life2thesequel
11-02-2003, 05:03 PM
Replies from participant PTO Lifers to Questionnaire 1. (see sticky thread for more detail on questions, and how this works.)
On HOUSING for Lifers.
MONTANA STATE PRISON--from 'Keichii' a Lifer in MONTANA
"We have a low side and a high side. On the low side they are two-man cells a little like apartments with wooden bunk beds and shelves for TV's and stereo's. High Side Close Unit 1 is a two-man cell setup with blocks with day rooms. High Side Close 3 (my unit) is a single cell unit with two sides. One side is AD Seg on one side with a six-room PC block and a 16 man mental health ward. On our side we have a six-man lockdown hole unit and three 16-man blocks. All are single cell. G-Block is a PC block, F Block is a regular cell block and E-Block is what is known as a predator block but we also have regular inmates as well. It is like a transition block for inmates coming from Max or for hard-to-manage inmates.Max Unit is built like Close 3. It is formed of six 16-man blocks and two hole blocks or lockdown blocks each housing six men, and an inside yard with concrete walls, basketball goals, and cages for one hour a day yard periods. This unit also houses our Death Row inmates. They are on E-Block, a 16 -man block. Our Death Row inmates are taken to a single cell separate from the other inmates when it is their time and then they are taken to the back of the unit to where they have about a 40 foot mobile home, which is the Montana State Prison Death House, as it is called. It was once used as a telemarketing trailer but it was converted for use as our Injection Unit."
_______________________
MASSACHUSETTS STATE PRISON, from anonymous Lifer.
"Questionnaire on Daily LIFE At the place I'm housed.....(Conditions)I have single family housing...__YES
(other)_______I LIVE ON A 45 MAN BLOCK SINGLE CELL
__________________________________________________ ___
--- On EMPLOYMENT for Lifers---
MONTANA STATE PRISON,--'Keichii', Lifer in Montana
"Employment:As far as jobs go, if you are on the low side you can work either in the unit, in the yard, in the low side chow hall, in the low side school, Vo Tec, or outside jobs like truck driver, tractor operator, industries, the tag plant, wood working, quick chill or many other jobs.This is different for the inmates on the high side. Here we have such jobs as school, Vo Tec, maintenance, hobby clerk, high side gym worker, block or unit swamper, laundry, yard worker, chow hall, etc. etc. All jobs must be held for three months before one can change jobs or quit or you will be written up. Max unit is only allowed to go to school for state pay or we have an established Inmate Welfare system run by the inmates where one can get $10.00 for hygeine items and such once a month for indigent inmates. You can also receive $5.00 for answering questions on the video bulletin board ran by the inmates on the low side. This is open to all inmates in the prison. All inmates except for the lockdown inmates can seek work or work as they desire.There were plans to make it where you could not have things like TV's unless you held a job but the inmates outnumber the jobs and this has not been done yet." "Free time is either spent by staying in one's cell, playing cards or board games in the day room at different times in the day depending on the unit and the inmate's classification. Going to the yard for one hour a day and going to the gym once a day or doing Hobby. But there are now many restrictions being placed on Hobby."
"The prison gives state pay only to those who work. Any other monies come from the IWF. The pay is not the same for all inmates. Some jobs pay only around $1.25 a day where others pay by the hour. As for the high side, no one makes more than $1.00 per hour, but more like 40 cents an hour or a flat rate of $27,50 per month. The reception unit now has what is called by some inmates as the chain gang. I do not know the pay rate if any, but some inmates, around six or so, are allowed to go to our yard and shovel snow or pick up trash around the yard."
_________________
MASSACHUSETTS STATE PRISON, --from anonymous Lifer
In the institution I'm in,.....(Employment)
I have to hold a job (work assignment)___________.
Can work or seek work if I want to YES
Would work but people outnumber jobs here YES
Does instition give 'State Pay' to only those who work? YES
Is there a 'subsistence wage' for everyone there? Some people get a 1.00 a day others 25cents an hour
What is the range of state pay jobs in your facility? NOT SURE(please name the jobs/functions if you know them)
PLATE SHOP, RUNNERS JOB, KITCHEN, GYM JOB,
_____________________
NEW YORK STATE PRISON (ACF),--from 'Johnny'
At the place I'm housed.....(Conditions)
I have single family housing...___YES_One cellie
(other)_MOST IF NOT ALL 39 PEOPLE ON MY GALLERY I'VE KNOWN FOR YEARS.
In the institution I'm in,.....(Employment)
I have to hold a job (work assignment)_YES AT LEAST 1 MODULE (TIME PERIOD) AM, PM OR EVE
Can work or seek work if I want to _YES AT LEAST ONE MODULE.
Would work but people outnumber jobs here_YES, PEOPLE OUT NUMBER JOBS HERE.
Spend my time (not working) by WORKING OUT AND EDUCATION MYSELF, READING AND STUDYING.
Does this instition give 'State Pay' to only those who work? NO
Is there a 'subsistence wage' for everyone there? 45 CENTS A DAY FOR 5 DAYS. $2.25 A WEEK
What is the range of state pay jobs in your facility?.45 CENTS A DAY TO .45 CENTS AN HOUR
_____________________________________
PENNSLYVANIA State Prison, from SMViking, a Lifer
At the place I'm housed.....(Conditions)
I have single family housing...yes,
-I have "z code" so NO more cellies
In the institution I'm in,.....(Employment)
I have to hold a job (work assignment)___________.
Can work or seek work if I want to ___________yes_____.
Would work but people outnumber jobs here________.
Spend my time (not working) by ___liftingweights_____.
Does this instition give 'State Pay' to only those who work? No
Is there a 'subsistence wage' for everyone there? yes
What is the range of state pay jobs in your facility?$0.19-0.42(please name the jobs/functions if you know them)
______________________________
On HOUSING for Lifers.
