently, I am enroute to Texarkana, Texas for what is known as a “program transfer”. Since FPC Morgantown is truly closing, they no longer offered programming that I have been waiting to take. Thus, I have to transfer to another prison to complete this program…and the whole transfer experience is one for the books!
On Good Friday, I found out that I was designated to Texarkana, Texas. After celebrating a wonderful Easter Mass and enjoying an Easter meal, I was informed that I would have to start “packing out” which is the official term used for collecting any belongings and having them ready to be shipped out. The day after Easter most inmates were talking about the death of Pope Francis I and my upcoming transfer. Then, on Tuesday, I was entirely “packed out” and ready to go with my boxes to be shipped by UPS. This would be my last day in Morgantown, so I had to make the most of it. I said many “farewells” to several guys that became friends over the last two years; played many rounds of pickleball in the evening; and closed out the paperwork on my electrician apprenticeship. I had a “memorable end” to my time at Morgantown. Finally, on Wednesday, I was awakened from my sleep around 3:15 am to be informed that I would be leaving in 30 minutes and to be ready for the bus…Now the fun was about to begin.
At 3:45 am, I reported to the Receiving and Discharge department, known as R&D. Eight other men were also being transferred, so we waited in a holding cell to be disrobed, visually searched naked, and dressed into “transit” attire, which is nothing more than boxers, socks, t-shirt, baggy pants, and cheap Converse slippers. Then, U.S. marshals took custody of the eight of us by handcuffing our hands, shackling our ankles, and connecting a chain around the waist to limit movement of hands and feet. These restraints make it impossible to raise a hand or take longer than 8-inch steps to prevent running or kicking. These restraints are necessary since we will be surrounded by other inmates of other custody levels, meaning they are violent. During transit, they do not care if you have “community custody” (lowest level of risk) or high in-custody level (highest risk of violence). Around 4:15 am, we were loaded on a large white bus which was like a typical school bus. Just like junior high, we were able to pick our seats on the bus or choose who to sit with. The bus was already at half capacity with inmates from the federal penitentiary in Hazelton, WV. This is the highest level of violence for these inmates. As I have written in prior blog entries, USP Hazelton is considered one of the top 3 most dangerous prisons in the United States. The common question that is asked of Hazelton inmates is “Have you seen anyone killed?” Sadly and inevitably, they respond with “Yes, a few.” It’s a sobering and dangerous prison culture from a federal prison camp.
Since we had inmates from the penitentiary, a car full of marshals followed behind the bus as we pulled out and ventured to our destination. Typically, the buses that depart Morgantown go to Pittsburgh International Airport (North), but our bus headed South. After three hours, our bus journeyed to Beckley, WV, where there is another prison, but we didn’t stop, then after four hours we passed Alderson, WV (a female prison), but we didn’t stop. After 5 hours on the bus, we stopped at the Greenbrier Airport in Lewisburg, WV. The bus had air-conditioning, which was the only accommodation worthwhile.
In what seemed liked the middle of nowhere, the tiny airport had one big runway. Seven other identical buses pulled onto the tarmac. What seemed like a random process, one inmate would be called and escorted off the bus, typically switching out prisoners. We waited about 2 hours on the tarmac for the Boeing 737 to arrive. The same plane used by Southwest Airlines, in fact, the plane still had the remnants of Southwest’s logo scattered throughout the plane. In groups of 5, we were ushered up the stairs to the plane after the other inmates disembarked. This process took about an hour. Upon being seated in a section guarded by an air police officer, we were given a package of food and a small bottle of water, which was lunch – just like a commercial airline.
Within an hour, we were wheels-up and bound for Who Knows Where…well, we had a brief layover in Detroit, Michigan, to pickup a few other felons. After about 30 minutes on the ground and refueling, we were airborne again. The next two hours were intense. Not knowing what to expect upon landing in Oklahoma City. After a smooth landing, the plane taxied to a remote area of the OKC airport. It stopped directly outside the entrance to the Federal Transit Center (FTC) Oklahoma: the major hub of transit for all felons of all security levels of all prisons. The journey was far from over…
Currently, I am in FTC Oklahoma waiting to be transferred to another prison. Since I have been in FTC Oklahoma for five days now, I will share more details of this experience in my next post. As always, I really appreciate your support and ongoing prayers. Your encouragement and love have made my success in this judicial nightmare tolerable. My prison journey has been quite experientially interesting. I am safe, sound and excited to share the next part of this craziness. I hope you all had a wonderful Easter celebration and continue to look for any little miracle in your life this week 🙂