“Welcome to Morgantown” displayed a 2’x5′ white sign as I disembarked the small 8-seater single-engine Cessna. I took a flight from Washington/Dulles directly to probably the smallest airport in region, Morgantown. The flight was actually about 70 minutes long filled with quite the turbulence as we drifted from one snow cloud to the next. While the two pilots, who looked like they had yet to graduate high school kept an eye on each wing to ensure that it did not have too much ice-build, we finally landed. Nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Morgantown airport had only one terminal for Southern Airlines, which was closed due to the snow. Since I had not brought my cell phone, I did not anticipate that no taxi or bus would be available due to the closure.
I had to surrender to the Morgantown prison by 2:00 pm. At this point, it was 11:00 am, and I did not have any idea how I would be heading there. Alas, the gate attendant had left for the day around noon, so the phone on the Southern Airlines gate was open, and I tried dialing 4-1-1. To much success, I was connected to Motown Taxi (I guess Motown is the shortened name for Morgantown). It is snowy and about 27 degrees outside, and I am dressed in nothing but sweats.
By 12:30 pm, I was at the front gate of FCI Morgantown, and greeted by a lovely guard, Officer Thobois, who had been working at the prison since 2000. She had me wait outside the heated guardhouse (and clearly I’m quite cold and shivering) until an entry officer could escort me into the facility, which they call R&D or Receiving and Discharge. I guess the next time I will be in this area will be for discharge! The officer greeted me and confirmed my identity, which she could barely understand me through my chattering teeth.
I had $150.00 and my health records on me, which she needed to process the money into my commissary account before I could actually step-foot into the R&D section. She asked me to wait outside…I’m quite frozen by this point, which has now been about 25-30 minutes outside. FINALLY, I escorted to R&D which resembles a county jail. Here I was given a blue uniform (shirt, baggy pants, socks, tightie blues, and sliders – everything was blue). The exceptional idea of this uniform is to introduce the entire facility to a fashion that I am the new guy. Another person was surrendered at the same time as me. An older Chicagoan who was living in Columbus. He was here for mortgage interest fraud in order to make payroll during the 2008 housing crisis. He had mentioned that he had litigated his case for 14 years, and now was his time – as it was mine for a measly but grueling 4 years.
During my R&D visit, I was given a lunch, which consisted of a brown patty of meat (presumably beef) with a bun, two thinly sliced tomatoes and some onions accompanied with a bag of honey onion organic potato chips and a fresh red apple. Then, I was fingerprinted and then provided with a photo ID which must be displayed for my entire stay at this facility. I was then seen by a medical nurse and tested for COVID and tuberculosis. Since I had just had a bivariant booster, I did not require the 2-week quarantine – that was quite assuring and a wonderful perk.
After about 2 hours in R&D, my body had finally thawed out so I no longer seemed transparent with the blue backdrop of my temporary uniform. Then, another fellow took the “newbies” to our unit, which is called Alexander or Alex. The tour from R&D to the Alexander unit was poignantly scenic. There is a quaint pond with geese and ducks, very clean buildings and well-landscaped grounds, and finally it was time for entry into my new “home”! I highly encourage you to see the Google Earth link that is in the VISIT section of the website. Without knowing what the facility is, the environment is quite exquisite and beautiful. The four housing units are physically divided by a beautiful stream, which require a foot bridge to access each one. Each housing unit is divided into 4 wings by a letter: A, B, C, or D. Only two of the main housing units are functional right, since the population of the FCI Morgantown is around 460 people. The wings are open rooms divided by bunks and storage lockers. I was assigned a top bunk in the corner of the B wing. My “bunkie” is a 51-yo from Brooklyn, NY. Morgantown is his second prison, so he has some experience and insight, which has been quite helpful. He generously gave me a Dove body bar since the issued soap rivals Days Inn’s facial soap bar.
After touring my new home for the undeterminable future, I went to dinner, which was a very cold walk. My housing unit is the farthest away from the “chow hall”. Newbies are given only these measly sliders to wear, which means that I could feel ever cold step and the rocky contour of the weathered, asphalt pathways. Dinner was actually good, despite every other person complaining about the meal of the day. Dinner was Taco Wednesday, ha, they are day off here. The taco salad was actually a healthy portion, which tortilla chips, homemade salsa, black beans, and a nicely seasoned beef (i think it was beef). They only serve water during all meals, and no Mio to help with it.
After dinner, it was back to the the new home, which was an even colder, brisker walk. I still only have the newbie outfit, which is not warming at all. Then I read the Admissions & Orientation handbook, which is a bit updated than the one that could be Googled. Please don’t Google it – it is exceptionally boring and poorly written. I did spend the rest of the night reading and studying it. I still did not have any authorization to access the phone or computer, and I was tired from the journey and the adventures described from the post DAY 0.
At 9:00, two officers take a body count of everyone, so you have to stand-in place in your assigned bunk area for about 10 minutes. Then, it was off to bed, so I ventured into the top bunk and quickly fell asleep and giving prayers of gratitude for everyone who has supported me throughout this incredible, reckless journey.