DannyBoyinExile

I just watched the video on my tablet of Brian Collier (the executive director of TDCJ) addressing the inmate population about the ongoing system-wide lockdown – and basically declaring a war on drugs, TDCJ-style.
Apparently there have been 19 homicides in TDCJ this year, which far surpasses the 7 from last year and 9 from the year before. Most of these have been attributed to the use or sale of illegal drugs here, so I can’t blame them for deciding that enough is enough.
Every prison in Texas is on lockdown right now, while they do a comprehensive search of each unit, looking for serious contraband – while simultaneously trying to starve us into submission with our sack meals… (just kidding)
Just yesterday, I was surprised to find a mint stick and an electrolyte (from commissary) included in my lunch sack! Things like that make a difference here. It’s not the monetary value that matters, but the gesture itself symbolizes that they understand what we’re going through, and are trying to make it better for us. But it DOES have monetary value: that’s 30¢ that they added to each sack, for over 2,600 inmates here on Wynne Unit – and over 120,000 inmates system-wide. I’m not sure exactly who is footing the bill for that, but I appreciate the effort. Sadly, due to my tooth issue, I couldn’t eat the mint stick… but I did swap it for someone else’s electrolyte powder, and the extra vitamins are surely better for me anyway. In all the years I’ve been in TDCJ, I’ve NEVER seen them give commissary items to inmates like that, until we were in the darkest days of the Covid pandemic. Our situation now isn’t nearly as bleak as it was then – but again, I appreciate the gesture.
I was also given a drug test today – along with every other inmate on my wing. (Not all surprises are nice ones!) Our entire unit has been doing them, one wing at a time, and presumably it’s the same on every other unit.
I’ve always hated taking those urine tests… I mean, you are at your most vulnerable state when you have your… ahem… pecker in your hand. And it’s even WORSE when you have some guard standing right behind you, staring at your back! (Let’s hope he is only staring at your back…) But I managed to get the job done, and I passed with flying colors. (Assuming that yellow is a flying color!)
I have no idea how many people passed, failed, or refused – but I had nothing to worry about, so I was glad to get it over with. At least I can say that they ARE serious about dealing with the drug problem here. I don’t “like” to see anybody get in trouble, but if they manage to eliminate some of the violence, thefts, and overall sheistiness around here, I can’t be mad at them.
I made a decision to stay away from that lifestyle. If other people choose to remain involved in it, that’s their decision to make. But if they do, they’ll be choosing to deal with the consequences, too… So says DannyBoy.