MONTANA STATE PRISON--from 'Keichii' a Lifer in MONTANA
"We have a low side and a high side. On the low side they are two-man cells a little like apartments with wooden bunk beds and shelves for TV's and stereo's. High Side Close Unit 1 is a two-man cell setup with blocks with day rooms. High Side Close 3 (my unit) is a single cell unit with two sides. One side is AD Seg on one side with a six-room PC block and a 16 man mental health ward. On our side we have a six-man lockdown hole unit and three 16-man blocks. All are single cell. G-Block is a PC block, F Block is a regular cell block and E-Block is what is known as a predator block but we also have regular inmates as well. It is like a transition block for inmates coming from Max or for hard-to-manage inmates.Max Unit is built like Close 3. It is formed of six 16-man blocks and two hole blocks or lockdown blocks each housing six men, and an inside yard with concrete walls, basketball goals, and cages for one hour a day yard periods. This unit also houses our Death Row inmates. They are on E-Block, a 16 -man block. Our Death Row inmates are taken to a single cell separate from the other inmates when it is their time and then they are taken to the back of the unit to where they have about a 40 foot mobile home, which is the Montana State Prison Death House, as it is called. It was once used as a telemarketing trailer but it was converted for use as our Injection Unit."
_______________________
MASSACHUSETTS STATE PRISON, from anonymous Lifer.
"Questionnaire on Daily LIFE At the place I'm housed.....(Conditions)I have single family housing...__YES
(other)_______I LIVE ON A 45 MAN BLOCK SINGLE CELL
__________________________________________________ ___
--- On EMPLOYMENT for Lifers---
MONTANA STATE PRISON,--'Keichii', Lifer in Montana
"Employment:As far as jobs go, if you are on the low side you can work either in the unit, in the yard, in the low side chow hall, in the low side school, Vo Tec, or outside jobs like truck driver, tractor operator, industries, the tag plant, wood working, quick chill or many other jobs.This is different for the inmates on the high side. Here we have such jobs as school, Vo Tec, maintenance, hobby clerk, high side gym worker, block or unit swamper, laundry, yard worker, chow hall, etc. etc. All jobs must be held for three months before one can change jobs or quit or you will be written up. Max unit is only allowed to go to school for state pay or we have an established Inmate Welfare system run by the inmates where one can get $10.00 for hygeine items and such once a month for indigent inmates. You can also receive $5.00 for answering questions on the video bulletin board ran by the inmates on the low side. This is open to all inmates in the prison. All inmates except for the lockdown inmates can seek work or work as they desire.There were plans to make it where you could not have things like TV's unless you held a job but the inmates outnumber the jobs and this has not been done yet." "Free time is either spent by staying in one's cell, playing cards or board games in the day room at different times in the day depending on the unit and the inmate's classification. Going to the yard for one hour a day and going to the gym once a day or doing Hobby. But there are now many restrictions being placed on Hobby."
"The prison gives state pay only to those who work. Any other monies come from the IWF. The pay is not the same for all inmates. Some jobs pay only around $1.25 a day where others pay by the hour. As for the high side, no one makes more than $1.00 per hour, but more like 40 cents an hour or a flat rate of $27,50 per month. The reception unit now has what is called by some inmates as the chain gang. I do not know the pay rate if any, but some inmates, around six or so, are allowed to go to our yard and shovel snow or pick up trash around the yard."
_________________
MASSACHUSETTS STATE PRISON, --from anonymous Lifer
In the institution I'm in,.....(Employment)
I have to hold a job (work assignment)___________.
Can work or seek work if I want to YES
Would work but people outnumber jobs here YES
Does instition give 'State Pay' to only those who work? YES
Is there a 'subsistence wage' for everyone there? Some people get a 1.00 a day others 25cents an hour
What is the range of state pay jobs in your facility? NOT SURE(please name the jobs/functions if you know them)
PLATE SHOP, RUNNERS JOB, KITCHEN, GYM JOB,
_____________________
NEW YORK STATE PRISON (ACF),--from 'Johnny'
At the place I'm housed.....(Conditions)
I have single family housing...___YES_One cellie
(other)_MOST IF NOT ALL 39 PEOPLE ON MY GALLERY I'VE KNOWN FOR YEARS.
In the institution I'm in,.....(Employment)
I have to hold a job (work assignment)_YES AT LEAST 1 MODULE (TIME PERIOD) AM, PM OR EVE
Can work or seek work if I want to _YES AT LEAST ONE MODULE.
Would work but people outnumber jobs here_YES, PEOPLE OUT NUMBER JOBS HERE.
Spend my time (not working) by WORKING OUT AND EDUCATION MYSELF, READING AND STUDYING.
Does this instition give 'State Pay' to only those who work? NO
Is there a 'subsistence wage' for everyone there? 45 CENTS A DAY FOR 5 DAYS. $2.25 A WEEK
What is the range of state pay jobs in your facility?.45 CENTS A DAY TO .45 CENTS AN HOUR
_____________________________________
PENNSLYVANIA State Prison, from SMViking, a Lifer
At the place I'm housed.....(Conditions)
I have single family housing...yes,
-I have "z code" so NO more cellies
In the institution I'm in,.....(Employment)
I have to hold a job (work assignment)___________.
Can work or seek work if I want to ___________yes_____.
Would work but people outnumber jobs here________.
Spend my time (not working) by ___liftingweights_____.
Does this instition give 'State Pay' to only those who work? No
Is there a 'subsistence wage' for everyone there? yes
What is the range of state pay jobs in your facility?$0.19-0.42(please name the jobs/functions if you know them)
______________________________